Novice knitting for new baby

[GreenPlum]

Hi,

I'm having to stay indoors and wondering what to do when boredom kicks in.

I have a relative expecting a baby in July and thought I could try knitting something for it. I'm a total beginner (although I did knit a scarf when I was about 10, so I know I can!).

The baby is due in July. They live in the southern states though so it's hot and humid. Maybe it would be best to factor in it not being used until November into the winter when the baby will be approaching six months old. They are a mixed race couple so he (we know it's a boy) will have a beautiful dark complexion.

Any ideas?

I need guidance on needles, wool, colours, patterns, and of course, what to actually knit. Would a little blanket be easiest?

Thank you!

How are you on shaping? Decreasing (most commonly just knitting two stitches together) is easier than increasing in my opinion. A simple hat in garter stitch (every row knit) in maybe a cotton yarn might be a good first project.

Cotton double knit yarn on 4mm needles would be perfect. White, lemon yellow or pale blue would all look lovely. Sirdar usually have a good range of baby pattern leaflets although Ravelry is a great site to search for free patterns and it's pretty easy to add filters to narrow down the results.

I'll have a quick search through the Sirdar options and post a link if I find anything suitable.