My favorite color combination for babies is country blue and white (Caron Simply Soft Yarn). The blue is icy and enchanting. A small amount of white in the trim is the perfect complement to make the blue stand out. My first ever (and possibly last) commission was a newborn booties and beanie set that my mother requested for a coworker's baby shower. Because my mom requested it, I let her choose (and purchase) the booties pattern, which we found on Etsy. Window shopping on Etsy is one of my favorite pastimes, so it was pretty fun to share this activity with my mom.
She made an excellent choice. Not only is the booties pattern adorable, but it extends above the ankle and includes a cute tie to ensure it stays on wiggly newborn feet. I paired it with my first ever beanie. Each of the patterns I used were written as sets, but I mixed and matched to obtain the beanie and booties shown here.
Pattern Links
Supplies
- Yarn: Caron Simply Soft
- Country blue and white
- Hook: 4.5mm
Tips
Best Place to buy Caron Simply Soft Yarn
The cheapest I have found Caron Simply Soft Yarn is at my local JoAnn fabrics store. I either buy it when it is on sale or when I have a great coupon. I am not affiliated with JoAnn, but wanted to share that I think it is worth joining their mailing list because they regularly send out 40% off coupons (for one regularly-priced item). I would not buy a skein of Caron Simply Soft Yarn for more than $3. For bigger projects, I prefer to purchase this yarn online simply because it doesn't have that "craft store smell" (incidentally, the Caron Simply Soft Yarn at our local store is located right next to the sachets).
Booties
(finished size: 3 inches long sole)
I only made one minor modification to the booties. I used standard single crochet stitches for the trim rather than what was suggested in the pattern. Also, the suggested hook size is 4.0mm, but I moved up to 4.5mm because I tend to crochet tightly. In fact, my first attempt at making these booties turned out an inch shorter than it was supposed to be! Not crocheting too tightly (especially noticeable on booties) has been my greatest challenge thus far. Baby Hat
(finished size: 7 inches wide at brim)
I did not modify the hat pattern, other than selecting my own color combination. There is one stitch in the pattern, a puff stitch, that was new to me and which I found a bit challenging simply because there are so many loops to go through at one time. I found that it helped to make sure I was crocheting loosely and keep my hook straight so I didn't catch the sides when pulling it through. It also helped to carefully pull my hook through one loop at a time if I was having trouble with a particular stitch. For a link to a tutorial on changing colors in the round, see my lacy crochet summer baby gift set post (scroll to the bottom).
Overall, this was a very quick and easy gift for a baby shower. Both patterns are written well and include gauge and stitch counts. I think this set is perfect for a baby boy, but the country blue certainly works for baby girls, too. I crocheted this gift set for a December baby last winter, but I think the color combination would also work great for a summer baby (think nautical).
What season do you think the country blue and white color combination evokes?
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