Baby Blanket - Help me pick colors?

[wawa]

I've got two new impending humans in my life. My husband's cousin and my new direct report are both having babies sometime this fall. 

Both seem to have a very similar vibe going for the their baby stuff with a lot of neutrals. 

I asked about color schemes and was told "neutral rainbows" for Baby 1.
Was shown a few pics of nursery stuff and this is the vibe 


thinking about being very literal and doing this pattern: www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/rainbow-drop-blanket
 

but now have to figure out colors...neutral is not my jam...if I try to do something like the colors in the wall art above, is it just going to look muddy?  should I insert a row of cream/white between the colors??  



Baby 2 - is a girl, style is also more neutral, soft greens, botanical etc. like this:


trying to decide between something simple like this, maybe with just like two shades of green and maybe a soft pink?


Or maybe more monochrome textured like this:


Or...do another whirl pattern like this one:


in this (hobbii) colorway:


too many options and I'm suffering from decision paralysis.  random opinions welcome.

[pooh8402]

Ooh I'm searching.

Baby#1: I do like that pattern and agree with your thought about breaking up tht colors with a bit of cream. Probably just one row of single or half double crochet. If you don't want to be literal, you could do a chevron or 8 point star blanket instead. What weight of yarn are you thinking?

Baby#2: Fwiw, I love Hobbii Twister yarn. I just finished a project with it and am currently working on another one. I would call it a thin sport weight, almost but not quite fingering weight, so be mindful of that. I do like the color you chose for the yarn. But I think I like the stripes blanket with the bobbles best, followed by the whirl. The whirl will definitely show off the Twister yarn though. Lots of good options here. Are you wanting to stick to a thin yarn here?

[schrodinger]

I would say yes to breaking up the rainbow with strips of cream. Otherwise I think you'll miss the subtle changes and any color that isn't close will stand out.

For the second baby, I tend to shy away from pink unless I'm given that direction specifically so I personally would stay with a green colorway.

I'm not a crocheter, so sorry about using the wrong terms! I didn't love having holes in our gifted crocheted blankets when DD was little. I felt like I spent a lot of time pulling her fingers out of the holes whenever we used those blankets. For that reason, I would have preferred option 1 or 2. But option 1 looks like it would be uncomfortable to lie on since the pom-poms would be pressure points. I love option 2 because the pattern reminds me of leaves, and with the green, botanical inspo pictures, I think it works really well.

[pooh8402]

What about this for a neutralish/subdued rainbow? I have it myself and it's a nice color. It will give a variegated look rather than self striping.

www.hobbylobby.com/Yarn-Needle-Art/Yarn/Green-Room-Roll-With-It-Melange-Yarn/p/80949195

[pooh8402]

Mar 23, 2022 10:52:47 GMT -5 schrodinger said:

I would say yes to breaking up the rainbow with strips of cream. Otherwise I think you'll miss the subtle changes and any color that isn't close will stand out.

For the second baby, I tend to shy away from pink unless I'm given that direction specifically so I personally would stay with a green colorway.

I'm not a crocheter, so sorry about using the wrong terms! I didn't love having holes in our gifted crocheted blankets when DD was little. I felt like I spent a lot of time pulling her fingers out of the holes whenever we used those blankets. For that reason, I would have preferred option 1 or 2. But option 1 looks like it would be uncomfortable to lie on since the pom-poms would be pressure points. I love option 2 because the pattern reminds me of leaves, and with the green, botanical inspo pictures, I think it works really well.

That's a good point about the pink. If I had a girl, I would have wanted pink, BUT I would have specified warmer dustier pinks like blush, millennium pink, mauve, peach, etc.

[wawa]

Mar 23, 2022 10:35:02 GMT -5 pooh8402 said:

Ooh I'm searching.

Baby#1: I do like that pattern and agree with your thought about breaking up tht colors with a bit of cream. Probably just one row of single or half double crochet. If you don't want to be literal, you could do a chevron or 8 point star blanket instead. What weight of yarn are you thinking?

Baby#2: Fwiw, I love Hobbii Twister yarn. I just finished a project with it and am currently working on another one. I would call it a thin sport weight, almost but not quite fingering weight, so be mindful of that. I do like the color you chose for the yarn. But I think I like the stripes blanket with the bobbles best, followed by the whirl. The whirl will definitely show off the Twister yarn though. Lots of good options here. Are you wanting to stick to a thin yarn here?

I'm thinking worsted, or DK at the smallest if I go with that pattern. I need it to go relatively fast since I've got two at once and my crochet time always nose dives when the weather warms up.  

Just need to find a comfy yarn that has a good selection of dusty neutrals so I can find 5 of them though. If anybody has thoughts...

I'm not necessarily wanting a thinner yarn for #2, but knowing the style of the parents the more elegant look was calling to me. #1 can be a bit more rustic in feel, but I feel like that doesn't suit the parents of #2 as well.  Though the color stories they like are similar.

schrodinger funny you mention the holes...that whirl blanket is a something I gifted to somebody a little over a year ago and I just texted her to ask how it's held up and whether she found it useable or just cute to sit in a basket, and it's apparently their car blanket and their son sticks his fingers through the holes all the time, but it was basically something for him to do in the car so she just rolled with it.  Sensory play blanket I guess. And the holes have enough play that he didn't get stuck or anything, but when I asked how it's held up she said it's still in good shape but a little misshapen through some sections where he's pulled some of the holes bigger. So...maybe not that. 

I think I've talked myself into the bobbles.  I love that leaf pattern, but it's not going to be a quick one with the gauge called for.  The bobbles will go fast, and from experience with previous blankets, I can make them soft enough they're still a comfy blanket.  And it's a good balance of cute simple little kid stuff with the parents more clean style. Maybe cream, two shades of sagey green?  or a reaaaaaally soft gray rather than cream?

[pooh8402]

Mar 23, 2022 13:30:22 GMT -5 wawa said:

Mar 23, 2022 10:35:02 GMT -5 pooh8402 said:

Ooh I'm searching.

Baby#1: I do like that pattern and agree with your thought about breaking up tht colors with a bit of cream. Probably just one row of single or half double crochet. If you don't want to be literal, you could do a chevron or 8 point star blanket instead. What weight of yarn are you thinking?

Baby#2: Fwiw, I love Hobbii Twister yarn. I just finished a project with it and am currently working on another one. I would call it a thin sport weight, almost but not quite fingering weight, so be mindful of that. I do like the color you chose for the yarn. But I think I like the stripes blanket with the bobbles best, followed by the whirl. The whirl will definitely show off the Twister yarn though. Lots of good options here. Are you wanting to stick to a thin yarn here?

I'm thinking worsted, or DK at the smallest if I go with that pattern. I need it to go relatively fast since I've got two at once and my crochet time always nose dives when the weather warms up.  

Just need to find a comfy yarn that has a good selection of dusty neutrals so I can find 5 of them though. If anybody has thoughts...

I'm not necessarily wanting a thinner yarn for #2, but knowing the style of the parents the more elegant look was calling to me. #1 can be a bit more rustic in feel, but I feel like that doesn't suit the parents of #2 as well.  Though the color stories they like are similar.

schrodinger funny you mention the holes...that whirl blanket is a something I gifted to somebody a little over a year ago and I just texted her to ask how it's held up and whether she found it useable or just cute to sit in a basket, and it's apparently their car blanket and their son sticks his fingers through the holes all the time, but it was basically something for him to do in the car so she just rolled with it.  Sensory play blanket I guess. And the holes have enough play that he didn't get stuck or anything, but when I asked how it's held up she said it's still in good shape but a little misshapen through some sections where he's pulled some of the holes bigger. So...maybe not that. 

I think I've talked myself into the bobbles.  I love that leaf pattern, but it's not going to be a quick one with the gauge called for.  The bobbles will go fast, and from experience with previous blankets, I can make them soft enough they're still a comfy blanket.  And it's a good balance of cute simple little kid stuff with the parents more clean style. Maybe cream, two shades of sagey green?  or a reaaaaaally soft gray rather than cream?

I'll take a look at my various yarn sources and see what I can find for you.

For #2, could definitely do 2-3 shades of green broken up by the cream. From the inspiration pictures, I think you should stick with cream instead of a soft gray.

[wawa]

Thanks pooh8402!
Have you or anybody else ever used Lion Brand Heartland? That's one at least I can swing into a store in theory and touch it, even though I feel like my chances of them having all the colors I'd want in stock is slim. But then I can order it online.

But that line has a really good selection of neutral tones it looks like.

I have grown into a bit of a yarn snob (minus my abiding love of caron simply soft), but it looks like a nicer acrylic.

[pooh8402]

I haven't crocheted with it but it feels nice and I have been tempted to purchase just to have on hand.

[statgirl]

For 1, I like these Malaga packs: hobbii.com/malaga-color-bags?option=14122

#5 for full rainbow, #2 if boy (guessing no), #4 for girl (but it is sold out—may be able to be pieced together)

Hobbii also has some cotton color packs that would work in complementary saturations.

Also, cotton here: www.lovecrafts.com/en-us/p/paintbox-yarns-cotton-dk-10-ball-color-pack. I like Wanderlust. The same color way comes in other materials too.

If you do the bobbles, I would do a cream and two greens. Sage or celery.

[statgirl]

I knit, but used heartland. It is standard but was fine enough. I use a lot of acrylics for babies—I’m exiting that stage for a bit, but Lion Brand is my go-to. (And simply soft)

[pooh8402]

Here is another option that has nice colors

www.knitpicks.com/yarn/comfy-worsted/c/5420171

[Michelle]

Blanket #1 I agree with putting some cream between the rows of colors. I think the literal rainbow interpretation will be treasured by the recipient.

Blanket #2 - I love the all green option you posted. The pattern looks like a pile of leaves, which I’d love in a botanical color scheme. If you are looking for yarn, Oregon Pachey just posted this on ML. The greens in that yarn are amazing. I don’t know if the financial investment is too much for her custom dyed yarn but I think it would make a treasure of a blanket. I bought some of her yarn and have the yummiest, softest, most beautiful garden-inspired scarf as a result (well, for my skill level at crocheting). pandce.proboards.com/thread/631992/non-exciting-poll-yarn

[newenglandlady]

Lurker here, but had to reply because for #1 I have made and love this pattern, which I think would fit perfectly www.etsy.com/listing/789433796/the-original-boho-rainbow-baby-blanket?

[wawa]

Mar 23, 2022 14:49:33 GMT -5 statgirl said:

For 1, I like these Malaga packs: hobbii.com/malaga-color-bags?option=14122

#5 for full rainbow, #2 if boy (guessing no), #4 for girl (but it is sold out—may be able to be pieced together)

Hobbii also has some cotton color packs that would work in complementary saturations.

Also, cotton here: www.lovecrafts.com/en-us/p/paintbox-yarns-cotton-dk-10-ball-color-pack. I like Wanderlust. The same color way comes in other materials too.

If you do the bobbles, I would do a cream and two greens. Sage or celery.

I went with the wanderlust pack! Plus some greens and creams in the same yarn for the other one. Hopefully I like it. 😁

[egeiger]

I like knit picks yarn for their variety of bases and colors. They always have prechosen assortments that give me inspiration, even if I order separately in a different base.


www.knitpicks.com/yarn/washable/c/300164

[wawa]

colors acquired! I stated on the bobble blanket and 6 rows in realized I screwed up the initial count. GODDAMN IT. I hate frogging.

[wawa]

OMG this blanket is going to make me crazy. I’m two balls of base color in on this thing and I’ve been thinking it was a bit dense and making length slowly. IVE BEEN USING THE WRONG HOOK. by two sizes. Why the flying fuck didn’t I double check the first time I thought that?

Now I need to decide if I’m frogging two whole balls of yarn or buying more yarn or…making a really small blanket.

[wawa]

I bought more yarn.
While that's on it's way, I started on the rainbow blanket and realized that as written it makes a teeeeeeeeeeny little blanket. I don't want a placemat sized baby blanket, so I bumped up the starting chain and am adding more rows of color. Which...might mean I need more of the outside colors as well.
I was so proud of myself for getting all the yarn for these two blankets at such a reasonable price. Figures that actually I needed twice as much as I purchased.

[wawa]

these blankets are freakin' cursed. All the colors I need more of are out of stock. whyyyyyyyyyyyyy

[cmeon]

The best laid plans, right? They will love them, whenever you can get to them- they're really cute patterns.

[pooh8402]

wawa, ughhhhhh Knitpicks/WeCrochet JUST released this yarn which would have been PERFECT!

www.crochet.com/yarn/heatherly-worsted/c/5420451

[wawa]

I finished one of the two! I ended up pulling in some textured elements from another pattern, and I'm really happy with it!

[wawa]

YOU GUYS. I'm so very proud of myself. Posting this picture for a limited time because it's not mine, but check out the finished rainbow blanket on the back of the chair in the nursery. IT COORDINATES SO WELL!!!!!! I did not see the finished nursery beforehand, just the crib and the rainbow art on the righthand wall - the recipient sent me this picture after he took it home.
*Poof*


Thank you all for your help. statgirl , amazing yarn palette rec.

[aprilsails]

Awww it looks so lovely in the room. That was quite the labour of love on your part. I’m glad it turned out so well.