Hi there :-) I want to make my 20 month old Nephew a blanket for Christmas, but I want it to be something he can keep and will still be somewhat useful in years to come. I also want it to be something he (and his parents) will use, rather than a keepsake to keep in a drawer.

But, I can't use wool or any animal fiber. I want it to be soft and squishy, but don't know really how other fibers hold up to hard wear. Would synthetics like really soft acrylics or nylon work better for ease of throwing in the machine, or will they fall apart after a year? I'd love to use natural yarns, like bamboo or cotton, but I don't know if they'll harden or come apart over the years. Anyone know? Argh!

Fi xxx

I'm almost 37. My great-grandma made me a baby blanket out of acrylic yarns (the kinds you could find in 1970) and it's still in good shape. I have no idea what she used, though - it was a nice soft acryllic, your basic old plied worsted weight. It should last a good long while. And it has definitely been machine washed over the years.

My mom has found that Caron Simply Soft will pull itself out of shape after a while - scarves and things get longer. I haven't heard anything else specifically about other acryllics. Find one that is soft enough that you'll enjoy working with it.

Acrylic is a type of plastic, so I imagine it will stand up to years of wear and tear.

My favorite acrylic for babies is Sirdar Snuggly. I use this most of the time when knitting for babies since it's machine washable.

I love the Blue Sky Alpacas dyed cottons. They are really luscious and soft.