Knitting in Handmade Happiness

New baby cross-over top and cardigan and cashmere bonnet with ribbons all knitted by Patricia.

Love this little grey top for a newborn girl or boy. Handmade Happiness is lucky to have good knitters among its makers, and with babies in my own family I am always being tempted to buy the beautiful clothes that I receive. I feel that everything should have a chance to be bought by other people first but, after a couple of weeks of being offered for sale, I reckon this gorgeous top is coming home with me!

One of the joys of visiting France is looking at the babies and childrens' clothes in the shops. In the past I have bought those white long sleeve tops with rounded collars that popper up at the back and the simple knitwear that looks almost hand knitted from Monoprix. In this country I think Zara and Next, sometimes Marks and Spencer have nice baby things. I like babies to look like babies in white or pale colours. I'm not a fan of slogans or the characters from films being plastered over clothes for little ones.

When my elder daughter was expecting her first and I wanted to knit and sew some baby things we visited Liberty for inspiration. The helpful lady in the knitting department recommended the knitting patterns by Erika Knight and having used them myself, I would also recommend them to anyone wanting to knit for babies. I've used her book 'Simple Knits for Cherished Babies' many times when knitting for my own grandchildren and they've always turned out well.