The Best Yarn for Baby Blankets:Help You Choose the Most Suitable

Yarn for the baby blankets is a relatively common and ideal way to keep a child warm; they’re adorable, snug, and cuddly. In this respect, rather than buy a ready-made blanket for your precious bundle of joy, have you considered knitting one yourself? 

A handmade blanket is a unique way of extending your love and affection to a child – be it yours or someone else’s. Of course, the first thing you want to consider is the choice of yarn you’d like to use for the blanket. 

Chapter 1: Factors to Consider when Choosing the Best Yarn for Baby Blankets

Knitting yarn

Knitting yarn

Yarn Fiber 

Here, we recommend two frequently-used yarn options: Acrylic or Cotton. They come in vast color variations, are machine washable, and reasonably inexpensive. Alternatively, you can use Silk or Alpaca yarn if you want your blanket to last longer. 

Got a few extra bucks to spare? Settle for either Cashmere yarn or Merino Wool. These are two of the wooliest and costliest fibers that ensure nothing but the best when it comes to warmth and comfort. 

Washing Instructions 

Stack of Folded Woolen Items

Stack of Folded Woolen Items

Blanket-specific yarns should be machine washable. Indeed, no one enjoys handwashing a baby blanket – or any blanket for that matter. 

Settle for a machine-friendly yarn that can be tumble dried and withstand a regular wash of at least 40°C. Different threads that meet these criteria include commercial sock yarns, a few lines, and cotton yarn.

Using bleach products on your yarn is not recommended. However, there’s no harm in adding a little fabric softener.

Yarn Weight 

Ideally, baby blankets should neither be too light nor too heavy. This rule applies to all three types of coverings: crib, receiving, and swaddling. With that in mind, you need approximately two balls of yarn of roughly 10.5oz each to crochet a perfect-sized baby blanket. 

If you’re dealing with a Lion Brand 24/7 cotton yarn or any other medium-size yarn, settle for nothing more than nine balls.

Color 

Colors influence a child’s mood and personality as they grow older. Thus, you should be extra careful when choosing your yarn shade. 

First, begin your yarn color selection by picking a theme. For instance, if you want to design it based on the fall season, ensure your color scheme reflects the colors you’d see around that time of the year, i.e., gold.

Other blanket-friendly colors include pink, purple, green, red, blue, and of course, white.

Different Colors of Yarn

Different Colors of Yarn

Tension

Here, tension refers to how loosely or tightly you knit. A standard knitting style associated with baby blankets is the garter stitch. 

Therefore, if you plan on taking that route with your baby blanket, you need to ensure the yarn you’re using maintains an even tension. 

A good yarn smoothly glides through your fingers, and the stitches slide effortlessly across the eye of the needle. Therefore, if your thread maintains an even tension, the type of knitting needle you use won’t even matter.

Sensitivity to Wool 

Sensitivity to wool is a common problem among adults and children alike. Thus, you should steer clear of using wool as your preferred yarn if you experience specific symptoms such as skin irritations, watery or runny eyes. 

Cute Baby Sleeping in Knitted Blanket

Cute Baby Sleeping in Knitted Blanket

If you suspect your little one may be allergic or sensitive towards wool, use cruelty-free fibers such as Tencel, fleece, polyester, cotton flannel, and cotton. Out of all these, however, Tencel is among the best wool substitutes.

Seasonal Birth 

If your baby is due for the summer, opt for a highly lightweight yarn with a straightened-out pattern. Doing so will ensure a smooth flow of air when it gets too hot. 

If you’re crocheting for a spring baby, your yarn should be medium weight. Use a half-closed but warm pattern to keep out the chilly wind, but keep the weight lighter than winter. 

Nevertheless, for all these season-specific blankets, remember that bigger doesn’t mean better.

Cost 

Lastly, the cost of your desired yarn should not exceed your initial budget. Furthermore, if you want to spend a fortune on it, make sure that it’s a quality product and durable enough to last your baby well into early childhood. 

Cute Tiny Feet of Newborn

Cute Tiny Feet of Newborn 

If you don’t want to splurge on yarn for your baby blanket, don’t settle for anything less than quality. The ‘affordable’ types tend to lose their durability, color and shape pretty fast.

Chapter 2: Comparison of the Best Yarn for Baby Blankets 2021

Brand MaterialWashingWeightYardagePrice
Lion Brand Hometown Yarn Creamsicle60% Acrylic, 40% PolyamideMachine washableMedium, 5 oz.459 yards$8.78We Crochet Brava100% Premium AcrylicMachine washable + Dryable100gm218 yards$2.49/100g skeinLion Brand Baby Soft Yarn100% CottonMachine washable + Dryable5 oz. / 140g459 yards/420m$9.35
Bernat Blanket Yarn Silver Steel100% PolyesterMachine washable10.5 oz.220 yards$14.57
Red Heart Soft Baby Steps Yarn100% Acrylic FiberMachine wash (low temperature), machine dry (low temp)141g/5 oz (Solids), 113 g/4 oz (Prints)204 yards$7.90
Bernat Softee Baby Yarn100% Acrylic FiberMachine washable + dryable5 oz. / 140g362 yds. / 331m$8.94
Caron Simply Soft100% Acrylic FiberMachine wash  (delicate cycle) + Machine dry (delicate cycle)6 oz. / 170 g315 yds / 288m$7.79
Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice100% acrylicMachine washable + Dryable tumble dry3.5 oz. / 100 g170 yd. / 156 m$4.39
Universal Yarn Bella Chenille100% Polyester YarnMachine wash only100gm131 yds$14.57
Lion Brand Yarn 24-7 Cotton100% Mercerized CottonMachine wash + dry3.5 oz. / 100g186 yd. / 170 m$4.99

Chapter 3: Evaluation of the Best Yarn for Baby Blankets in 2021

Lion Brand Hometown Yarn Creamsicle

Lion Brand Hometown Yarn Creamsicle

Advantage: Offers minimal pilling, 25 color variants to choose from, machine washable, sizeable skeins. 

Suitable for the season: Spring/ Autumn

We Crochet Brava 

We Crochet Brava

Advantage: Wide color range, hardwearing and durable, splendid budget alternative, offers free shipping for orders $35 and over in the U.S.
Suitable for the season: Winter

Lion Brand Baby Soft Yarn 

Lion Brand Baby Soft Yarn

Advantage: Very cuddly, softest yarn, wide color range, easy to maintain, easy to knit/crochet, washable in temps below 40C/105F.

Suitable for the season: Winter

Bernat Blanket Yarn Silver Steel

Bernat Blanket Yarn Silver Steel

Advantage: Soft on hands, offers 17 individual shades, easy to wash and maintain, easily manipulatable. 

Suitable for the season: Winter

Red Heart Soft Baby Steps Yarn

yarn for baby blankets--Red Heart Soft Baby Steps Yarn

Advantage: Coordinating multi-colors and solids, highly versatile, soft and beautiful fiber, soft and cuddly texture, splendid stitch definition.
Suitable for the season: Winter

Bernat Softee Baby Yarn

yarn for baby blankets--Bernat Softee Baby Yarn

Advantage: Extremely soft and easy to crochet with, machine washer and drier friendly. 

Suitable for the season: Winter

Caron Simply Soft

yarn for baby blankets--Caron Simply Soft

Advantage: Soft pastels, funky bright appearance, an attractive range of colors, smooth knitting process. 

Suitable for the season: Winter

Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice

Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice

Advantage: Relatively cheap, easy to crochet with, a reasonable shininess level, extremely huggable, squishy, and soft.

Suitable for the season: Winter

Universal Yarn Bella Chenille 

yarn for baby blankets--Universal Yarn Bella Chenille

Advantage: Machine-washable, offers the best solid shades, velvety texture makes it very easy to work with, visibly high-quality.

Suitable for the season: Winter/Autumn

 Lion Brand Yarn 24-7 C

yarn for baby blankets--Lion Brand Yarn 24-7 C

Advantage: Comes in 24 solid shades, maintains color for the longest time, cost-effective, sturdy, and strong, easy to work with, Chainette style keeps strands together. 

Suitable for the season: Summer/winter

Chapter 4: What is the Best Yarn for Baby Blankets?

Baby blankets come in such a variety of sizes that you may find the selection process somewhat overwhelming. 

All you need to do is make it big enough to be used by your child for the next couple of years as a regular blanket. In this case, make your toddler blanket at least 40 by 60 inches. These measurements apply as well to crib quilt/crib blankets. A standard multi-use baby blanket should be at least 30 to 40 inches, while a swaddle blanket should be approximately 40 by 40 inches.  

Summary

In conclusion, from all the options provided above, we recommend the Lion Brand Yarn for so many reasons. 

Not only for its soft, cuddly texture but also other impressive features such as its wide color range (up to 25 shades), large skeins, and machine washability. 

In the end, all the yarns listed above are great, so it’s just a matter of personal preference.

We hope this article helps you make an informed decision about every sector of your yarn selection process. Feel free to share it with a parent or guardian who needs some helpful advice on this somewhat complicated topic!

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