knitted baby clothes

... yep, another baby clothes thread (but I didn't want to pinch yours, Kelly, 'cause this would be off the topic). 

People knit for babies, right?  Only I'm not a knitter - I made 2 fluffy scarves (which weren't even knitted properly) and that's it from me.  No booties, no hats, certainly no little jerseys.  Now, everyone in generations above mine wants to know what knitting this child will have, and many give the impression that it's just plain cruelty to bring a baby into this world without knitted clothing to greet it.  My mum's saved some baby clothes and is handing down lots of knitted stuff, hubby's Grandma is the knitter from 'Nam and is whipping up jacket and booties as I type...

What I'm wondering is:  IS KNITTED CLOTHING ESSENTIAL?  It's a pain in the arse to launder, and I always hated wearing wools or synthetic knits when I was a kid - just uncomfortable, and I imagine they'd be even less comfy for a baby with drool around the collar, and loose fluffy strands... I don't want the child to get furballs!!  Are these people being old-fashioned about clothing ('cause lord knows if you go into Babycity and ask for a "knitted matinee jacket" I'll bet they'll look at you funny, but apparently they used to be all the rage!  And are apparently essential too).  I survive quite happily in all manner of pre-woven fabrics, but I wonder if I'm underestimating how much bubs will need to be bundled up, and maybe (oh I hope not!) how much warmer knitted stuff is???  Has anyone's baby survived happily with nice, easy, better-looking synthetics? 

ive been given some beautiful knitted clothes. they are gorgeous. I reckon.  Prob dress bubs in it to go visit nana whom gave it to me. he prob only wear once anyway on specail occasions cos so small.

I agree that it's a generation thing with the knitted stuff. My mum has knitted two jackets (and I even bought a cutie one from T & T $5 *bargin*) and she has made a "coming home" crocheted (sp?) blanket. But most of our stuff is fleecy or multi layered so I guess it's just personal choice.

We'll be getting some knitted stuff and have some already but it is all loverly and well made so we will use it, espcially for visiting the givers of the knitted items.

I used quite a bit of knitted stuff for both my kids... mostly because they were born at the time of year the weather cools. I'm not anticipating using as much woollens this time, at least at first, as Bubs is due in November and the weather should have warmed up by then.

Other than the hand-spun stuff (and yes, both my kids have some of that!) or the stuff with fancy detail like little twists of wool, I machine wash pretty much all of our knitted things.

we had heaps of knitted stuff and ive kept it too to give to the kids when they have kids. I love it. Especially that so many people have gone to the trouble to make my kids something lovely. I dont find them a pain at all to wash. Just throw them in a delicates bag and put them in the washing machine. never had any probs. (Touch wood)

I loooooove knitted stuff!!! (although I have had some atrocities whipped up by Granny which I'm pretty sure I'm never going to doing Hannah the indecency of putting her in them)
My granny knits in proper wool which I am loathe to wash. I've destroyed pretty much every item she has knitted for me since Hannah was born (when she used to knit cute stuff).
But Mum has taken to knitting in acrylic wool stuff which is great because you can just chuck it in the wash and dryer! (and she knits very cool jerseys)

But other than the old fashioned "A baby must be dressed in knitted clothing", it's not essential. There is stuff out there which is cheaper to buy than make and is just as warm.

I was never really a knitted person either, but mum had given me all the knitted stuff she had made for the babies over the years - (only to then have my sisters have the opposite sex) so i got it all. most of it was acrylic, and we do just stick it in the washing machine on the gentle cycle on cold and it's all good. i especially used little woolen cardis when my girls were newbies - just over the top of their tiny stretch-n-grows cos neither were really big enough for any of the cute stuff from the baby stores. I also had a couple of tiny knitted woolen beanies that i stuck on them straight after they were born, and theypretty much kept them oin day and night for the first months to keep their little heads warm.. expecially cos being winter babies i was always worried about that.. while they had more hair than some babies they still lost heaps of heat from their heads.

Now, my mum can't knit, but she still buys my girls some really awesome knitted stuff, which i stick them in for daycare, and funnily enough - not only do they seem to get less mucky (hhm maybe the daycare teachers are a little more pedantic about keeping those beautiful knits clean?) but they also seem to wash up better and paint and stuff just comes right out, as opposed to some of the fleeces and stuff, all of which are looking rather colourful after having been used for 2 kids at daycare.

If you want to find some stuff - do to second hand stores - alot of the time people just give away a heap of the knitted stuff to second hand places - that they have never even used.. so it's all pretty new. plus you will find most second hand places have their own resident grannies who actually make cute jearseys to sell in the store for very reasonable prices.. my mum has managed to cotton on to when the resident grannies put out the new stock and snaps up the cutest new knitted jearseys for about $4 most of the time.

definately not essential but good to keep them warm, especially when they are little, or if they are going to daycare and might be playing outside on a day where normally you might keep them bundled up inside. Both my girls love their little pom pom hats too, they go off to daycare int he mornings with their jearseys, hats and scarves on, lol paris even now has mittens, and it looks so cute.