Petit playpen blanket

Tiny Dodo describes this as a 'playpen blanket'. That's a concept I haven't come across before, but it's a good one, given that playpens often have hard surfaces and perilous corners. This design has the added bonus of pleasing shapes and an interesting texture for small fingers to explore.

In fact, whether you have a playpen or not, a general purpose blanket is invaluable for those first months. We spent a lot of time in parks, gazing up at trees or down at grass, and soon I began to pack a blanket just as automatically as I did the nappy bag. When it came to meeting up with friends, they always seemed glad to share a corner too.

You might not have heard of the designer Anne-Claire Petit, but you'd probably know her crocheted rabbits and elephants if you saw them. Here, that same fine work is put into a quite exquisite blanket.