Handmade baby gifts, worked out properly

Size Charts & Guides

• Baby Hat Size Chart by Age (Preemie to 3 Years)

  Head circumference and hat height by age for handmade baby hats, how much negative ease to use so the hat actually stays on, and why the age on the chart is the least reliable number in it.

• Yarn Weight Chart for Baby Projects (0–7, and What Each One Is Good For)

  The full standard yarn weight system from lace to jumbo, with the hook size and gauge for each — and which weights actually suit baby blankets, hats, booties and toys.

• How Much Yarn for a Baby Blanket? Yardage by Size and Yarn Weight

  Estimate yarn for a crochet baby blanket by size, yarn weight and stitch — with the square-inch method that lets you work out any size yourself, not just the ones on the chart.

• Crochet Hook Size Chart: US, UK and Metric Conversions

  Every crochet hook size converted between metric, US letter-number and old UK numbering — plus why the US letters are not reliable and the millimetre figure is the only one to trust.

• Crochet Baby Blanket Size Chart: Every Size, Newborn to Toddler

  The standard crochet baby blanket sizes in inches and centimetres, from preemie to toddler — plus the one measurement that actually matters and why the charts disagree.

Yarn & Materials

• Machine-Washable Yarn for Baby Gifts: What to Look For

  How to tell from a yarn label whether it will survive a real household wash — the four symbols that matter, what superwash actually means, and the words that mean the opposite of what you think.

• The Best Yarn for Baby Blankets: Soft, Washable and Safe

  How to choose yarn for a baby blanket — the four properties that actually matter, what each fibre does in a wash, and why the softest yarn in the shop is often the wrong answer.

• Is Acrylic Yarn Safe for Babies? An Honest Answer

  Whether acrylic yarn is safe for baby blankets and clothes — the flammability question nobody addresses, the softness myth, and where the real concerns actually lie.

Care, Washing & Safety

• How to Wash a Crochet Baby Blanket Without Ruining It

  How to wash a handmade crochet baby blanket by fibre — machine settings, what stretches it, how to dry it flat, and the two mistakes that cause permanent damage.

• Are Crochet Blankets Safe for Babies to Sleep With?

  The direct answer on crochet blankets and infant sleep, what current safe-sleep guidance actually says, and how to give a handmade blanket that gets used safely.

Gifting

• What to Give at a Baby Shower When You Can't Crochet

  How to give a handmade-feeling baby shower gift without making one — what new parents actually run out of, what gets quietly returned, and how to make a bought gift feel personal.

Beginner Guides

• How to Crochet the Donatella Clutch: A Beginner-Friendly Tutorial

  A step-by-step guide to Katy Handmade's Donatella crochet clutch: an oval base in single crochet, seven body rounds and a covered 19 cm spring closure, with video timestamps for every step.

• Crochet T-Shirt Yarn Clutch Pattern: A Free Waistcoat-Stitch Clutch Built Around a 22 cm Snap Frame

  A free crochet T-shirt yarn clutch pattern in waistcoat stitch, sized to a 22 cm clic-clac snap frame: a rectangular base worked in rounds, straight sides, and the frame crocheted into the top edge, with every stitch count worked out from gauge.

• Crochet Pencil Case Pattern: A Free Single-Crochet Zipper Case in Three Sizes

  A free crochet pencil case pattern worked as one single-crochet rectangle: three sizes with exact zipper lengths, finished sizes and yarn estimates, plus the two steps that decide whether it comes out neat.

• Crochet or Knit for Baby Gifts? How to Choose

  The real differences between crochet and knitting for baby items — speed, fabric, stretch, yarn use and which is easier to learn — with a straight recommendation for each project.