Gift ?: Which would you rather have?

fallbridequeen · February 2010

So I love to knit and currently have 3 friends who are pregnant and would love to make them each something special for their new LO's on the way. My question is, would you rather have a sweater for baby (maybe 6-12 months size) or a baby blanket? I know baby blankets are a popular gift, so I wasn't sure if I should go with that or not. Here is an idea of what I had in mind for each:

CashewsMommy · February 2010

You can never have enough blankets, plus the handmade ones are always so much nicer than ones that people buy for you.

I made my SIL one for her son, and out of all of the blankets she got (only 1 other was handmade) my nephew seems to love mine more for some reason. It makes my day when I always see him with it.

auslyn804 · February 2010

Both are adorable! I would probably say the blanket because you can keep it, use it longer. They may get a few blankets but you keep the meaningful ones.

Appro1 · February 2010

I have not had my shower yet but have gotten a few gifts already. A bunch of blankets that I love but my one aunt knitted me a cute little sweater with with lambs on it. I LOVE this sweater and I know it will be something I treasure for a long time. If it was me, I would go with the sweater just to be a little different. : )

AllieJean · February 2010

I would rather get the blanket, but both are beautiful. I know how to knit but I cant do anything like that!

baldwinsbride · February 2010

at first i was going to say a blanket, but when i saw the sweater.. i loved it!!

scubaspot · February 2010

Blanket. People can always use blankets and if taken care of properly it is something that you can pass down to your own children.

sherina825 · February 2010

The blanket. I don't think you run the risk of it being generic because you are making it with your own two hands. LOL!!! Plus that baby may have that blanket forever where as that sweater may be donated to someone else six months after you give it to them.

BTW if you made both of the ones in the pics you are very talented and I wish you were my friend. LOL!!!

jmlushbough · February 2010

As a knitter myself, I would love to receive either as a gift.

The one thing I would say is that yarn choice is key. I'm a self-proclaimed yarn snob. That doesn't mean that the blanket would have to be knit in cashmere. But I probably wouldn't use a 100% acrylic blanket.

Just my two cents... :-)

NewMama2010 · February 2010

baldwinsbride:
at first i was going to say a blanket, but when i saw the sweater.. i loved it!!

Same here! I was going to say blanket because it will last longer and you can use it for so many things. But then I saw that sweater, and it is beautiful! So much nicer than what I was picturing. I would love one of those for my baby. But whatever you decide to make your friends, you can't go wrong. They are both great.

jnevin123 · February 2010

I vote for the 'big bad baby blanket'- love that pattern!

balibaby · February 2010

I love the sweater! My DD is wearing a hand knit sweater from my best friend's mom in my siggy pic, I love hand knit sweaters!

cathylynn1213 · February 2010

I'd rather have a sweater... just b/c I already have several baby blankets-- all of which I love of course, but LO is gonna drown in blankets!

MCC1010 · February 2010

Both are beautiful. I think anyone would be lucky to get either one!

Caileyhc · February 2010

This is a two part answer:

As the mom receiving the gift I would love to receive either, but I can see the baby blanket being around for longer than the sweater so I'd likely choose that one.

As a knitter I'd choose the blanket for multiple reasons.
1. Big Bad Baby blanket is a great pattern, I've made a few, easy to memorize and fairly quick to knit
2. A blanket will be less fiddly to knit than a sweater with more pattern details and finishing.
3. Choosing the right yarn is key! I'd probably go with a superwash wool that's super soft to the touch.

Good luck with your decision. Both are adorable patterns!

fallbridequeen · February 2010

jmlushbough:
As a knitter myself, I would love to receive either as a gift.
The one thing I would say is that yarn choice is key. I'm a self-proclaimed yarn snob. That doesn't mean that the blanket would have to be knit in cashmere. But I probably wouldn't use a 100% acrylic blanket.
Just my two cents... :-)

As another self proclaimed yarn snob, I would never dream of using anything acrylic, especially as a gift.

fallbridequeen · February 2010

Caileyhc:
This is a two part answer:
As the mom receiving the gift I would love to receive either, but I can see the baby blanket being around for longer than the sweater so I'd likely choose that one.
As a knitter I'd choose the blanket for multiple reasons.
1. Big Bad Baby blanket is a great pattern, I've made a few, easy to memorize and fairly quick to knit
2. A blanket will be less fiddly to knit than a sweater with more pattern details and finishing.
3. Choosing the right yarn is key! I'd probably go with a superwash wool that's super soft to the touch.
Good luck with your decision. Both are adorable patterns!

Thanks for the feedback! I have a 22-month-old, so I truly understand the "washability" factor! My thoughts were to use either superwash merino or a really nice cotton yarn.