Veggy Knitted Rattle Set

These were bought before Issey was born. I thought they were very unusual and funny. I couldn’t resist getting several: Carrot, radish, pea pod, cauliflower and squash (in the wash).

Issey plays with them regularly now, especially since she started shaking anything that rattles. They are soft and nice to handle and easy to keep clean, just pop them in the wash with baby's clothes.

Available from Urchin.

Skwish

I was lucky enough to find a Skwish in a charity shop.

It's an amazing toy and Issey has played with it since she was a couple of months old. At first we hung it as a mobile above her playpen so she could watch it spinning. Later, when she started flapping her arms about, she managed to pick it up and move it around, before she was able to grip any other toy. It's also become a popular teething toy. Since it squashes down, it's easy to travel with and can easily fit into luggage for trips. For me, the best thing about the Skwish is that it feels like a big toy and yet it's not heavy.

Knitted Finger Puppets

Hand knitted wool finger puppets, sometimes very odd and funny. They make lovely gifts for new babies, even just to include as part of the gift wrapping at a babyshower. They are super useful to take with on long trips. Easy to carry around in your pocket and provided you have a free hand can be a great source of amusement for your baby. Great for teaching animal names and sounds or for acting out stories.

I found my first set in a sale at a local plant shop and bought all their stock. Then I found a shop in Paris that only sold finger puppets, but fortunately they were closed otherwise my bank account might have taken quite a hit. Most of these in my collection come from Peru (bought by a friend) or a nun in Greece who knits these for charity. But you can find them all over the internet and I have seen them for sale on some markets in London too.

Its possible to collect them endlessly as the range is vast and very inventive.