desertmum Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 Hello everyone. Basically I would like to knit a blanket for my niece who is expecting. She lives in Scotland -pretty chilly up there. What would be better for the baby blanket: wool or acrylic? Pros and cons? I'm a beginner knitter so all help and advice truly appreciated. :bigear: Also, my niece says it is a boy, are scans 100% reliable? ...or should I knit everything in white in case the scan is wrong...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 I've started avoiding all synthetic fabrics, so I say wool, all the way! Something fabulously soft and luxurious :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amey311 Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 I'd say superwash wool - then it can go in the washer and dryer. There are some people who don't like to use acrylic for baby things because if (heaven forbid) they're in a fire, acrylic will melt. Wool almost self-extinguishes. If you have some of both, you should try burning a piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 I'd say superwash wool - then it can go in the washer and dryer. There are some people who don't like to use acrylic for baby things because if (heaven forbid) they're in a fire, acrylic will melt. Wool almost self-extinguishes. If you have some of both, you should try burning a piece. :iagree: I use natural yarn for almost everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 Wool. Superwash is best, since it's so easy to toss in the washing machine. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 Agree with superwash wool. If you're unsure about colors I'd go with shades of brown rather than white. White will look nasty after being dragged about but the browns will still look good. Cascade 220 superwash has a nice range of colors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celticmom Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 For a blanket going to Scotland I would definitely use wool. The scans can be wrong, a loop of umbelical cord can resemble boy parts for example. If you don't want to use all white green and yellow are pretty gender neutral too. It also depends on the attitudes of the parents. I like blue and had no problem using blue items with dd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChandlerMom Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 By the time you put the effort in to knit something, better to use natural quality yarns. If you go wool, use a supersoft super wash wool. I doubt there are many babies allergic to wool in Scotland. :lol: Another option is cotton, or even a cotton-wool blend. Cotton can be a bit slippery if you are new to knitting. There are tons of options, so let your fingers go a walkin' at a yarn shop. It's always a good idea to slid a strand across your finger to see how much "grip" and feel it has. After all, you'll be spending quite a few hours feeling that! :D To me, acrylic just feels icky. One more thing: avoid anything too "hairy" for a baby. You don't want bits of fiber getting inhaled (just say no to mohair, :D ). You also want to make sure ti isn't scratchy feeling and echoing PPs: WASHABLE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertmum Posted January 22, 2012 Author Share Posted January 22, 2012 (edited) I'd say superwash wool - then it can go in the washer and dryer. There are some people who don't like to use acrylic for baby things because if (heaven forbid) they're in a fire, acrylic will melt. Wool almost self-extinguishes. If you have some of both, you should try burning a piece. I didn't know acrylic melts! EEEWWWW. I've never heard of 'superwash wool'. Will check out. Ta. By the time you put the effort in to knit something, better to use natural quality yarns. If you go wool, use a supersoft super wash wool. I doubt there are many babies allergic to wool in Scotland. :lol: Another option is cotton, or even a cotton-wool blend. Cotton can be a bit slippery if you are new to knitting. There are tons of options, so let your fingers go a walkin' at a yarn shop. It's always a good idea to slid a strand across your finger to see how much "grip" and feel it has. After all, you'll be spending quite a few hours feeling that! :D To me, acrylic just feels icky. One more thing: avoid anything too "hairy" for a baby. You don't want bits of fiber getting inhaled (just say no to mohair, :D ). You also want to make sure ti isn't scratchy feeling and echoing PPs: WASHABLE. I'm stuck in the Gulf right now so supply of quality yarn is limited. I'm shopping online...:tongue_smilie: Thank you for the replies. You are helping a lot. Edited January 22, 2012 by desertmum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2jjka Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 Can I suggest a soft cotton or bamboo? Those are my favorites for baby gifts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 My grandmother, who could knit beautiful, complicated things, always used acrylic because you could "throw it in the washer." She was a practical sort. However, I now am trying so hard to preserve things she knit. I wish so much that she had used wool! Acrylic gets hard over time and just does not feel as good or wear as well as wool. Plus, for a cold climate, acrylic is not all that warm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alphabetika Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 I've started avoiding all synthetic fabrics, so I say wool, all the way! Something fabulously soft and luxurious :) Yes! Soft and REAL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotAVampireLvr Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 Supewash for sure... Acrylic can be pretty itchy and its rough on the fingers if you're knitting something larger like a blanket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 scans are not 100% reliable. if you can get a very high quality SOFT wool that is easy care (baby's tend to mess things up.) I would do that. a good quality fleece (usually not made from acrylic - I tend to avoid acrylic) would probably be softer and easier care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 Please don't use acrylic! Wool or a wool/cotton or wool/bamboo blend would be perfect! There are many soft wools to choose from. A pp mentioned Cascade superwash - that is a great choice and not pricey, either. Are you on Ravelry? http://www.ravelry.com/ It's a great place to find patterns, yarn, advice, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrganicAnn Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 I would go with cotton. Of course Scotland is very damp and wool is commonly used. I'd ask the mother which she would prefer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 Wool is best in damp climates, like Scotland, because it wicks moisture away from the body. It is the standard for all things baby in those parts, and will age beautifully. Geo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertmum Posted January 23, 2012 Author Share Posted January 23, 2012 Please don't use acrylic! Wool or a wool/cotton or wool/bamboo blend would be perfect! There are many soft wools to choose from. A pp mentioned Cascade superwash - that is a great choice and not pricey, either. Are you on Ravelry? http://www.ravelry.com/ It's a great place to find patterns, yarn, advice, etc. Thank you for the suggestion. I will check out ravelry.com. I saw some superwash wool last night which might be a good idea. Thank you all for the suggestions, now I'm off to find a pattern...:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lailasmum Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 Wool, something like cashmerino would be nice, It's really soft and much less delicate on the washing front than it sounds. We just machine washed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertmum Posted January 23, 2012 Author Share Posted January 23, 2012 Wool, something like cashmerino would be nice, It's really soft and much less delicate on the washing front than it sounds. We just machine washed it. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 Some people are allergic to wool. Check to see if there is any history of wool allergies in the family. Were it me I'd use cotton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 I'd do acrylic. My son's allergic to wool. He gets hives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 Some people are allergic to wool. Check to see if there is any history of wool allergies in the family. Were it me I'd use cotton. :iagree: I'm all for natural fibers, but I'm allergic to wool. :001_huh: One of dd's most beautiful baby dresses was wool. I loved it so much that I put her in it for church and just had dh carry her the whole time.:tongue_smilie: I think blue would be fine. My dds both have blue eyes and had lots of blue clothes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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