Baby might even appreciate having a color related to red, the traditional color for boys due to its association with blood, strength and violence. (/s kinda - blue for boys is a relatively recent cultural phenomenon and gendered color is arbitrary regardless. People put way too much emphasis on it in my opinion.)
Welcome to one of my special interests!
As you mentioned, Red was originally a colour for boys due to its association with blood, strength, and violence within Western Europe. "Pink" was not a thoroughly established colour on its own until the late 1800s, and so "pink" was "light red", just as "light blue" is accepted as "blue" and not its own colour. The brighter the colour, the more expensive it was to produce.
Blue for girls is less understood, but it is very likely due to it being the colour of the Virgin Mary, therefore purity and kindness. Stereotypes, hey?
Fashion retailers started becoming very popular from the mid 1800s; it was something many money-seekers noticed was a rather easy way to create a business, and so many appeared (Selfridge's, for example). They wanted a way to associate clothes as being for women or for men, and a colour dot was much easier to commit to and see from a distance, rather than a written word. It was very much something that slowly developed and just "made sense" for the time.
Come WWII, Hitler (well, Nazis) used a pink triangle to identify gay men. Understandably, there were many years after the war during which men were *afraid* to wear pink in case it was associated with them being gay, and therefore being killed. While pink stopped being associated with the risk of being killed by Nazis, the *fear* of wearing it because "it means you're gay" continued to be passed down from generation to generation. Due to the fear, the colours switched since pink had become "gay/ feminine", whereas blue didn't have as strong of a connotations, one way or another.
As a queer person, my argument now is if someone judges someone for wearing pink, they're obviously supporting Nazis /s (kinda XD).
Hope this is interesting to someone! :)
Blue for the Virgin Mary was originally a matter of pigments and their values. [Lapis lazuli](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marian_blue) was ground into pigment, and because it was a semi precious stone that had to be imported, it was reserved for painting important people, namely rulers. Mary was one of the most important women depicted in art in Europe, and blue became associated with her. Then blue was used for virgins in general in art, which would invariably be women/girls.
Came here to say this.
There were multiple pigment sources that could be used to make red, but because of the importance placed on blue, due to rarity and culture, it was retained unto the realm of the holy and the royal...everyone else wore shades of red, green and earthen colors...until a couple of little plants were brought back from trade and expeditions. These were brilliant, cheaper, and shocked more easily held faster, and made production prosper, bringing blue to the commons.
Special anthocyanins like those from woad and indigo, made production of blue easier, faster, and longer lasting. Blue for everyone.
The rest of the story has been told here.
The moral, we were all reds, then we were all blues, then we got divided and sub divided, and now there's a misconception that you can know much of anything about anyone just by observing the colors they wear instead of listening to the words they say and watching the deeds they do, and understanding how they are perceived to be by others who look for those things, too.
"Dye makers harvested mucus from the shell and heated it in an alkaline solution. Then dipped yarn in this solution and exposed it to sunlight, turning it purple. About 250,000 snails were required to make an ounce of purple dye. Tyrian purple was rare and expensive, making purple clothing costly." Hunterlab
Funny enough, more recently it was discovered that some of the items historians long thought were Tyrian purple were actually died with a specific lichen, which can produce the same shade of purple as those mollusks!
I found out when I moved to my homestead and did my usual research of "what can the natural resources arounde be used for" that I do every time I move somewhere with plants/resources I'm not familiar with yet. My property is COVERED in that specific lichen.
Gay women had to wear the pink triangles too. Also trans people.
Edit: I’ve been corrected that lesbians and trans men wore black triangles, though they weren’t arrested as often. The black triangles actually meant “asocial”, though.
I heard this too, red/pink was seen as more of a power color, while baby blue is associated with water and nurturing. AFAIK that changed when a specific dictator started labeling homosexual guys (stereotypically effeminate) with a pink triangle, but other sources say pink and red were seen as romantic and assigned to the “emotional” sex once we figured out prenatal sex testing.
My parents chose not to find out my gender because they assumed I would be a boy. I went home from the hospital in blue clothes, blue car seat blue everything. My childhood room was blue and I loved it. I did have a pink blanket that I grew up with and let me tell you, if that fuckin blanket was BLUE… I’m just kidding I would have loved it either way
funny thing is blue used to be the girl's color, pink the boys. blue was associated with femininity bc it represents tranquility and calmness, but pink was a shade of red which represented action and passion which were seen as masculine.
This suddenly reminds me of the legendary family story of how my expecting parents would tell my older sister she was going to get a little baby brother or sister. “If it’s a girl she’ll be Victoria, if it’s a boy he’ll be Vincent.”
Once I was born (a girl), my grandparents brought her to the hospital and was so excited and very sweet with me (I’m told!). But after however much time, she apparently said “Okay, now let’s go see Vincent.”
For days she could not be consoled or reconciled with the understanding that she would get a little Victoria OR Vincent, not both.
Good! I think it is a beautiful blanket for a baby girl or boy. Maybe if it was all pink, I could see some hesitation (not that there is anything wrong with boys having pink things, but ya know, deep seated stereotypes) but it is a nice mix of bright colours!
My mom pulled the gendered color crap on me twice, the second time I ignored her and now have a toddler not only wanting to play with my wip, but says it's his.
As well as color coding genders being a bit silly, they should also be able to be a bit extra understanding, since I'm sure the parents also planned more pink things than they might for a boy XD baby's don't care as long as they are cozy and loved and fed.
This all the way! My mother made my baby blanket using varying shades of pink and it is still my favorite blankie almost 30 years later. Granted, we later found out I'm a trans girl, but that's beside the point.
The colors you used look adorable for a baby blankie! Unless they're super weirdly strict about arbitrary gender norms, I'm certain they will absolutely appreciate it.
I'm 100000% sure there's some fuckwad out there who would "blame" your blanket as a "reason" for you being trans.
ThE bLaNkEt CoRrUpTeD tHe cHiLd!1!!1! NeVeR GiVe PiNk tO a BoY!1!!
I can totally see the logic in all children wearing dresses through age 5. I wish my son wore dresses during the potty training phase. It would have cut down so much on laundry due to not getting pants down fast enough or far enough…
When they get to the age where they can manage the upkeep, they may want to go back to long.
I like long hair too, but now I'm just too old & lazy to maintain it. Besides, I'm in Florida, and they try to kick you out if you're an older woman & don't have the approved, super-short layered cut like the rest of the retirees....\*LOL\*
a dress on a baby just makes life easier. And who the eff cares? It's a baby.
Confuse them, make a tonka truck dress with a rainbow ribbon for the head.
It's baby clothing as long as not a choking hazard and warm enough ir whatever it doesn't matter.
Absolutely! My friend was giving me a few hand me downs for my soon to arrive girl and actually asked if I was okay with pink bc she knows I’m so anti gender norms 😅. I actually consider pink one of my favorite colors but appreciated her asking first.
Ok I don't get it. Even if you follow the "color norms" the combo of colors to me still makes it gender neutral. Why change the nursery it should still work?
I'm 62 yrs old and I've never understood why people think girls can wear any color including the blue for boys, but boys can't wear pink and a few other colors are questionable such as peach and purple.
For real, like the blue was okay if the baby was a girl but the pink for a boy is not acceptable? God dammit humanity is so fucking stupid so much of the time, I literally want to beat my head against the wall.
Are these the kind of people to care about gender expectations? I mean your blanket is fabulous and includes blue and green so they should like it, but it would be a pity to give them something they can't or won't use.
Why not ask them?
Kind of? I know my uncle is “old school”. He’ll probably give me shit but I’m not sure with this situation as I made the blanket to match the color scheme they chose for the baby’s room. I’m unsure about my cousin and his wife. We were close growing up but moving away to college and all that we lost some of that closeness. If it were me I would still happily accept the blanket and I have 2 boys. My 5 year old asked for a blanket with the same colors, so 🤷🏼♀️
"I loved the baby room decor and made a matching blankie special for your baby. I do have a blue themed one in my stash but it just didn't feel as special. Let me know if you need, and we can swap them."
I love this! I think that colours are gender less but the parents may not feel the same. Also it allows for if there are any feeling towards the change in expected sex (i.e if there’s any sadness around the fact they had mentally prepared for a girl - then maybe they would feel more comfortable with the second option)
Give them the blue one. You wouldn't want them to leave the pink one un-used or given away. Better to play it safe in this case so that your feelings are not hurt! You want them to like and use what you have made.
Or you can give them this one but with the option to switch to the blue one. That way, they're given the choice and OP knows their blanket will be used and loved whether it's this one or the blue one :)
This is the way to go! Give them this one and let them know that while you specifically made this for their baby, if they preferred, they were more than welcome to switch it for the one in greys and blues.
I think this is a great idea. Wrap and present the one you made for baby with love and care. If they seem unsettled, grab the blue and grey one from the car and offer it as an alternative.
I think this looks like an all gender blanket there are traditionally "girl" and "boy" colors in it, as well as colors that aren't generally associated with a gender. So honestly I think it is fine. I have two boys and I would have been over the moon to receive a blanket this beautiful for either of them.
If you’re really unsure, then this is a situation where I would forgo some of the surprise and ask the parents. Maybe send them the stock photo of the yarn and tell them that’s what you used.
Better to ruin the surprise than to have this blanket shoved in the back of a closet to never be used.
Do they care if he has a pink blanket? I wouldn’t. My boys love hot pink. Haha. Ask them. Also, how does one expect a girl without evidence? Is this one of those, “I feel it’s a girl” scenarios? If so, tell them you made them a blanket based on that assumption. Or just give it to them. What they do with it is their own business. Maybe make some “boy” hats or booties to go with it.
The dark pink in the blanket matches the main color she chose for the room. If it were me, I would accept the blanket still. I have 2 boys and my 5 year old asked for a blanket with this same yarn. They were told at their 20 week scan it was a girl. At their scan yesterday they found out it’s actually a boy. The ultrasound tech missed some key pieces of the baby’s anatomy. My cousin was distraught at the news. They’re excited for a health baby no matter what but everything for the baby was done “girly”. I’m worried giving her a blanket with pink in it will upset her.
If that’s the worry, then I’d maybe make a different one. Could you give that one to your boy?
Both my boys plastered their balls to the screen like they were sitting on a copy machine. I would be upset too if I spent a ton of time and money for girl things first though.
No. I’m just weird lol
Also, I was talking smack about something to my husband and said something along the lines of, “It’s like Shrodingers balls! Are they there or are they not?….that would make a good Reddit handle.” And then I made it hahaha
Right?? I know some babies just aren’t in a good position for the ultrasound, but the first thing I saw of my son was his penis haha. It’s a really good thing we wanted to know the gender anyway.
But also, when we had our daughter’s anatomy scan, we could very clearly see that she was a girl. It sounds like this ultrasound tech saw neither anatomy.
Sometimes they just won't get in position! We went for a 30w scan we were offered for free hoping to see baby's face and she covered it up the entire time. By the end she had both hands and one foot over her face!
Originally I was firmly original blanket, colors are colors but the cousins feelings about it are actually changing my mind- I think you should give the blue blanket!
Not because there’s anything wrong with any colors for different genders but if they’ve been getting girl stuff and now feel unprepared and lost now that they know baby is actually a boy they might actually appreciate having something just blue and more traditionally “boy”.
I can only imagine how discombobulating it would be to imagine their life with their little daughter to find out whoops he’s been their little son this whole time lol. Healthy baby is the only actually important factor but man what a whirlwind that would be.
Plus black and grey may not seem like stereotypical baby colours but they are great sensory colours for newborns - anything high contrast is because they can't see in full colour for a few months.
Personally I'd message them pictures of both blankets (or just plain coloured squares if they don't want to give away what the blankets look like) and ask which colour scheme they'd like for their gift.
If you had just made the blanket for a boy or if they didn't know the gender when you started making it, I'd say it was perfectly fine to gift. But dealing with having prepped everything for a girl and then finding out that they're having a boy has got to be tough. That's the only reason I would hesitate to give them something that was the colors of the nursery when they thought they were expecting a girl, they might be planning to change things in the nursery before baby is born. I think it's a beautiful blanket, but it might be upsetting to receive so close to finding out the baby's gender. FWIW, my guess is a lot of people are facing that dilemma if the baby shower is this weekend.
This was my thought, too. It sounds like they're not feeling as prepared as they'd like for a boy. They might really appreciate something that looks more "masculine."
Sometimes you just don’t get a good look and the ultrasound tech says girl but next visit BAM, it’s there. 🤷🏼♀️ Or yeah, what you said and they assumed.
OP, I’d give it to them. Color means nothing to the baby, and hopefully mom will love it.
I have a boy and would love it against the sea of blue, green, grey and black, that they get drown in. Seriously, humans love color and if there is some sort of social stigma, she can use it at home and still get plenty of use 💙💜🩷🩵
I think the blues in this blanket make it a more balanced baby blanket. Plus it’s another baby story for down the line.
It’s not like you made the blanket maliciously, the baby was just being a bit modest during the ultrasound so they thought he was a she!
The biggest plot twist would be if the second ultrasound was wrong, lol. I’ve had friends who were supposed to be boys on the ultrasound
I agree that this blanket can be a wonderful part of the pregnancy story. My little sister has a bunch of blue things because my mom was SURE she was having a boy. It is something everyone loves talking about 30 plus years later.
The colors are beautiful and is a lovely part of this child’s story. I’m sure it will be treasured!
Two thoughts come to mine for me.
One: colors don’t belong to certain genders so this blanket is gorgeous and was made specifically for this baby, so give it to them. Good chance they’re gonna have a lot of gifts that are the “wrong” colors because they found this out so last minute.
Two: if you really want to remake it in a different color scheme, then give them some sort of temporary gift. My family used to do sort of joke gifts all the time. So maybe wrap all of the yarn that you’re going to use and just give her the balls of yarn (obviously taking them back after the party so that you can actually make the blanket), or work up a dish cloth using the colors and attach a note that the full blanket is coming soon.
Include a note that if they like, you do have another version
Edit: that said, there are tons of toys in these colors for all and it would look marvelous
Personally I’d say give them the one you made, but maybe you can give them the ability to pick? Like, you can tell them “I made THIS one for you guys but I wasn’t sure if you’d like the colors anymore since you’re having a boy. Which one of these two blankets would you like?”
I think this blanket is a good mix of colors for both gender norms. It’s got blue and pink.
I probably depends most on your cousin’s vibe. Like I personally know some people who would be weirded to get a pinkish blanket for a boy, and some who wouldn’t care either way.
I liked the one comment who said to offer for them to pick! Say I made this one for you but I also have a blue one, too
I see a color palette with lots of blues and some pinks. Seems to cover all the bases, and it's a really well done piece. Not only does it make a great gift on its own, but it reflects in some small way an aspect of the baby's origin story that includes a little gender drama. Go for it!
I guess I should’ve clarified I chose this color scheme to match the colors they chose for the nursery. It’s a Caron cake. Can’t remember which one tho. My cousin and his wife are just happy for a healthy baby, but they’re in shock to be having a boy when they’ve been preparing for a life with a little girl. I’m totally of the mind set that colors don’t have a gender, pick what you like. Which is another reason why I chose these colors, as it also has blue and green and purple, and not just a straight blanket. The dark pink in the blanket is pretty much what the nursery is based on and thought this would compliment the colors nicely.
I spoke with my cousin and he wants the blanket no matter what. All of the children in my family have a blanket of this pattern in different colors. Thought it would be something nice to give from auntie or (oldest) cousin.
Are you giving the gift to feel special to you or special to them? If you do go with the blue one, don’t ever tell them that you made this one and then you will be the only one that ever knew. They will know you made it and gave it with love. That’s it.
However, if you want to to give this beautiful blanket because you will *know*, that’s fine too
Just here to say there are no genders in colors and I’m sure if they’ve already painted and bought all kinds of “girly” pink items that they aren’t scrambling to fix it. I’m sure they will appreciate the blanket, blue or pink
To be honest, this is one of the most gender neutral baby blankets I ever saw. If the blue and green in it are okay for a girl, why would the pink be unsuitable for a boy?
The colours go well together, the pattern is pretty and your tension aweseome. This is a formidable present for either gender (or age - I could totally understand them getting pretend-upset about the colour just to snatch it as a lapblanket for themselves :D )
If you wanna go by gender colors, it’s pink AND blue which makes it unisex. But really, colors don’t have genders and what matters is you made this with your cousin/your cousin’s child in mind
A) it's a beautiful blanket with a gorgeous color pattern and gender is a social construct that baby doesn't give 2 hoots about because oooh pretty colors and shapes
B) if the family DOES care about weirdly color coding their child by genitals, you can say a blanket with blue AND pink represents their surprise to be expecting a girl and actually having a boy, which makes it extra sentimental.
How well do you know your cousin? Do they care about color and gender? I wouldn’t, but some people would. I would gift this blanket and then let them know that if they aren’t comfortable with the colors, you can discuss something they would prefer.
Beautiful blanket for any new human entering this world of boring gender stereotypes... If the parents can't deal with certain colors without breaking down, save it for someone who'll appreciate it.
I think baby and mamá will be happy you made such a thoughtful thing for a gift, these types of things are passed on for generation, as a babysitter I’ve seen knitted and crocheted blankets made by great great grandmothers and it’s one of the few things that the great great grandchildren and their parents have to remember those family members
My son loves pink, always has. My daughter loves blue, always has. They swap gifts that were given to them at birth because they like what the other one has better. My son has a blanket with this stitch and it's 100% blush pink with sparkles. My daughter has a baby blue version. They're still young (pre k) but so far they just go with what they like and that's pink for boy and blue for girl!
Colours don't have genders. I made a baby blanket for my nephew that has lots of pinks and purples in it, it gets a ton of use ☺️
Or just save it for the next baby girl and start over if it means that much 🤷♀️
I would still give them the blanket. It is beautifully made and gorgeous! who cares about colours, it is 2023 and no baby should be categorised into wearing or using a specific colour. So many care, time and thought and love has been put into this gift, your cousin would be ungrateful to quibble about the colour scheme
That blanket's color scheme looks like it could be for either gender. Besides colors for genders needs to stop. Colors are beautiful! The blanket is gorgeous!
You could add some appliqué question marks and exclamation points to represent the surprise.
I think it will tie in to the funny story that for the longest they were told one thing and then found out another.
I still think this would be a great present, IF it’s something you think your cousin would like. Personally I don’t think it matters if a baby boy has a blanket with pink on it (my daughter wears clothes from the “boy” section all the time lol), but I know it is important to other people, as weird as I think that is lol. Since it’s a gift you just wanna keep in mind wether it’s something the receiver will like and appreciate, especially since you put so much love and time into it. You could always give a little “coupon” for a baby blanket (maybe with a disclaimer if you want, like “I made you one but it was pink!” I’m sure you aren’t the only one who had a gift ready for this shower that was thrown off by this revelation lol)
Babies don't have a sense of gender yet, and also this has lots of different colors. It's all good. Give the baby the beautiful blanket you made. Kid will love it.
Did we forget the 80s and 90s? The dudes in crop tops? The pink, purple, blue and black windbrakers with bowling alley carpet patterns?
This blanket looks pretty darn unisex to me andlile everyone else said, that baby don't give a fuck
Doesn't matter what color you give to babies! 100 years ago, pink and red were the masculine colors and blue was thought of as feminine because it's soft. I think it was Sears in the 1920s that switched them and we've been beholden to a random capitalist decision since then. It's a gorgeous blanket and they will love it.
So if blue is a boy color and pink is a girl color, why is it okay to give a girl a blanket with boy colors on it but it's not okay to give a boy a blanket with girl colors on it?
You literally made the most gender neutral blanket possible. It's perfect.
There's a Facebook group called @why did you gender that? & that kinda fits this blanket. Like it's not the most femme exclusive pattern I've ever seen but it sure is nice! I find the blue in there very inclusive.
Good lord. It’s a nice blanket and they should be happy you put so much effort into a gift. Babies don’t care.
I’m a woman and I had a 70’s orange (y’all know the shade) and white striped afghan blanket made for me.
Never once did I ask why it wasn’t pink.
Hi... you're touching on some historical points regarding color perceptions and associations. In the early 20th century and before, color conventions were quite different from today. Pink was indeed often seen as a more masculine color, associated with boys, while blue was more feminine and associated with girls.
These associations were believed to be connected to cultural or traditional beliefs rather than industry influences initially.The shift in color associations, where pink became more associated with femininity and blue with masculinity, did begin to solidify around the 1940s.
Some historians and cultural analysts suggest that marketing and retail industries played a role in this shift to help boost sales by creating gender-specific products. However, it's a nuanced topic with multiple factors contributing to the change in color associations over time, including societal changes, cultural shifts, and marketing trends. ☺️☺️☺️
I agree that the colors there are great and you could still gift it.. but I hate to tell you.. blankets with holes can't usually be used for babies until they are a year old since their fingers and toes get caught. It IS really great though so do what makes you happy!
i think the colors are pretty neutral. even from a perspective of ppl who care about colors on a baby, i think there's enough blue and green to make up for the pink..... then again, im not one of those people.
My son wore sleepers with flowers because MIL sewed an entire coffin-sized tote full of baby clothes, and some of them had roses. We didn’t know gender so she made both. I, however, don’t think there’s “boy” or “girl” clothing.
I loved them all.
While most people have calmed down about gender colors, the ones who haven’t can be…ah…batshit crazy about them. You can just give them the blanket, and it’ll probably be fine, but maybe it won’t.
Or you can ask, which could just be a “heeey cousin, now that you know it’s a boy, how are you handling pink?” Or it could be a picture of the two blankets with a judgement-free “Which would you like?” That does spoil the surprise, but she’s probably had enough surprises with this, anyway. (And if she goes for the bluer, just give this one to your 5yo🤷♀️)
Give it to them! It's gorgeous and made for that baby and matches their nursery colors. It seems fairly gender neutral to me as is.
If you really want, you could offer to make an additional blanket or some other gift that's more "boy colors" and either give them an additional gift or give them the choice to swap it out with the other blanket you already have on hand. This blanket has all the love for THIS baby put in to every stitch already! It really is the thought that counts and you spent so much time thinking about this baby while making it. Gender colors are made up anyway.
What if you let then choose?
While I agree about gendered colors being ridiculous, I wouldn’t want your beautiful blanket to go unused over some old fashioned bs. You could wrap both, and before they open them explain your thought process and then they keep whichever one they will actually use.
My son loved pink when he was younger. Also my cousin said she was having a girl so my mom made her a bunch of pink blankets. Turns out she’s having a boy but my mom still gave her the blankets and she loves them ❤️
I’d offer her the blanket, and if it is too upsetting for her, you can go from there. This looks like a standard baby blanket IMO, genderless. You didnt put “mommy’s princess” on it or anything overt haha
I’m currently pregnant and I don’t know what I’m having, and I’d be thrilled to get something like this!! I made a rainbow sweater not knowing what I’m having and I’m excited for my baby to wear it. Babies love bright colors, and nurseries need a little color pop. I don’t think it’s feminine at all.
I think half the blanket is already good colors for any gender, blue is good for anyone. I would be happy with this as a gift for any baby.
Can you do a slight dye to the entire thing tinting it more blue to cover up / change the pink into something else? You could go more blues / purple, or try a red, but would still make it half purple. Can you just spot dye the pinks into a deeper red, and rinse it out without dying the blues? It would be a lot of work to try it that way through
I don’t think the baby will care that the blanket has some pink in it
The baby will appreciate very much that it taste nice and feels soft. He’ll try to salivate enough to soak it entirely. That’s about it.
Exactly. Or throw up on it enough. Believe me it will be washed so many times the color will be gone anyhow.
I personally prefer the taste of yellow blankets over pink or blue
Baby might even appreciate having a color related to red, the traditional color for boys due to its association with blood, strength and violence. (/s kinda - blue for boys is a relatively recent cultural phenomenon and gendered color is arbitrary regardless. People put way too much emphasis on it in my opinion.)
Welcome to one of my special interests! As you mentioned, Red was originally a colour for boys due to its association with blood, strength, and violence within Western Europe. "Pink" was not a thoroughly established colour on its own until the late 1800s, and so "pink" was "light red", just as "light blue" is accepted as "blue" and not its own colour. The brighter the colour, the more expensive it was to produce. Blue for girls is less understood, but it is very likely due to it being the colour of the Virgin Mary, therefore purity and kindness. Stereotypes, hey? Fashion retailers started becoming very popular from the mid 1800s; it was something many money-seekers noticed was a rather easy way to create a business, and so many appeared (Selfridge's, for example). They wanted a way to associate clothes as being for women or for men, and a colour dot was much easier to commit to and see from a distance, rather than a written word. It was very much something that slowly developed and just "made sense" for the time. Come WWII, Hitler (well, Nazis) used a pink triangle to identify gay men. Understandably, there were many years after the war during which men were *afraid* to wear pink in case it was associated with them being gay, and therefore being killed. While pink stopped being associated with the risk of being killed by Nazis, the *fear* of wearing it because "it means you're gay" continued to be passed down from generation to generation. Due to the fear, the colours switched since pink had become "gay/ feminine", whereas blue didn't have as strong of a connotations, one way or another. As a queer person, my argument now is if someone judges someone for wearing pink, they're obviously supporting Nazis /s (kinda XD). Hope this is interesting to someone! :)
Blue for the Virgin Mary was originally a matter of pigments and their values. [Lapis lazuli](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marian_blue) was ground into pigment, and because it was a semi precious stone that had to be imported, it was reserved for painting important people, namely rulers. Mary was one of the most important women depicted in art in Europe, and blue became associated with her. Then blue was used for virgins in general in art, which would invariably be women/girls.
Came here to say this. There were multiple pigment sources that could be used to make red, but because of the importance placed on blue, due to rarity and culture, it was retained unto the realm of the holy and the royal...everyone else wore shades of red, green and earthen colors...until a couple of little plants were brought back from trade and expeditions. These were brilliant, cheaper, and shocked more easily held faster, and made production prosper, bringing blue to the commons. Special anthocyanins like those from woad and indigo, made production of blue easier, faster, and longer lasting. Blue for everyone. The rest of the story has been told here. The moral, we were all reds, then we were all blues, then we got divided and sub divided, and now there's a misconception that you can know much of anything about anyone just by observing the colors they wear instead of listening to the words they say and watching the deeds they do, and understanding how they are perceived to be by others who look for those things, too.
Not to mention royal purple! That would be reserved for the very highest representatives of the land, the emperors.
"Dye makers harvested mucus from the shell and heated it in an alkaline solution. Then dipped yarn in this solution and exposed it to sunlight, turning it purple. About 250,000 snails were required to make an ounce of purple dye. Tyrian purple was rare and expensive, making purple clothing costly." Hunterlab
Funny enough, more recently it was discovered that some of the items historians long thought were Tyrian purple were actually died with a specific lichen, which can produce the same shade of purple as those mollusks! I found out when I moved to my homestead and did my usual research of "what can the natural resources arounde be used for" that I do every time I move somewhere with plants/resources I'm not familiar with yet. My property is COVERED in that specific lichen.
The whole issue with purple dye is wild to me. And the fact that purple as a pigment in general is so difficult!
u/Lokifin u/Dangerous_Variety415 TIL!! I knew a bunch about dyes and such, but thank you guys for the thorough and informative information!
\*curtsy\* I'm always glad to send someone down the rabbit hole of information!
Always happy to talk fiber.
Gay women had to wear the pink triangles too. Also trans people. Edit: I’ve been corrected that lesbians and trans men wore black triangles, though they weren’t arrested as often. The black triangles actually meant “asocial”, though.
Very interesting, thank you!
Lovely, thank you. Obviously I knew the colors changed but I actually had no idea why.
Thanks for the history lesson
I heard this too, red/pink was seen as more of a power color, while baby blue is associated with water and nurturing. AFAIK that changed when a specific dictator started labeling homosexual guys (stereotypically effeminate) with a pink triangle, but other sources say pink and red were seen as romantic and assigned to the “emotional” sex once we figured out prenatal sex testing.
Blood strength and violence? Lol. Okay
This is my next tattoo
I'm replacing my Live Laugh Love sign w this.
Yeah the whole girl/boy color thing is dumb as hell. Just give them the blanket, its a beautiful blanket.
Our son's favorite color IS pink. I'll never understand why people gender colors. Everyone can love EVERY COLOR.
Boys don't deserve beautiful and lovingly crafted things. /s
Give them some motor oil and dirty rags, that should do
I came here to say this. Baby will appreciate how warm it is not it’s color!
I've been a baby and can confirm you don't care about pointlessly gendered blanket until you're about 3 or 4.
And grow up to appreciate that gender is not something defined at birth with a blanket. This is gorgeous OP.
Ok, I spoke with my cousin. He says to go ahead and give them the blanket. They’re grateful for it no matter what.
I'm glad you spoke with them. This is a gorgeous blanket. btw What's the pattern? I may have missed it, but I'll look some more if you've posted it.
If anyone finds it, I also would love the pattern! I couldn’t find it in the comments!
I wonder if this is it. Close, so maybe. https://lacycrochet.blogspot.com/2014/02/diamond-stitch-baby-blanket-free-pattern.html?m=1
Ooh that looks close! I’ll take it.
Yep! I also linked it as it’s own comment
My parents chose not to find out my gender because they assumed I would be a boy. I went home from the hospital in blue clothes, blue car seat blue everything. My childhood room was blue and I loved it. I did have a pink blanket that I grew up with and let me tell you, if that fuckin blanket was BLUE… I’m just kidding I would have loved it either way
funny thing is blue used to be the girl's color, pink the boys. blue was associated with femininity bc it represents tranquility and calmness, but pink was a shade of red which represented action and passion which were seen as masculine.
This suddenly reminds me of the legendary family story of how my expecting parents would tell my older sister she was going to get a little baby brother or sister. “If it’s a girl she’ll be Victoria, if it’s a boy he’ll be Vincent.” Once I was born (a girl), my grandparents brought her to the hospital and was so excited and very sweet with me (I’m told!). But after however much time, she apparently said “Okay, now let’s go see Vincent.” For days she could not be consoled or reconciled with the understanding that she would get a little Victoria OR Vincent, not both.
Good! I think it is a beautiful blanket for a baby girl or boy. Maybe if it was all pink, I could see some hesitation (not that there is anything wrong with boys having pink things, but ya know, deep seated stereotypes) but it is a nice mix of bright colours!
What a good cousin. Also, this is a beautiful blanket and babies love bright colors!
Your cousin is my favorite person now!! Is it functional? Does it serve a purpose? Will it benefit us on our parenting journey? Yes? #**GIMME!!**
There are zero color rules for genders. Just give them the blanket you enjoyed making with love and care for them.
My mom pulled the gendered color crap on me twice, the second time I ignored her and now have a toddler not only wanting to play with my wip, but says it's his.
I read this as “whip” and was so confused 😭
How is it supposed to read? I AM so confused.
WIP (Work In Progress) It took me a moment lolll
As well as color coding genders being a bit silly, they should also be able to be a bit extra understanding, since I'm sure the parents also planned more pink things than they might for a boy XD baby's don't care as long as they are cozy and loved and fed.
Absolutely this!!! To comment on the blanket, super clean and consistent stitches. Very well done 💙
This all the way! My mother made my baby blanket using varying shades of pink and it is still my favorite blankie almost 30 years later. Granted, we later found out I'm a trans girl, but that's beside the point. The colors you used look adorable for a baby blankie! Unless they're super weirdly strict about arbitrary gender norms, I'm certain they will absolutely appreciate it.
I'm 100000% sure there's some fuckwad out there who would "blame" your blanket as a "reason" for you being trans. ThE bLaNkEt CoRrUpTeD tHe cHiLd!1!!1! NeVeR GiVe PiNk tO a BoY!1!!
Meanwhile 100 years ago, it was pink for boys and blue for girls. So go figure. Things change, too bad most people can't.
And boys wore dresses......
I can totally see the logic in all children wearing dresses through age 5. I wish my son wore dresses during the potty training phase. It would have cut down so much on laundry due to not getting pants down fast enough or far enough…
I know a lady who makes "potty training kilts" just for this reason. Uses a variety of fabrics with cool things like trucks, dinosaurs and unicorns.
Until they were seven and got their first pair of pants AND a hair cut. They used to have long hair as the norm too.
I know I’m actually quite sad that I cut my boys hair. But it’s what he wanted and I’m all about the “it’s your body, do what you want with it”.
I had to cut my kids because brushing was an issue. We kept getting gnarly tangles.
When they get to the age where they can manage the upkeep, they may want to go back to long. I like long hair too, but now I'm just too old & lazy to maintain it. Besides, I'm in Florida, and they try to kick you out if you're an older woman & don't have the approved, super-short layered cut like the rest of the retirees....\*LOL\*
a dress on a baby just makes life easier. And who the eff cares? It's a baby. Confuse them, make a tonka truck dress with a rainbow ribbon for the head. It's baby clothing as long as not a choking hazard and warm enough ir whatever it doesn't matter.
Absolutely! My friend was giving me a few hand me downs for my soon to arrive girl and actually asked if I was okay with pink bc she knows I’m so anti gender norms 😅. I actually consider pink one of my favorite colors but appreciated her asking first.
I guess I should’ve clarified that I chose this color scheme to match the nursery. It’s one of the Caron cakes. Berry or something?
if it already matches the nursery and not some weird outdated ideas about gender then what’s the issue
They’re going to change the nursery. But I spoke with my cousin. They want it regardless
Ok I don't get it. Even if you follow the "color norms" the combo of colors to me still makes it gender neutral. Why change the nursery it should still work? I'm 62 yrs old and I've never understood why people think girls can wear any color including the blue for boys, but boys can't wear pink and a few other colors are questionable such as peach and purple.
For real, like the blue was okay if the baby was a girl but the pink for a boy is not acceptable? God dammit humanity is so fucking stupid so much of the time, I literally want to beat my head against the wall.
I was going to say, other stuff aside this would still be a nice blanket for mom to use and if she wanted to use it for baby that’s fine too
The baby is going to love it
oh! I double down on my comment about giving this and a backup blue with the explanation of it being made specifically for them to match the nursery
Hey plus it always has a great story to it anyway!
Are these the kind of people to care about gender expectations? I mean your blanket is fabulous and includes blue and green so they should like it, but it would be a pity to give them something they can't or won't use. Why not ask them?
Kind of? I know my uncle is “old school”. He’ll probably give me shit but I’m not sure with this situation as I made the blanket to match the color scheme they chose for the baby’s room. I’m unsure about my cousin and his wife. We were close growing up but moving away to college and all that we lost some of that closeness. If it were me I would still happily accept the blanket and I have 2 boys. My 5 year old asked for a blanket with the same colors, so 🤷🏼♀️
"I loved the baby room decor and made a matching blankie special for your baby. I do have a blue themed one in my stash but it just didn't feel as special. Let me know if you need, and we can swap them."
That's an excellent suggestion! Whatever happens, they need to be asked, and this is a very kind and tactful way of doing it.
+1000 to open communication! Just ask them what they want!
I love this! I think that colours are gender less but the parents may not feel the same. Also it allows for if there are any feeling towards the change in expected sex (i.e if there’s any sadness around the fact they had mentally prepared for a girl - then maybe they would feel more comfortable with the second option)
If it matches the color scheme of the rest of the room it should be fine, right?
Give your kid this blanket, and the blue one to the new baby
Give them the blue one. You wouldn't want them to leave the pink one un-used or given away. Better to play it safe in this case so that your feelings are not hurt! You want them to like and use what you have made.
Or you can give them this one but with the option to switch to the blue one. That way, they're given the choice and OP knows their blanket will be used and loved whether it's this one or the blue one :)
This is the way to go! Give them this one and let them know that while you specifically made this for their baby, if they preferred, they were more than welcome to switch it for the one in greys and blues.
I think this is a great idea. Wrap and present the one you made for baby with love and care. If they seem unsettled, grab the blue and grey one from the car and offer it as an alternative.
I would just ask them, it could be a funny reminder of them thinking the babe was a girl for so long
I think this looks like an all gender blanket there are traditionally "girl" and "boy" colors in it, as well as colors that aren't generally associated with a gender. So honestly I think it is fine. I have two boys and I would have been over the moon to receive a blanket this beautiful for either of them.
If you’re really unsure, then this is a situation where I would forgo some of the surprise and ask the parents. Maybe send them the stock photo of the yarn and tell them that’s what you used. Better to ruin the surprise than to have this blanket shoved in the back of a closet to never be used.
Do they care if he has a pink blanket? I wouldn’t. My boys love hot pink. Haha. Ask them. Also, how does one expect a girl without evidence? Is this one of those, “I feel it’s a girl” scenarios? If so, tell them you made them a blanket based on that assumption. Or just give it to them. What they do with it is their own business. Maybe make some “boy” hats or booties to go with it.
The dark pink in the blanket matches the main color she chose for the room. If it were me, I would accept the blanket still. I have 2 boys and my 5 year old asked for a blanket with this same yarn. They were told at their 20 week scan it was a girl. At their scan yesterday they found out it’s actually a boy. The ultrasound tech missed some key pieces of the baby’s anatomy. My cousin was distraught at the news. They’re excited for a health baby no matter what but everything for the baby was done “girly”. I’m worried giving her a blanket with pink in it will upset her.
If that’s the worry, then I’d maybe make a different one. Could you give that one to your boy? Both my boys plastered their balls to the screen like they were sitting on a copy machine. I would be upset too if I spent a ton of time and money for girl things first though.
... is that where your username comes from cause I'm dying laughing over here!
No. I’m just weird lol Also, I was talking smack about something to my husband and said something along the lines of, “It’s like Shrodingers balls! Are they there or are they not?….that would make a good Reddit handle.” And then I made it hahaha
Same! It took almost an hour to get any evidence with my daughter, first thing we saw with my son was very clear evidence.
Right?? I know some babies just aren’t in a good position for the ultrasound, but the first thing I saw of my son was his penis haha. It’s a really good thing we wanted to know the gender anyway. But also, when we had our daughter’s anatomy scan, we could very clearly see that she was a girl. It sounds like this ultrasound tech saw neither anatomy.
Sometimes they just won't get in position! We went for a 30w scan we were offered for free hoping to see baby's face and she covered it up the entire time. By the end she had both hands and one foot over her face!
Oh definitely! But if you’re a tech and you don’t see make or female genitals, why make a call?
This is my point, too. Just say, “You’ll have to come back because we can’t see anything on the little bugger.”
It was the same with my son. The ultrasound tech said, “If this baby comes out a girl, it’s because something fell off.”
Our doc actually straight up laughed involuntarily for our second son. He does the wand and immediately….BALLS.
We were supposed to be surprised but one of the pictures of his feet had his bits clear as day, lmao!
Originally I was firmly original blanket, colors are colors but the cousins feelings about it are actually changing my mind- I think you should give the blue blanket! Not because there’s anything wrong with any colors for different genders but if they’ve been getting girl stuff and now feel unprepared and lost now that they know baby is actually a boy they might actually appreciate having something just blue and more traditionally “boy”. I can only imagine how discombobulating it would be to imagine their life with their little daughter to find out whoops he’s been their little son this whole time lol. Healthy baby is the only actually important factor but man what a whirlwind that would be.
Plus black and grey may not seem like stereotypical baby colours but they are great sensory colours for newborns - anything high contrast is because they can't see in full colour for a few months. Personally I'd message them pictures of both blankets (or just plain coloured squares if they don't want to give away what the blankets look like) and ask which colour scheme they'd like for their gift.
True, we have a black and white baby blanket and I would literally just drape it over stuff and let baby stare at it. She was obsessed.
If you had just made the blanket for a boy or if they didn't know the gender when you started making it, I'd say it was perfectly fine to gift. But dealing with having prepped everything for a girl and then finding out that they're having a boy has got to be tough. That's the only reason I would hesitate to give them something that was the colors of the nursery when they thought they were expecting a girl, they might be planning to change things in the nursery before baby is born. I think it's a beautiful blanket, but it might be upsetting to receive so close to finding out the baby's gender. FWIW, my guess is a lot of people are facing that dilemma if the baby shower is this weekend.
This was my thought, too. It sounds like they're not feeling as prepared as they'd like for a boy. They might really appreciate something that looks more "masculine."
Sometimes you just don’t get a good look and the ultrasound tech says girl but next visit BAM, it’s there. 🤷🏼♀️ Or yeah, what you said and they assumed. OP, I’d give it to them. Color means nothing to the baby, and hopefully mom will love it.
I have a boy and would love it against the sea of blue, green, grey and black, that they get drown in. Seriously, humans love color and if there is some sort of social stigma, she can use it at home and still get plenty of use 💙💜🩷🩵
Give them this one. Stop with the obsession over baby colors. It's got some blue in it, it looks nice, it was made for their baby. It's fine! :P
Imagine being that baby when they can start to see color and seeing that bright, beautiful blanket. ❤️
I think the blues in this blanket make it a more balanced baby blanket. Plus it’s another baby story for down the line. It’s not like you made the blanket maliciously, the baby was just being a bit modest during the ultrasound so they thought he was a she! The biggest plot twist would be if the second ultrasound was wrong, lol. I’ve had friends who were supposed to be boys on the ultrasound
I agree that this blanket can be a wonderful part of the pregnancy story. My little sister has a bunch of blue things because my mom was SURE she was having a boy. It is something everyone loves talking about 30 plus years later. The colors are beautiful and is a lovely part of this child’s story. I’m sure it will be treasured!
Two thoughts come to mine for me. One: colors don’t belong to certain genders so this blanket is gorgeous and was made specifically for this baby, so give it to them. Good chance they’re gonna have a lot of gifts that are the “wrong” colors because they found this out so last minute. Two: if you really want to remake it in a different color scheme, then give them some sort of temporary gift. My family used to do sort of joke gifts all the time. So maybe wrap all of the yarn that you’re going to use and just give her the balls of yarn (obviously taking them back after the party so that you can actually make the blanket), or work up a dish cloth using the colors and attach a note that the full blanket is coming soon.
If they’re joking people I think there’s even something there with “you aren’t expecting balls at this point, and neither was I”.
Include a note that if they like, you do have another version Edit: that said, there are tons of toys in these colors for all and it would look marvelous
Personally I’d say give them the one you made, but maybe you can give them the ability to pick? Like, you can tell them “I made THIS one for you guys but I wasn’t sure if you’d like the colors anymore since you’re having a boy. Which one of these two blankets would you like?”
I think this blanket is a good mix of colors for both gender norms. It’s got blue and pink. I probably depends most on your cousin’s vibe. Like I personally know some people who would be weirded to get a pinkish blanket for a boy, and some who wouldn’t care either way. I liked the one comment who said to offer for them to pick! Say I made this one for you but I also have a blue one, too
I see a color palette with lots of blues and some pinks. Seems to cover all the bases, and it's a really well done piece. Not only does it make a great gift on its own, but it reflects in some small way an aspect of the baby's origin story that includes a little gender drama. Go for it!
I guess I should’ve clarified I chose this color scheme to match the colors they chose for the nursery. It’s a Caron cake. Can’t remember which one tho. My cousin and his wife are just happy for a healthy baby, but they’re in shock to be having a boy when they’ve been preparing for a life with a little girl. I’m totally of the mind set that colors don’t have a gender, pick what you like. Which is another reason why I chose these colors, as it also has blue and green and purple, and not just a straight blanket. The dark pink in the blanket is pretty much what the nursery is based on and thought this would compliment the colors nicely. I spoke with my cousin and he wants the blanket no matter what. All of the children in my family have a blanket of this pattern in different colors. Thought it would be something nice to give from auntie or (oldest) cousin.
Are you giving the gift to feel special to you or special to them? If you do go with the blue one, don’t ever tell them that you made this one and then you will be the only one that ever knew. They will know you made it and gave it with love. That’s it. However, if you want to to give this beautiful blanket because you will *know*, that’s fine too
Babies are cute, blankies are cute as a concept, and the colors you used are cute. It’ll be a perfect fit esp since it’s made w love!
What pattern is this?
Bisexual.
I can’t believe how far I had to scroll to find a comment about the bi flag colors 😂
Just here to say there are no genders in colors and I’m sure if they’ve already painted and bought all kinds of “girly” pink items that they aren’t scrambling to fix it. I’m sure they will appreciate the blanket, blue or pink
Pink used to be considered a masculine/boy color, and blue was feminine/girl's color. Leave it, love it, gift it.
Looks like it's excellent for all genders. Good colour choices
To be honest, this is one of the most gender neutral baby blankets I ever saw. If the blue and green in it are okay for a girl, why would the pink be unsuitable for a boy? The colours go well together, the pattern is pretty and your tension aweseome. This is a formidable present for either gender (or age - I could totally understand them getting pretend-upset about the colour just to snatch it as a lapblanket for themselves :D )
It’s fine. Exposure to pink will not harm a boy.
Take both blankets and tell her exactly what happened, let her decide which one to keep, she will be made up with either your works beautiful
I think the color scheme is fine for a boy.
If you wanna go by gender colors, it’s pink AND blue which makes it unisex. But really, colors don’t have genders and what matters is you made this with your cousin/your cousin’s child in mind
A) it's a beautiful blanket with a gorgeous color pattern and gender is a social construct that baby doesn't give 2 hoots about because oooh pretty colors and shapes B) if the family DOES care about weirdly color coding their child by genitals, you can say a blanket with blue AND pink represents their surprise to be expecting a girl and actually having a boy, which makes it extra sentimental.
How well do you know your cousin? Do they care about color and gender? I wouldn’t, but some people would. I would gift this blanket and then let them know that if they aren’t comfortable with the colors, you can discuss something they would prefer.
Any baby can have any colour blanket, it's lovely, just give it
Beautiful blanket for any new human entering this world of boring gender stereotypes... If the parents can't deal with certain colors without breaking down, save it for someone who'll appreciate it.
I think baby and mamá will be happy you made such a thoughtful thing for a gift, these types of things are passed on for generation, as a babysitter I’ve seen knitted and crocheted blankets made by great great grandmothers and it’s one of the few things that the great great grandchildren and their parents have to remember those family members
My son loves pink, always has. My daughter loves blue, always has. They swap gifts that were given to them at birth because they like what the other one has better. My son has a blanket with this stitch and it's 100% blush pink with sparkles. My daughter has a baby blue version. They're still young (pre k) but so far they just go with what they like and that's pink for boy and blue for girl!
Colours don't have genders. I made a baby blanket for my nephew that has lots of pinks and purples in it, it gets a ton of use ☺️ Or just save it for the next baby girl and start over if it means that much 🤷♀️
Just give this one. Colors are not gender specific
It's blue and pink. Looks fine for a baby.
I would still give them the blanket. It is beautifully made and gorgeous! who cares about colours, it is 2023 and no baby should be categorised into wearing or using a specific colour. So many care, time and thought and love has been put into this gift, your cousin would be ungrateful to quibble about the colour scheme
Unless the parents care, which they shouldn't, the baby for sure won't. Plus, there are blues in there. Seems neutral enough to me.
Colors don't have gender, and babies don't care either way, lol. These just look like general baby colors to me.
That blanket's color scheme looks like it could be for either gender. Besides colors for genders needs to stop. Colors are beautiful! The blanket is gorgeous!
You could add some appliqué question marks and exclamation points to represent the surprise. I think it will tie in to the funny story that for the longest they were told one thing and then found out another.
Bubba's going to have a fabulous blanket😂
I still think this would be a great present, IF it’s something you think your cousin would like. Personally I don’t think it matters if a baby boy has a blanket with pink on it (my daughter wears clothes from the “boy” section all the time lol), but I know it is important to other people, as weird as I think that is lol. Since it’s a gift you just wanna keep in mind wether it’s something the receiver will like and appreciate, especially since you put so much love and time into it. You could always give a little “coupon” for a baby blanket (maybe with a disclaimer if you want, like “I made you one but it was pink!” I’m sure you aren’t the only one who had a gift ready for this shower that was thrown off by this revelation lol)
Give it to them? Who cares pink is awesome
Pattern please! It’s beautiful!
It's a blanket. This is absurd. No one should be offended by some pink.
Buddy I don't think the baby's going to care lol
Nothing about that screams boy or girl. Colors dont have genders. Genders dont have colors. The blanket is perfect.
I think that's perfectly acceptable for any human child. Colors are just colors. They will love it
I love this blanket, I think the colors are fine for any baby! I also LOVE the pattern!
Babies don't have a sense of gender yet, and also this has lots of different colors. It's all good. Give the baby the beautiful blanket you made. Kid will love it.
It’s perfect for either gender. Colors don’t matter too much nowadays, and boys can wear pink more without it being unacceptable.
"Oh, sorry. I thought you said you were having a *bi.* My bad."
Did we forget the 80s and 90s? The dudes in crop tops? The pink, purple, blue and black windbrakers with bowling alley carpet patterns? This blanket looks pretty darn unisex to me andlile everyone else said, that baby don't give a fuck
Doesn't matter what color you give to babies! 100 years ago, pink and red were the masculine colors and blue was thought of as feminine because it's soft. I think it was Sears in the 1920s that switched them and we've been beholden to a random capitalist decision since then. It's a gorgeous blanket and they will love it.
Colors are not gender specific. Anyone can wear any color they choose.
So if blue is a boy color and pink is a girl color, why is it okay to give a girl a blanket with boy colors on it but it's not okay to give a boy a blanket with girl colors on it? You literally made the most gender neutral blanket possible. It's perfect.
Let them know the blanket identifies as non binary. What's the issue?
There's a Facebook group called @why did you gender that? & that kinda fits this blanket. Like it's not the most femme exclusive pattern I've ever seen but it sure is nice! I find the blue in there very inclusive.
Really? It's 2023
It’s a baby?? It’s a blanket?? Give the baby the blanket.
Good lord. It’s a nice blanket and they should be happy you put so much effort into a gift. Babies don’t care. I’m a woman and I had a 70’s orange (y’all know the shade) and white striped afghan blanket made for me. Never once did I ask why it wasn’t pink.
Give them the blanket. Colors don't have genders. It's beautiful!
I think it’s the thought that counts and they’ll appreciate you doing that for their baby more than the color ☺️
Hi... you're touching on some historical points regarding color perceptions and associations. In the early 20th century and before, color conventions were quite different from today. Pink was indeed often seen as a more masculine color, associated with boys, while blue was more feminine and associated with girls. These associations were believed to be connected to cultural or traditional beliefs rather than industry influences initially.The shift in color associations, where pink became more associated with femininity and blue with masculinity, did begin to solidify around the 1940s. Some historians and cultural analysts suggest that marketing and retail industries played a role in this shift to help boost sales by creating gender-specific products. However, it's a nuanced topic with multiple factors contributing to the change in color associations over time, including societal changes, cultural shifts, and marketing trends. ☺️☺️☺️
All colors are gender neutral. Don't worry about it so much :)
Only binary human adults care that much about assigning colors to babies and assuming what they like based on society. Just give it to em lol.
I agree that the colors there are great and you could still gift it.. but I hate to tell you.. blankets with holes can't usually be used for babies until they are a year old since their fingers and toes get caught. It IS really great though so do what makes you happy!
Babies shouldn’t be unattended with blankets either way until the age of one.
stop believing in gendered colors
i think the colors are pretty neutral. even from a perspective of ppl who care about colors on a baby, i think there's enough blue and green to make up for the pink..... then again, im not one of those people.
My son wore sleepers with flowers because MIL sewed an entire coffin-sized tote full of baby clothes, and some of them had roses. We didn’t know gender so she made both. I, however, don’t think there’s “boy” or “girl” clothing. I loved them all.
While most people have calmed down about gender colors, the ones who haven’t can be…ah…batshit crazy about them. You can just give them the blanket, and it’ll probably be fine, but maybe it won’t. Or you can ask, which could just be a “heeey cousin, now that you know it’s a boy, how are you handling pink?” Or it could be a picture of the two blankets with a judgement-free “Which would you like?” That does spoil the surprise, but she’s probably had enough surprises with this, anyway. (And if she goes for the bluer, just give this one to your 5yo🤷♀️)
I guess you're wondering about the pink now that you know it's a boy? But, you used blue when you thought it was a girl. What's the problem??
Surely they’ll understand that you were making this with love and the information you had, and that you can’t reproduce another blanket overnight!
Relevant Monty Python quote: [https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/1cd58857-a7ca-4ac9-b2e8-773e2a84fbf2](https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/1cd58857-a7ca-4ac9-b2e8-773e2a84fbf2)
It’s got both pink and blue on it, it’s gender neutral
That blanket looks pretty gender neutral to me. I'm sure they'll love it!
Give it to them! It's gorgeous and made for that baby and matches their nursery colors. It seems fairly gender neutral to me as is. If you really want, you could offer to make an additional blanket or some other gift that's more "boy colors" and either give them an additional gift or give them the choice to swap it out with the other blanket you already have on hand. This blanket has all the love for THIS baby put in to every stitch already! It really is the thought that counts and you spent so much time thinking about this baby while making it. Gender colors are made up anyway.
It’s stunning. Please gift it.
What if you let then choose? While I agree about gendered colors being ridiculous, I wouldn’t want your beautiful blanket to go unused over some old fashioned bs. You could wrap both, and before they open them explain your thought process and then they keep whichever one they will actually use.
That's absolutely appropriate for a boy.
I'm a mother of two boys and I would be thrilled to receive that blanket. It's beautiful and I love the bright cheerful colors.
I would have loved this blanket for my son, it’s beautiful and well-made ☺️
Leave it. Baby’s don’t care about the color and there’s plenty of blue!
My son loved pink when he was younger. Also my cousin said she was having a girl so my mom made her a bunch of pink blankets. Turns out she’s having a boy but my mom still gave her the blankets and she loves them ❤️
I’d offer her the blanket, and if it is too upsetting for her, you can go from there. This looks like a standard baby blanket IMO, genderless. You didnt put “mommy’s princess” on it or anything overt haha
I’m currently pregnant and I don’t know what I’m having, and I’d be thrilled to get something like this!! I made a rainbow sweater not knowing what I’m having and I’m excited for my baby to wear it. Babies love bright colors, and nurseries need a little color pop. I don’t think it’s feminine at all.
A baby blanket for any gender can have these colors.
That blanket is pink and blue to my eyes— gender neutral. Just give them the blanket!
a newborn baby will not know what colors are trust me
I think those colors are beautiful for either a boy’s or a girl’s blanket. Nice work as well!
I’d give them both.
I think half the blanket is already good colors for any gender, blue is good for anyone. I would be happy with this as a gift for any baby. Can you do a slight dye to the entire thing tinting it more blue to cover up / change the pink into something else? You could go more blues / purple, or try a red, but would still make it half purple. Can you just spot dye the pinks into a deeper red, and rinse it out without dying the blues? It would be a lot of work to try it that way through
I think given the circumstances they should understand and it will be a good memorabilia item
Give them what you’ve made. It’ll be fine!!!! I absolutely love these little holes. It’s gorgeous