I learned how to knit when I was pregnant with my first daughter. My mom taught me the long tail cast on method and knit stitch, a friend taught me the cable cast on method, and I taught myself the rest of the basics using the book Simply Baby by Debbie Bliss. It’s close to impossible to teach yourself how to knit from a book. I had tried many times, but her book was very easy to follow, and the pictures are very clear to see what’s going on.
Debbie Bliss’ patterns are also very easy, and you end up with super adorable knits that look complicated like the one above! Her Baby Shrug pattern was the first thing I made after a scarf. Also, if you haven’t heard about Ravelry, it’s awesome, so check it out. I do wish they had something like that for sewing.
Anyway, I loved the yellow shrug so much, that I made another one for my second daughter, but in a larger size, and purple. 
I used some leftover yarn, I think it was Patons, one of the Beehive Baby yarns, but I’m not sure. The yellow shrug was knit using Kraemer Yarns Perfection Worsted. I wanted yarn I could machine wash and dry. These are for babies people, messy, spitty babies. I love Debbie Bliss yarn, but when it comes to a baby, they are messy and I need to be able to machine wash their clothing easily and often.
This shrug fits her perfectly too, and the yarn holds the shape well while she’s wearing it. She’s all over the place, and the shoulders don’t slip down, so that keeps her looking oh so adorable!
This shrug is great over many different outfits too. I’m thinking about knitting up another one for the holidays, maybe with some sparkly yarn. The only drawback about this pattern is that it has seams. I now prefer my sweaters without seams, but as a beginner, the seams made it super easy.
If you haven’t knit a Debbie Bliss baby or toddler pattern before, you should give it a try. They’re so cute, quick and easy. Lots of payoff for very little effort. I also love the pictures in her books as well, and don’t get me started about how lovely her yarn is…
penny sew vintage 