Crochet baby products are just SO cute, don’t you think? They come in gorgeous colours, look so soft and cuddly, you can already see in your mind how your baby will adore this little octopus/lion/(insert cute animals here)! They are made of natural materials so they should be absolutely safe for your baby, right? Well, while this is MOSLTY true, there are a few things we really have to pay attention to. Some of these crochet toys seem to be more about being appealing to the parents than being safe for tiny humans. Let’s see what we need to be careful of before we give our little one crochet baby toys.
The main points you really have to pay attention to when considering buying a crochet baby toy are the following.
IS THE YARN THE CROCHET BABY TOYS ARE MADE OF BABY SAFE?
What is “baby-safe” yarn exactly? There are certain types of yarn that are made especially for babies. They are organic, non-allergic (hypoallergenic), non-irritant, non-everything-you-can-think-of. These types of yarn are, as you can imagine, very expensive and that should be reflected in the price of the toy.
I honestly don’t think this level of caution is necessary. What I would really make certain of is that the yarn doesn’t bleed ink when washed. That is a chemical that we don’t want to end up in our baby’s mouth (and believe me, every toy will end up there!).
ALLERGY
I really don’t want to scare you here. The percentage of the population who are allergic to wool is VERY small. It is highly unlikely that this would happen to your baby, but it is a possibility (albeit very small).
Read more about this on this website .
CHOKING HAZARD
We all look lovingly at those cute little crochet bunnies talented people crochet on wooden teether rings. Not to mention those cute crocheted octopuses (octupi??)! But let’s be very careful here because the bunny ears and octopus tentacles can easily become a choking hazard. Again, chances are small but they are there.
SAFETY EYES ON CROCHET BABY TOYS
While they are actually called ‘safety’ eyes, I personally don’t trust them. They are basically small bits of plastic. It is entirely possible that they would come loose and eventually get torn off buy an unsuspected baby chewing on them. Maybe I am too cautious, but I would only trust eyes that were crocheted on the toy.
FINAL THOUGHTS
So are crochet baby toys safe? While there is danger, we can’t keep our little ones in a bubble. Many babies end up with a gorgeous crocheted blanket or a knit romper or gorgeous little wool shoes. That’s fine. I really didn’t mean to scare you. All I wanted to achieve is that, as with everything baby-related, be aware of the danger and be assertive. This way every time you see something crocheted and cute, you can make an educated decision whether to buy it or not.
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