Looking to knit or crochet a baby sweater or baby hat? Find the best yarn for babies here, including the best yarn recommendations plus tips and tricks – no matter what type of project you are making for little ones.
Baby clothes and blankets can be such perfect gifts – and you want to be sure you are choosing the right yarn for the job. There are many factors that go into picking out the perfect yarn for babies, and today we are going to look at these in depth.
What to Consider when Choosing the Best Yarn for Babies
Let’s take a look at all the factors that should come into play when choosing the right yarn for your next baby project, whether that is a baby sweater, hat or even a baby blanket.
1. Ease of Care
This is a big one in my book. You need a baby item that is easy to care for. Let’s face it – babies are messy!! If the item gets worn or used at all, it will eventually need to be washed, and probably more than once.
We have four kids and I know from experience that some yarns just don’t stand up to the washing machine. We were gifted a beautiful baby blanket from the children’s ministry at our church, and the first time we washed it the yarn looked terrible. As a maker myself it really hurt my heart to see all that hard work gone to waste because of the wrong yarn.
Some yarns may be beautiful, but they must be hand washed or treated with extra care. When your baby item gets dirty, will you be prepared to wash it by hand?
Machine washing is possible with many yarns. Premium acrylics, cotton yarns, and superwash wool are all washable with ease. All of the yarn recommendations in this section are machine washable (I wouldn’t recommend anything else for a project made for a little one!).
2. Fiber Content
The fiber content of the yarn has a big impact on how easy it is to care for. When making a baby project, you should choose a yarn that is pleasant to work with (not too rough on your hands), feels smooth, and matches the intended purpose of the project.
You wouldn’t use a lightweight cotton yarn, for example, to make a thick, comfortable sweater for the winter. A thick wool, blend, or premium acrylic yarn would be your first choice. In contrast, you wouldn’t create a summer sun hat out of super bulky wool.
Also think about how the yarn will feel against babys skin. Wool may not be the best choice, even if it is a superwash. However, if it is a super warm sweater that will be on top of layers of clothing it might be appropriate. It all depends upon the intended use of the baby item.
3. Cost
Even baby sweaters and blankets can eat up a bit of yarn depending upon the size you are making, so cost does need to be considered.
We don’t want to break the bank with our project, and some of the yarns out there are pricey. Over $20 a skein! To make a baby blanket with a yarn like that would take at least 2-3 skeins and that’s a decent chunk of money.
Luckily, there are plenty of yarns out there that not only look nice and are easy to care for, but they are also affordable. We are going to look at some today that won’t break the bank, even if you are planning a larger sized sweater or baby blanket.
4. Availability
I know the internet has opened up lots of options, but sometimes I just want to feel the yarn before I decide which yarn I want to use, especially when it’s for babies.
So as much as I love shopping online, there is just something about being able to feel the yarn that appeals to me. I like to squish it! I tend to use yarn that is available nearby, although there are times that I really love ordering online, from places such as We Crochet.
Best Yarns for Babies (Hats, sweaters, blankets and more)
There are many different yarns on the market that make amazing baby items, and it would be impossible for me to list them all here, but these are some of my favorite ones that I have personally used and loved. (And I’ve made a LOT of baby clothes and blankets!)
ALL of these yarns are machine washable, so I haven’t added in a “care” section for each.
1. Bernat Baby Blanket Yarn
This blanket yarn is well known for its ability to create a warm, cozy blanket in record time. This Bernat yarn is a very soft yarn that works up super fast because it is a super bulky yarn weight. It’s great for a baby blanket, jumbo softee or even a thick sweater.
Fiber Content: 100% polyester
Yarn Weight: Super Bulky (#6)
Yardage/Weight: 220 yards/10.5 oz
Check out Bernat Baby Blanket here!
2. Red Heart Baby Hugs (Medium and Light)
This acrylic yarn is tested to be free from harmful levels of over 300 substances, which makes me feel great about using it as a baby yarn. This is a wonderful baby blanket yarn (you can also see one of my favorite baby sweaters I designed with this yarn!) and it comes in both DK and Worsted weights!
Fiber Content: 100% acrylic
Yarn Weight: Comes in both DK (#3) and Worsted (#4)
Yardage/Weight: Varies by type, typically around 240 yards in a 4.5oz skein
Click here to check out Baby Hugs yarn!
3. Bernat Softee Baby Yarn
This soft, easy-care premium 100% acrylic baby yarn in light dk weight is a favorite for baby blankets and garments.
Bernat Baby yarns are OEKO-TEX® certified, and are tested for over 300 harmful substances, making this another perfect choice for babies.
Yarn Weight: DK (#3)
Yardage/Weight: 362 yards/5 oz
Check out Bernat Softee Baby here!
4. Lion Brand Baby Soft
Lion Brand Yarn Baby Soft yarn is a best yarn for babies because it is so soft and easy to care for. This yarn is available in classic pastel colors and prints and can be found in craft stores and online. I have found this yarn at my local JoAnn’s.
Fiber Content: 60% acrylic, 40% nylon
Yardage/Weight: 459 yards/5 oz
Click here to check out Baby Soft yarn!
5. Plymouth Yarn Dreambaby
The Plymouth Dream Baby DK is a popular DK-weight yarn for babies! This yarn’s microfiber acrylic and nylon blend gives it great softness and it is also machine washable. These features make Dreambaby DK ideal for children and newborns. There is a great range of colors of this yarn, too.
Fiber Content: 50% Microfiber Acrylic, 50% Nylon
Yardage/Weight: 183 yards/50g
Click here to check out Dreambaby!
6. Lion Brand Feels Like Butta
The Feels Like Butta yarn is a chenille yarn that can be used in so many different types of projects. From a baby garment to blanket to baby hats and mittens, this is really the softest yarn that holds up well in the wash time and again. I’ve knit several baby sweaters with this yarn and crocheted up a baby blanket or two and loved it every time.
Yarn Weight: Worsted weight yarn (#4)
Yardage/Weight: 218 yards/3.5oz
Click here to check out Feels Like Butta yarn!
7. Red Heart Soft
I made my first ever crochet baby blanket, the Duchess Baby Blanket, with this simple yarn. It’s very affordable and comes in a wide variety of colors. This is similar to the colors found in Red Heart Super Saver, but this yarn is a much better acrylic and is not much more expensive.
Yarn Weight: Worsted weight (#4)
Yardage/Weight: 256 yards/5 oz
Click here to check out Red Heart Soft yarn!
8. Lion Brand Oh Baby! Organic Cotton
This organic cotton yarn is super soft and wonderfully easy to care for. It comes in 12 beautiful colors and is a great eco-friendly choice as well as a great choice for people with sensitive skin.
Fiber Content: 100% organic cotton
Yarn Weight: Sport weight (#2)
Yardage/Weight: 180 yards/1.75oz
Click here to check out Oh Baby Yarn!
A Very Inexpensive Option
One of the yarns I’ve used for baby items is actually from the Dollar Tree! If you can’t find it at your local store, you can order it from their website in quantities of 6 skeins.
Premier Just Yarn Worsted
I found this yarn at my local Dollar Tree and learned that it is also tested to be free from harmful levels of more than 350 substances, just like some of the baby yarns listed above! It was a joy to work with and knits and crochets up beautifully. You can see the baby hat I knit in the pic above and I’ve also made a baby dress that will be released on the blog in the spring – both with this yarn. You can read more about Dollar Tree Yarn here.
Fiber Content: 100% Acrylic
Yarn Weight: Worsted (#4)
Yardage/Weight: 131 yards/2.11oz (60g)
Click here to see Just Yarn Worsted at DollarTree.com!
But what about novelty yarn?
There aren’t many novelty yarns out there that I think make good baby yarn. The best I can think of is a yarn like Bernat Pipsqueak, which is more of a furry type yarn. I have some true hand spun novelty yarn in my stash, and I can’t imagine making a blanket out of it.
I do believe a blanket or sweater made with Bernat Pipsqueak could be soft and cuddly, but I have never tried washing this one so I’m not 100% sure I can recommend it until I try machine washing and drying it.
Common Baby Yarn Questions
It all depends on what you want out of your yarn. It’s most likely better to start by determining how much you want to spend and then building your selection off of that. The ideal yarn for babies will fulfill all of your requirements while still remaining within your budget.
For example, if you want to be able to wash your baby clothes or blanket easily, you might wish to choose a yarn with acrylic fiber content or an easy care fiber such as wool, cotton, linen, silk, or blends like a cotton-wool blend.
Look for blends of polyester or premium acrylic yarns if you want garments and blankets that are soft. Rather than trying to force yourself to like something, select a wonderful yarn for your project that you enjoy. Your favorite yarn for babies will be the one you love working with.
You will find most baby yarns fall into DK (category #3) or worsted weight (category #4). You want a yarn that is not too heavy but will still be nice and warm, and both of these yarn weights fit the bill. You can get really nice drape out of a DK weight yarn, and a little more warmth out of a worsted (plus it works up more quickly).
Cotton yarns are considered to be good for babies because they are soft and they are usually not too heavy. Most cotton yarns are machine washable and feel good against baby’s sensitive skin. You can even get organic cotton, such as the Oh Baby! yarn listed above.
My favorite choice for a soft, easy to care for blanket, sweater or hat is a premium acrylic, such as Berroco Comfort or Red Heart Baby Hugs. These yarns wash well and feel amazing. In fact, the first time I ever squished Comfort I couldn’t believe it was acrylic! There are a lot of great choices on the market today – a far cry from when acrylic yarns were scratchy! You can also choose a Polyester such as Lion Brand Feels Like Butta, which is another excellent choice.
There are many great baby yarns out there made from acrylic. If you are concerned about acrylic being bad for babies, make sure to choose one of the yarns that are certified to be free from harmful levels of over 300 substances (two of them are on the recommended yarn list). This way you know the yarn will be safe for baby.
A yarn labeled as “baby yarn” is typically tested to be free from harmful levels of over 300 substances, making it a good choice to be next to baby’s skin. You may find that a company has a regular yarn and a “baby yarn” in the same weight, yardage and fiber content. The difference would be the testing of the yarn.
Today we’ve learned about the best yarn for babies, whether you choose to knit or crochet. I hope you’ve enjoyed this post!
Happy Knitting and Crocheting!
Amanda
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How Do I Choose Yarn for My Baby?
How do I choose yarn for my baby?
Learn how to choose the best yarn for your next (or first!) baby project.
Materials
- Information from yarn labels or online
Tools
- None
Instructions
When choosing yarn for a baby, consider the following items.
- First, consider what type of item you are making. Is it a sweater, blanket or hat? Where and when will it be worn? Do you need a heavy yarn or lighter weight one?
- Decide if you are looking for a natural fiber yarn such as organic cotton, or if you are okay with a premium acrylic or polyester. This will narrow down your choice.
- Choose the weight of the yarn you need. Worsted weight yarn? Bulky yarn? Maybe a light fingering weight yarn?
- Next, check the yarn label for the care instructions. If you are at the store, check the labels. If you are online at a retailer such as Knit Picks, look at the care information on the label. Decide if you want to be able to wash in a machine or if you don't mind hand washing.
- Finally, choose the color you like. Once you have narrowed down all of the other options, make sure the yarn line carries a color you love.