HandKnits for Babies
As new parents of a beautiful baby girl, Ciara, we were blessed with many wonderful gifts from our friends and family. Some of the most precious to us were hand crafted by grannies and even great grannies.
For me personally, the most precious gift came in my mother’s gift basket to us. After opening the beautifully wrapped gifts, I came across a gift from my grandmother, who passed away while Greg and I were still dating many years ago.
My grandmother was so important to me, we would spend every Christmas with them as children in the same home in which my mother and her brothers grew up. Every morning my brother and I would sneak into her room at five o’clock, and snuggle into the bed with her and my grandfather. They slept in separate beds in the same room, high big wooden carved beds that we had to scramble up onto with difficulty. First they would read from the Bible, and then they would say their prayers. I remember as a child thinking how many friends they must have as there were so many prayers said for so many people, each one mentioned by name. The list seemed endless and I thought that they were very lucky to have so many friends. Then I would sit on the floor next to her stool as she carefully applied her porcelain make-up, using an old wooden shoe-horn to pat the skin under her chin to keep it taut. She was always immaculately turned out, in beautiful silken blouses and skirts or smart pants.
Her kitchen was a treasure trove of cupboards and pantries, stuffed with ice-cream sundae boats and glasses, old Lucozade glass bottles filled with home- made ginger beer and lemonade that we had as special treats. She would cook every day, ensuring that my grandfather had a hot meal on the table when he returned home from his stationery supply store. After dinners on Tuesday’s he would sit down in front of the television with us on his lap and we’d all watch the Lone Ranger – his favourite show.
My grandmother was very creative, winning many awards for her flower arranging, and assisting in uplifting the community teaching the less fortunate to knit in order to create items they could sell to bring in a bit of an income.
All these memories of her came flooding back as I turned over the most beautiful, carefully knitted bibs, so small and dainty. My mother smiled at me and told me that she had asked my gran to make them for me many years before when she was living with us after my grandfather passed away. She had put them away safely for me till now.
I thought back to those times with fondness and can actually remember her making these same bibs for friends of hers at church to give to their daughters and sons. I can remember going into the shop with her to buy the wool and the tiny knitting needles that were needed for such fine work. There was also a wonderful cardigan set for Ciara, again, so carefully worked upon, so detailed, so neat. To be honest, I felt quite overwhelmed by this treasure trove and felt such an outpouring of love.
My mother kindly shared the pattern for this baby bib with me so I could share it with you. This beautiful bib will make a wonderful addition to any gift basked for a new baby. It is a very old Pingouin pattern that my grandmother took from a magazine. Apologies for not being able to give credit to the magazine as the copy did not include the name of the magazine on it.
Materials
Pingouin No 8 (50g balls) – about 25g;
One pair 2mm Inox knitting needles;
Narrow tape or ribbon for ties
Abbreviations:
K – knit; p- purl; M1 – (make one) yarn round needle; tog – together; skpo – slip one, knit one, pass slipped stitch over; sk2po – slip one, knit tow together, pass slipped stitch over; st(s) – stitch(es); alt – alternate; inc – increase; c/on (off) – case on (off); gst – garter stitch; N(s) – needle(s); cont – continue; foll – follow(ing); rep – repeat; dec – decrease; rem – remain; patt – pattern; tbl – through back of loop; yrn – yarn round needle.
Feather Pattern
TO MAKE
C/ on 2sts and work ingst inc 1 st at each end of every row until 54sts on N. Cont in patt as foll:
First row: P2 *(k2tog) twice, (M1, k1) 3 times, M1, (k2tog) twice, p2.
Rep from *3 times more.
2nd Row: Purl
3rd Row: Knit
4th Row: Purl
Rep these 4 rows 8 times more, then first and 2nd rows once more.
Next row: K22, c/off 10sts, k22 (including st on N).
Work on first set of 22sts only as foll:
** First row: K19, skpo, k1.
2nd and foll alt rows: Knit.
3rd Row: K18, skpo, k1.
5th Row: K17, skpo, k1.
Cont in this way until on 15th row you have k12, skpo, k1.
17th Row: (Shaping on outer edge): K1, skpo, k11.
19th Row: K1, skpo, k10.
21st Row: K1, skpo, k9.
Cont dec in this way until 3sts rem. C/off. ** Rejoin yarn to neck edge of rem 22sts and knit one row. Work from **to**
BACKING
Make an identical piece, working in gst only.
EDGING
C/ on 4sts.
First Row: K2, M2 (yarn round needle twice), k2.
2nd Row: K3, p1, k2.
3rd Row: K5m K twice into last st.
4th Row: C/off 3sts, k3 (4sts on N).
Rep these 4 rows until edging is long enough to fit round outer edge of bib.
TO MAKE UP
Pin backing to wrong side of bib. Oversew around neck edge. Stitch edging neatly to both thicknesses of bib, using small stitches. Sew length of tape or ribbon to each end of bib for ties. Stem lightly.
I hope you enjoy making these bibs as much as my gran did!
Do you have a fond memory or a story you’d like to share with us, we would love to hear from you. We would also love hints and tips for knitting and crafts for babies.