Knitting for a new baby

[ShrinkingViolet]

I need to knit something for my best friend's new baby girl (due in September). It needs to be fairly trendy, but at the same time practical (I'm her only experience of children, so she's relying on me for advice), so nothing in a handwash only wool. I've had a look on Ravelry, but there's so much choice, and it's been a long time since I did any baby knitting (maternity leave with DD1 15 years ago [eek].
So, what's nice, not horrendously complicated, and a pattern I can have by Friday (which is when I'm off to JL to buy wool)? I'm thinking cardigans, hats (have seen a nice one), a pair of bootees as a "joke" present (cos no baby keeps bootees on, but all the expensive trendy shops seem to sell them for £20 ). Anyone done/seen anyting they would recommend?

If you're going to JL they have Rowan, Debbie Bliss and Baby Jaeger baby books for sale. There's lovely stuff in all of those, you'll be able to choose your pattern and buy the wool at the same time.

And they are all washable at 30 degrees in the machine too!

Yes, find a Debbie Bliss book, even the trendiest mum couldn't turn her nose up at that. They don't come as single patterns but the booklets are well worth it.

This will give you an idea of the kind of stuff Debbie Bliss does

The Debbie Bliss books are occassionally in the works, the stuff is beautiful, although i haver to admit to pouring over the pictures and not making a thing.

I do have a beautiful hand knitted baby snuggle thing, they are super practical. It has a hood, is like a coat but contines full length and the bottom folds over. It is much better than a snowsuit for littlies as is easier to put on and off.

Lovely isn't it. I have that book, knitted DS a lovely cardi from it which he has never worn because I think it's too effeminate!!

What about the rabbit coat

loads of freebies on rowan site like this

Littleducks, do you know where hte pattern for your knitted baby snuggle thingy came from? I saw someone with one once and would love to make one

if you love her very much you could do what i did for dd2 and knit a cashmere blanket in 4-ply

colourmart on ebay sell off spare yarn from mills (hence teeny gauge - you can hold several strands together or ask them to wind 2 or more cones together if you want it thicker) for not-much-at-all. pure cashmere is actually totally machine washable (esp. something gauge-tolerant like a blanket) with a predictable lengthwise shrink (10% iirc). i find even washable wool/blends bobbles like anything, not so cashmere.

it gets buttery softer and fuzzier with every wash and we've used it every day for the last year. she's now started tottering around clutching it and grinning [melty smiley] worth every minute of the making i'd say.

she also plays peekaboo with it

ooh, thanks everyone, pattern porn . Actaully I used to have a Debbie Bliss book and made a fabulous teddy bear all-in-one for DD1, but sadly both the book and the all-in-one vanished during a house move.
Unfortunately I can't make a blanket as my mum is making her a patchwork quilt (plus I like making little cardigans as they're done so quickly ), but I did do a lovely one for my nephew with hearts and stars in individual patches (it was supposed to be done as one piece, but I couldn't keep track of the 14 or 15 different threads in each row).
Hmm, decisions decisions....

aw baby blankets rock, that sounds fab intarsia? i can do fairisle but intarsia scares me. i do think quilts and blankets serve totally different purposes though (i have several of both )

anything you like in rowan babies? i have it here so could mail you yarn requirements etc.

one skein has very simple little bolero jacket for a newborn in worsted (aran? dk? i forget, looks like arran) cotton that's utterly sweet, but that's prolly cos it's on a newborn. there's something so special about newborn stuff cos no-one bothers, everyone gets 3-6 months. i could mail you the yarn requirements on that if you wanted.

On ravelry there is a lovely debbie bliss shrug in cashmerino aran that is really quick and easy to knit and looks lovely on

puppydavies is right that is the BESTEST pattern for a newborn. if you look on ravelry you will find the one i did for my neice {and you get to admire my beautiful neice}