Beginner baby wool question

[Tomorrowisyesterday]

Hello, I want to knit a blanket for a baby - I see there are types of wool called "baby" so am guessing they are ideal for the job - but what happens if I make one using other wool? The issue being the baby wools are all very pastelly colours and I think the person would like bolder colours which seems hard to find. Thank you!

I think "baby wool" generally just means it's something like 4 ply. You can use any wool really. I made one for my niece using Drops Cotton Merino which comes in a great range of colours and feels really nice. It seems to have held up well too!

Thank you @SoupDragon I suppose I thought there might be something dangerous about other types of wool - maybe if they shed fibres or something? (You can tell I am not much of a knitter! Though I'm finding it enjoyable despite my lack of skill!)

Hi there, I work for a large yarn company. The difference between baby yarn and other yarn is usually the softness, we have several yarns that are 100% premium acrylic but the baby version is generally a lot softer. We also some some yarns that have nepps or strands wound in them which wouldn't be suitable for very young babies. I would stay away from any wool content just because of the roughness of the yarn but otherwise this is usually the only difference.

@Tdcp brilliant, thank you

Drops cotton merino is lovely and soft. Their pure merinos are also incredibly soft, but tend to stretch when washed (they can be - very carefully - shrunk back to size using tiny increments of time in a tumble drier). I'd also use the cotton merino for a baby but I'm not a big fan of acrylic/other synthetics. I buy lots of Drops yarns from Wool Warehouse and there's usually a discount voucher available if you google 'Wool Warehouse'.

If you do want acrylic, Scheepjes colour crafter yarns are the softest I've found, even softer than many 'baby' yarns. They also wash well and come in lots of strong colours. Stylecraft 'special' yarns are also usually very soft and come in many colours and weights (thicknesses).

The other advantage of "baby" yarns is that they tend to be machine washable...a big plus when babies are likely to puke/poo/otherwise make a mess of blankets etc.

Most yarns are machine washable nowadays as well as being suitable for a cool tumble dry :) unless otherwise stated on the ball bands obvs!

Thank you all, really glad I posted!

For a baby I would avoid acrylic as natural fibres are more breathable and so better for temperature regulation. There are plenty of soft merino and cotton yarns available. Superwash treated wool is machine washable without the risk of felting.