WHAT TYPE OF WOOL TO BUY IF WE ARE GOING TO KNIT BABY CLOTHES

Posted by Md Khann on December 18th, 2020

If you are knitting clothes for your baby, you should choose suitable wool for his delicate skin, such as merino wool or cotton. We show you the most suitable materials.

The comfort and warmth of the smallest of the house are ideal in wool garments. But not all types of yarns are the same,  so you have to know their characteristics, they will help us choose the most appropriate garments to knit our babies. 

The baby's skin is very fragile and can suffer allergies due to the material's dif0erentes  sold in the market. The feel of the wool that you choose for your little one should be soft and fluffy and have a medium to fine thickness.

Many of the yarns cannot be washed in a washing machine, you have to take into account the time and care they take. Garments usually have to be washed by hand and left to dry on a flat surface. Other yarns contain a technology called Superwash and allow washing and hanging without problems. 

There are companies that only sell Cashmere wool specially designed for babies. They adapt materials, colors, and thicknesses, so they are limited, but it can be adapted a lot to what your baby's skin needs and the most typical designs. If you decide to start your search beyond these yarns, we will give you some information about each type: 

WOOL MERINO

One of the most suitable and most common types of wool to use for babies is merino wool. It differs from common wool in its origin since it is from the Merino sheep breed originating in North Africa. Although at present, the largest farms are in Australia and New Zealand. It is a 100% natural material, very light since its fibers are very fine and elastic. 100% merino wool products can be used daily as they are very soft and do not sting. It is also an excellent thermal insulator, so it can be used in summer and winter, it will maintain our body temperature in both cases. 

One of the things we like the most about this yarn is that it is resistant to stains. It has a natural protective layer that repels dirt and prevents bacteria, so it will protect the little ones from skin conditions and rashes. It is more breathable than other fibers, which prevents odors, absorbs sweat, and removes moisture from the skin.

A trick to be able to knit with merino wool is to tighten the thread so that the garment is firm. 

skeins of wool merino wool are very complete, protects from cold and heat

Finally, one of its most curious properties is that it has natural protection against UV rays, so while our baby is wearing it, it will be protected from UV rays. This is one of the reasons why merino wool is used to make special clothing for athletes.

COTTON WOOL

The most used when there are cases of skin allergies, normally the most recommended is an organic cotton that does not use chemicals in its cultivation process or textiles. That also makes it softer and more breathable than regular cotton, but it's also more expensive. Organic cotton has a fluffy and light finish and is also hypoallergenic since it lacks heavy metals, pesticides, or bleaches in its composition. 

Cotton wool is less warm than other types of wool, but it will be very useful in spring and summer garments and accessories. It is tremendously light and soft and with some anti-lint treatment, we can prevent those uncomfortable balls from forming and make them last much longer.

There are brands that mix cotton with materials like bamboo to give it a silkier look. These combinations, if they are made of natural fibers, will not pose any problem for the skin of babies. Since these fibers also have antibacterial, antistatic, antiallergic properties. In addition, cotton wool has a wide variety of sizes so you can let your imagination run wild since the material will not set limits for you.  

ALPACA WOOL

With properties similar to those of merino wool, alpaca wool is one of the best valued and most special textiles. Its hypoallergenic properties and the absence of oil in its structure make it highly recommended for the skin of babies. In addition, it does not lose softness or shine when dyed in other colors, although alpaca wool is already the one that offers the widest range of natural colors. Like merino wool, it is very light and is able to regulate body temperature. It is also breathable and warmer than ordinary wool. This makes it an ideal material for winter garments, but it is also useful for certain summer garments by maintaining body temperature. In alpaca wool our favorite quality is its durability, it hardly wears down with use and repels water while being fire retardant. Their list of properties is almost endless.