Pattern Recommendation: Little Lamb Baby Bib by Kinga Erdem

You know when you find out a friend is having a baby? There's that jolt of excitement, that thrill of anticipation, and then that sudden moment of "What do I give them?"

Because babies deserve lovely things, all of us are used to the traditions of gifts, but it does tend to become something I stress about -- what is something that no-one else is likely to give? After all, I don't want my gift going in the pile of things baby was going to wear, only for the baby to grow too large before the item was even put on. I'm also practical; as the eldest of five children, I soon realised that pretty baby gifts are often put into the closet in favour of hardy, resilient articles.

For babies, I normally choose acrylic. It's easy-wash, and no new mother wants to hand-wash something a baby has made filthy. Something that fits a growing child works well, but clothing is hard for that. When I realised bibs were an option, it was a brainwave!

I began to search bib patterns and came across an absolutely sweet free crochet with Kinga Erdem's Little Lamb Baby Bib. Personally, it reminds me of Lamb Chop's Play-Along (does anyone else remember that show?).

The bib is an incredibly simple crochet, with the hardest part being the bobbles at the top, but the instructions were clear and I was able to understand the process easily. You start with the basic lamb face and then sew on the ears and details. Here's the face with the ears, mid-sewing process.

Isn't it just adorable? The crochet stitch is tight and the acrylic isn't water absorbent, which means bits of dribble are likely to just stay on the surface for a scrub-off.

The instructions include the eyes, face, and a little bauble border. I changed the smile just a bit because my nose simply didn't want to embroider on straight.

What a lovely lamb!

I gifted the bib to the expecting mum and loved the photos I got later of my godchild in it! There's nothing more gratifying than seeing my work being used and appreciated. I'm sure that it will get passed on, either to the next child along or to another mum who could use a smile!