Best Baby Blanket Yarn for Crochet Projects in 2023
If there’s one thing any knitter will tell you that there’salways a demand for in the world of knitting, it’s baby blankets! It’s practically a rite of passage for all knitters and their families to both make and giftand receive their first knitted baby blanket.
Just like there’s always a need for them, there’s also always an abundance of awesome baby blanket patterns being written, and, naturally, those require different qualities in the kinds and weights of yarn they’re written for! We’re the kind of avid knitters who like to try all different patterns, as well as all different kinds of yarn out, which is why we’re always on the lookout for yarns that we think might be great choices for the baby blankets of the future.
Best Yarn for Baby Blanket
When we find a potential baby blanket yarn we liked, we bookmark it and keep a list of options. This way, when we find a pattern we want to try, we can refer back to our list and check out what kinds of yarns we liked and kept the links for what we think might suit that blanket. Recently, a friend asks us if we’d ever been willing to share at least a small piece of our baby blanket yarn list, and we really loved that idea!
Check out these great, diverse yarns we’ve kept track of that we think would make fantastic baby blankets.
1. Lion Brand Shawl in a Ball yarn
This particular yarn might becalled“Shawl in a Ball” for the perfect shawl-appropriate length that the brand gives you, but no one kind of yarn is ever limited to just one thing! We also this particular yarn would work very well indeed for all kinds of different baby blanket patterns.
This fingering weight yarn from Lion Brand Yarn is made from an incredibly soft blend of cotton and acrylic, making it a good texture, warmth level, and durability for use with babies. The finished product is light but warm and can be machine washed when necessary and then simply laid out to dry.
View price on Amazon2. Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton yarn
If you, like us, actually enjoy knitting for babies the most when you’re using cotton, then we’dabsolutely suggest taking a look at howLion Brand Yarn made this awesome 24/7 Cotton line that’s got all the good parts that people love about working with cotton, but the added bonus of a nice, baby-appropriate range of colors!
This particular kind of cotton has undergone a process called mercerizing, which gives it an incredibly pretty shine in its finished product but mostly increases its durability. The blanket will be nice and light, making it great for summer babies, but it will also withstand washing cycles even better than most yarns and better than cotton already regularly does.
View price on Amazon3. Bernat Baby Blanket yarn
If you’re going to knit a new baby blanket for someone, especially if it’s someone whose due date is in the colder months, would you much rather work with a kind of yarn that’s a little softer and thicker than most of what you’ve seen so far, for maximum coziness? Then we have a feelingBernat Baby Blanket might be just the yarn for you!
This yarn is considered a chunky weight, meaning that it requires a much thicker knitting needle or crochet hook than most of the types you’ve seen so far. It’s made from acrylic materials, meaning it can withstand occasional washing, but we’d recommend avoiding the dryer in order to keep that nice, fuzzy texture. The real perk of working with something a little chunkier like this, however, is that it knits up more quickly than thinner yarns, making it a great choice for newer knitters too.
View price on Amazon4. Studio Same Boho Brights Pure Cotton yarn
Are you still interested in the idea of nice, light cotton yarns that come in great baby colors, but you can’t help feeling like your idea of what good baby colors are is a little different than the right of the world? Well, if you like a few brights and neons mixed in there with your pastels and you enjoy knitting with thinner weights, then we’re pretty sure this type fromStudio Sam and Co is perfect for you!
This particular color combination, which you can purchase as a whole bundle ordered together, is literally called the Boho Brights Collection, but they have several other options and combinations that give off different finished aesthetics, just in case you decide you want to go for a different look. Each pack gives you a total of over 1800 yards of yarn, which is absolutely enough for just about any baby blanket pattern you have your heart set on.
View price on Amazon5. Bernat Softtee Baby yarn
If you’re going to knit a baby blanket any time soon, would you actually rather use something a little more classic, like the tried and true yarns your grandmother might have considered when she knit a baby blanket for you? Then maybe you’d get along a little better with something likeBernat Softee Baby!
This acrylic blend yarn is one of the best when it comes to washability and durability versus softness. The balls are sold a little larger than some brands, making them a better value for their money in terms of the amount of yarn you need to create an entire baby blanket, and they also come in a great range of pastel colors that will suit just about any nursery.
View price on Amazon6. La Mia Mini Cottony yarn
Are you still thinking about how much you like the idea of knitting something light and cotton-based for the next baby your family or friends are expecting, but the pattern you’ve chosen involves a lot of color changing, and you’re having trouble finding what you need in smaller quantities that will make the project affordable and not leave you with huge leftovers in each shade when you’re done? Then we’d be willing to bet that you’ll get along much better indeed with something like La Mia Cottony!
This particular bundle lets you choose the colorways you have in mind so that you get the right combination for the project you’re making, but it’s a great deal because it lets you select up to 20 skeins in one order, pricing them out accordingly. It’s basically the perfect set for knitting light cotton rainbow blankets for bright summer babies!
View price on Amazon7. Knit Picks Stroll mini pack sock yarn
If you’rereally looking for yarns that have increased durability but also a sense of natural softness, then you’ll never really do better than sock yarn since those are usually formulated and wound specifically with the wear of walking in mind. That’s why this yarn from Knit Picks, although intended originally for socks, also actually makes such a great choice for baby blankets, which also get lots of wear and tear over time!
This particular aqua-themed kit was perhaps our favorite choice, but the seller actually gives you several bundled options to be purchased together, each one with a different lovely shade range. The only drawback here is that the skeins are actually “mini-skeins” and not full ones, meaning you get slightly less for your money since the prices is on par with many of the other kits. If you’re the kind knitter who values authentic quality in your yarn, however, then it’s probably the choice for you.
View price on Amazon8. RT-YUTUYU Super Soft yarn
Are you actually still scrolling through our list thinking about how much you loved the idea of making something a little more chunky and soft compared to most of what you’ve seen so far, but you also like to considerall the different options rather than settling for the first one you saw? Then we think you simplymust take a look at this lovely Super Soft line fromRT-YUTUYU!
This yarn is quite comparable to the soft, chunky option you saw above, but it’s geared towards a slightly more natural color palette. If you’re looking for classic neutrals rather than fun pastel speckles, then this option is probably the better choice for you!
View price on Amazon9. AndeanSun 100% Baby Alpaca yarn
Are you actually leaning towards the concept of making your next expectant family something that’s not just classic in its neutral shade but also much more natural and authentic in its materiality, but you’re also cognizant of the fact that some people are allergic to wool and you can’t know whether a baby will be? Then perhaps an alpaca yarn like this one fromAndeanSun is a better choice!
The only real drawback to knitting a baby blanket from alpaca wool is that it tends to be more expensive. This price difference, however, is made up for in its stunning quality and softness. Baby blanket knit in yarn like this resemble the old-fashioned kind that might eventually become family heirlooms.
View price on Amazon10. Lion Brand Cupcake yarn
Are color and cheerfulness absolutely your biggest priority (beyond the high quality of your own knitting, of course) when it comes to choosing your baby blanket yarn? Then we have a feeling you’re going to adore the Cupcake line fromLion Brand Yarn for more than just its durable but soft acrylic materiality!
This yarn is what’s called a self-striping yarn, meaning it was dyed in sections for progressive color change and was wound to knit up in a way that naturally creates blocks of color and stripes in any project. This is the perfect option for someone who wants to include all kinds of differently colored sections in their baby blanket but doesn’t have much experience in (or perhaps just doesn’t enjoy) weaving in all the different yarn ends that manual striping and color changing creates!
View price on AmazonConclusion
Do you know another knitting enthusiast who has been looking for great suggestions when it comes to yarn for baby blankets but who is still doing research, just to make sure they really consider all their options and pick the best one?