From Marcy: I am in an awkward stage in life: I have no babies in the house! Sometime last week, it seems, all my babies turned into teenagers. This is all the more sad because Robyn Chachula's Baby Blueprint Crochet really makes me want to make baby things. Her designs are the smart, colorful, wearable kinds of things that kids really enjoy wearing. I caught up with Robyn so she could tell me something about what inspired her to make these oh-so-kid-friendly designs. Here's Robyn:

Burp Cloth Bib

Crochet and babies go together like peanut butter and jelly.  How many people do you know who learned how to crochet because a baby was joining their lives? I sure fall into that category.

I learned how to crochet while I was taking care of my sister and newborn niece. While the family napped, I broke out my stitch dictionary to try a new granny square. By the end of my visit, I had enough grannies to make my niece a little crochet sampler baby blanket.  Also by the end, I was totally hooked on crochet. All I wanted was more patterns.

I now have 17 nieces and nephews, so I was looking for lots of patterns in a range of sizes. I found lots of frilly pastel baby things that I would never put my own child in, so I knew my siblings would not either. As the babies turned into kids, I kept searching for projects they would like. Often a cute design would turn out to be difficult to wear or launder. So I started designing sweaters and toys, following my own Baby Mantra.

Choose the right yarn for the job. Make sure your yarn is machine washable. Babies spill and spit up—they just can't help it—so  make sure it is easy to clean.

Choose stimulating colors. Babies like bright and bold colors with lots of contrast.  Pastels are really difficult for them to see. 

Choose the best style for your baby. Babies often throw a fit when something gets pulled over their heads. If your baby is like this, make a cardigan or jacket instead of a pullover. If your baby crams everything into his mouth, choose a project that he can't reach (like the Ellie on Parade mobile) or one that can be goobered on (like Burp Cloth Bib). If your sweetie likes to snuggle with fabric, then choose a project with pettable fabric (like the Froggie Blanket) that their fingers won't get tangled in.

Parent-proof your work. Reinforce collars and seams with grosgrain ribbon behind the snaps. That simple trick will keep your work from getting stretched out of shape while wrangling the cutie into the outfit.  

Baby-proof your stitches. Weave in the ends really well so those little fingers do not find a way to unravel all your hard work.

That's it.  I just stuck to those 5 rules. And so far my nieces and nephews actually wear and use every gift I have crocheted for them. I also went with the personality of the pumpkin.  For kids always racing to get outside, make zip-up vests that are easy to throw on for both mom and baby. The Hank Vest is a perfect example: I created this vest for my nephew Henry who is always racing after his older siblings. Also, I never try to put a sporty girl in ruffles and frills, or a little boy in grandpap's clothes. Stay true to their personality. 

I hope you enjoy the projects from the book. All the garments in this book are things I would put on my own kids. The mobile in the book, Ellie on Parade, hung over my desk while I was finishing the book. My daughter--still a newborn--loved that mobile. To this day, elephants are her favorite animals, next to dogs that is. I hope these projects become favorites for your cuties as well!

Babies or no babies, that elephant mobile is on my list! Baby Blueprint Crochet is an inspiring source of crochet for your own work and, even better, you can empower an expectant mom to crochet by giving her this book. If she can't crochet yet, she soon will learn when she sees these great designs! Preorder now to have it for holiday gifts.

Best,