Parenting: Finding the Perfect Baby Blanket

With every birth, one tends to receive blankets.  The symbol of the baby blanket is nostalgic and special.  It represents warmth, security, and comfort.  With my son Joel I went into labor the same day I knit the last stitches of his baby blanket.  No matter how many baby blankets I have, my babies tend to pick their own favorites.

Each child's choice corresponds to their size and the type of weather Port Townsend is having when they start to realize they can unroll from the nice swaddle.  Babies also grow out of blankets like they do anything else, unless the blanket is big enough to last until baby no longer wants to be wrapped.  I must stay that Dominic stilled like to be wrapped until he was almost two.  We stopped swaddling him when we moved him into his first bed.

Speaking of Dominic, Bria's favorite blanket happens to be something that was gifted to Dominic.  He did not take to being swaddled in this blanket, but because it is woven with cotton, we used it as his extra layer in the car and I would shade him from the sun in late summer with it.  This also made a great blanket for nursing because it was not so heavy that baby would object to public feedings being hidden under it.

However, this blanket's true calling was for Bria.  Bria was born in November, but even so, the weight of this blanket was perfect for her.  It is a generous size, so we folded it in half when she was really little.  There is a fringe on each end that she loves to touch.  It is better for her to play with this instead of ripping out all my hair, another favorite activity.  Now at almost nine months old I can barely get this blanket in the wash.  She will not go to sleep wrapped in anything else. 

Other than the fact that Bria loves this blanket, there are other reasons why it is so special.   A friend of mine makes these right here in Port Townsend.  She has a weaving studio and makes all kinds of beautiful hand woven things.  We also have a couple of her dish towels.  Her blanket is unique.  It is also not a standard baby colored item.  There is so much texture in the piece for the baby to touch.  Plus, as I mentioned earlier, this blanket is just the right thickness for lots of seasons. 

If you are reading this and thinking, I really want one.  Rebekah makes baby blankets on request.  She has an Etsy website www.etsy.com/shop/3strandshandwovens, she sell some of her items at Rennaissance Rags in Port Townsend,  or one could also find her at the Port Townsend farmer's market.  I am pretty sure you and and baby will love your blanket too.  :)