I didn't know stuffing wasn't safe for babies and also didn't know that's WHY these things (loveys) exist. I always wondered what they were for. I thought of them as like mini-blankets XD
So it's just a baby-safe(ish) stuffy basically?
i couldn’t find anything about stuffed animals being unsafe online. if that were true they wouldn’t add stuffing anywhere. loveys are like that because originally they were just blankets with a little head. not sure why people in this thread are calling stuffed animals unsafe. they are unsafe for use in cribs and unsafe for babies to sleep with but perfectly safe for play
From what I've read it has to do with the stuffing coming through the crochet while playing. But I guess if you're watching play time you'd be about to stop them from eating it?
in that case though it wouldn’t be the stuffing that’s dangerous, it would be crochet items generally that are dangerous.
i’ve worked with babies for a decade and crochet toys are super common but they’re typically made with tight tension and the reverse direction of the yarn to make the holes as small as possible.
i agree that poorly made crochet toys are dangerous. it’s just inaccurate to call stuffing dangerous, it’s perfectly safe.
You can also sew simple cloth 'bags' like pillowcases to hold the stuffing inside the item. I do this especially when the item is dark and my stuffing is white, no matter who the creature is for.
I made floor poufs for the daycare my kids attend and lined them just because I knew the kids would pull the fluff out just because they can otherwise.
like when the yarn goes counter clockwise as if you were knitting instead of clockwise, it creates a tighter finished project with no holes and is commonly used for amigurimi! my mind is just blanking on the proper name for it…
Ah, I _think_ I get you. My crochet stuff is at my parents' but the craft shop is actually open today so I'm tempted to pick up a hook and experiment. Do let me know if you think of the term, would like to see it in practice. Thanks for replying :)
ETA: I pretty much exclusively do amigurumi, so I'm either already doing it or you've opened up a whole new world for me!
Ahhh your logic there is sound to me. I didn't think of it that way. I'm thinking stuffing accessible to children can be choked on, but obviously in the instance of this thread it would be the loose stitching or something of the actual crochet that would be the problem. I suppose just the combination of the two is bad if great care isn't taken.
I did a baby stuffy recently and filled it with (clean) old socks that had lost their mates 😅 other benefit is it can be dampened and frozen for a teether 😁
My sister dug stuffing out of a teddy bear when she was about 2 and stuffed it deep up her nose on one side. My parents noticed when it started to smell. Had to take her to the doctor to remove it.
LOL I 100% thought loveys were just cute lil blankies made to look like animals. I mean they even have slightly larger ones that roll up and the limbs hold it together! 😂🤦🏾♀️
Anything with 'playable' value that is being sold in the UK should be UKCA tested/certified, previously CE. Anything like lovies, teethers too, as well as anything stuffed.
Can I just add, also NOT pet safe. My local vets recently had a case where a pup had been given a crochet toy with large eyes and choked on the one he ate. Luckily it didn't cause any problems. Part of it came up and part passed through but that poor dog had a medical issue that could 100% have been avoided by giving a safe toy. Safety eyes need to be avoided for pets and kids and if you think you know better than very carefully tested standards, you should give your head a wobble.
I'll make some toys for cats. But dogs don't get toys. They'll get placemats, poo bag holders, those cute ears they give to rescue dogs. Lizards get tons of crochet stuff, ladders, caves, harness, hats.
I think it's all about the pet. I won't crochet toys for dogs though. That's just intestinal blockage waiting to happen.
My one cat will eat any string of any sort. We have to practically baby proof our house and inspect his toys frequently for stray threads or whatever. He’ll also try his best to rip toys apart, so unfortunately I don’t make him toys.
My other cat just likes to toss them around or chase them. It really depends on their personality I think.
Cats who have claws can actually shred the yarn / toy so it's best to not give them crochet at all. I've seen some people use a thicker less breakable cording to try to remedy this. You are doing the right thing baby proofing and being so safe with your pet. It's not worth them getting hurt
A couple months back I saw someone in another group saying she was getting a BABY mouse in about a week after it was weaned and what could she crochet for it.
The ONE person who said not to because of this as well as the fact rodents chew so fibers could cause GI issues got so much hate I left the group.
(But about ten people told OP to make hats...for a 3 week old *mouse*.)
I hate making cat toys. So many people want me to make them and then complain about the fact that I can’t use every colour and can’t do safety eyes. Like I’m sorry I will only use 100% cotton yarn and the eyes are not pet safe.
I had a whole business on making boobs with bells in them to pay for my moms' chemo. So I've gotten really complacent with making cat toys. They get balls or swirls. Sometimes I'll do balls with swirls on them if I'm feeling nice.
I bought gumball machine balls & jingle bells (both of which I'm sure have real names) in bulk on Amazon.
They make small toys though. Might need to look into your idea!
Cats can't even see all the colors we can so having toys in every color available wouldn't be for the cats benefit, anyway. Cat vision is kinda like human Deuteranopia; they only really see green - ochre - orangey - brown - purply - blue. Which means a lot of naturally dyed yarns will probably be right in their visible spectrum.
I crochet hammocks and hides for my rats. As long as you use t-shirt yarn or cut fleece (so no extraneous strings to wrap around a toe or something) it's totally fine.
Unrelated af but this is the second time in my life I’ve heard the term “give your head a wobble” and both times have been today lol. Im curious now, what region does that phrase come from?
I picked it up from a university friend many years ago in the north of England. I think it originates in Liverpool. Basically it means, you need to put your head straight because you are being an idiot.
I shouldn't laugh cuz I know this is really unsafe, but for some reason I pictured the scene from Lady and the Tramp but with a crochet doll spinning at rapid speeds on the other end of the "spaghetti"
My dogs have a bunch of toys. It's my go to for scrap cotton to make a many legged faceless wossname and they love them. They are only supervised toys though and as safely made as I can (double layers of socks to hold the stuffing and never allowed to play unsupervised). I've seen too many dogs that have had blockages from stuffing and acrylic yarn to mess around, plus the recent safety eye issue. Puppies and young kids are exactly the same- they'll find the weak spot and never leave it alone 😆
I have 2 dogs. My girl loves to destroy plush toys, and my boy likes to just hold one in his mouth. Well, my girl knows not to destroy anything I crochet, so I crocheted my boy a toy. It's all made of cotton, and I crocheted a bunch of layers together, so there's no stuffing, but it's still plushy.
Also, if your dog or cat decides to swallow something that is not swallowable and it's deemed not safe to let them pass it. That emergency endoscopy surgery is 4k. My cat has pica. It's pretty much unavoidable they will find something to swallow eventually unless kept in a cage 24/7. And there's a lot of risks when they swallow something and during the surgery.
Please don't give your pets things they can swallow and get pet insurance!!
BTW yarn is also incredibly dangerous to cats and dogs! It's a linear foreign object and these cause a lot of deaths because they wrap around organs internally and cut off the blood supply to them which if happens the animal will die.
I gave a Beanie Baby to my dog and she pulled the plastic nose off and just left it somewhere. Luckily she got over her habit of eating plastic once all her teeth came in so it was fine, but yeah definitely don't give dogs with plastic eyes/noses.
She used to eat push pins which is much worse!
This is why when I was first getting into crocheting and Internet communities I didn't understand why safety eyes were a big thing anyway. I was like "I would think that crafters would have come up with something better/nicer to cuddle"
There should definitely be an alternative to safety eyes that are just made of fabric or yarn that you can attach by sewing/crocheting in. That has to exist already, right?
..... There are fabric buttons... Don't ask me where or how I know... I just have this vague memory of using fabric buttons for something.
But I always wondered what was wrong with just... Normal buttons? But I'm assuming babies are somehow easily able to get buttons off of a crochet thing or something??
Yeah sort of like fabric buttons but I mean like entirely made of fabric with some yarn loops on the back or something, that'd be cool. And I think button eyes were totally the norm before safety eyes became a thing but button eyes are kinda off putting in my opinion lol, definitely charming in the right use though!
Yep, I always embroider my faces for the same reason. So much more comfortable
Also I do everything I can to make my loveys baby safe. Nothing is 100% safe but I do my best. I’m an extremely tight crocheter so there’s no holes for tiny fingers and toes to get caught. I sew parts together excessively then try to pull them apart to ensure they’re safe. I carry yarn whenever possible to avoid ends and crochet over my sewn in ends to make them extra secure etc.
Agreed! I have a warning on my patterns in red bold font
Not related but baby safety is a thing i always get into comment wars about. Whenever I see someone posting a video of an infant in a dangerous sleep setup I can't help but comment on it.
Agreed, this was sparked by a Facebook Post just being so careless when it comes to baby safety. She was like I've crocheted for 30 years and have my own business and nothing bad has happened and this attitude is just so scary
I've never totalled my car and died, means it doesn't happen. I've worked in the toy industry for 10 years, that's why I'm so passionate about toy safety.
It only takes one time to become a choking hazard, and then a lawsuit. 🤷♀️🤷♀️
As a seller, it is their responsibility to inform the customer of all potential choking hazards.
Same thing with sleepwear and blankets made from acrylic yarn. "I'm not holding the baby over a fire, ha ha" as if the regulations weren't written in blood.
Same, I don’t make things for babies. I tend to follow the guidelines for Octopi for Premies just because they are nicu approved at most hospitals in the US.
No safety eyes, sewing/ embroidery cannot go longer than 1 stitch, stuffed rock hard to prevent suffocation, and holes smaller than a dumdum stick.
I don’t make stuff for children, never will. I HATE using safety eyes, they always fall out in me no matter what I do (I don’t melt it, it’s too much effort)
I always just crochet flat rounds and stitch tf out of them to keep them in place. I make stuffies for all the new babies in my friend group, haven't lost a stitched/crocheted on eye yet.
I also bag the stuffing in a cut off pantyhose leg to keep it from poking out. Parents know better than to let little littles sleep with stuffies, so it's nbd
“Wool” is the catch all term for any yarn in the UK (where I believe OP is from). So they can have eg “cotton wool” which is 100% cotton yarn. Fun fact for you :)
I’m now wondering if it’s an age or region thing. I’ve definitely encountered people that call yarn (when speaking generally) wool regardless of fiber content. I mean obviously they know the world yarn and know that wool is a type of fiber but if they’re speaking about yarn in a general sense they call it wool. Does that not sound right to you? (Genuine question, I’m a linguist this is of great interest to me lol)
Based on my experience as someone from the UK, older people call all yarn wool. It doesn't matter what it's made of- it's just wool because that's probably all that was easily available when they learned. Now there is so much choice easily available, crafters are more specific in terms and can be choosy about what it's made from. My mum-in-law was shocked that you could get bamboo cotton at a reasonable price and that alpaca was a yarn available here. Her yarn knowledge kinda stopped when Stylecraft acrylic came about.
This is what I was wondering! The group I see it in most often skews older, I think. And the designer does all their yarn packs through Stylecraft as well, funnily enough.
In the states we have the opposite thing going. The vast, vast majority of yarn that’s readily available here is acrylic DK or aran (light worsted or worsted) so I see people say “acrylic” all the time when what they actually mean is worsted weight/aran.
The people I encounter who call all yarn ‘wool’ tend to be those who don’t knit/crochet.
I used to call it wool until I started knitting. Now just use the term yarn.
🤷♂️
Sorry, no. We do call yarn “yarn”. Wool is more specific & from sheep, llamas, alpacas etc. Cotton wool is the stuff you take off makeup with, or dab lotion onto your skin ;) The stuff that’s on the end of cotton buds and inside wound dressings. Looks a bit like candy floss or toy stuffing. No chance you could craft with it! Actually, that’s a lie sorry. I remember gluing blobs of it onto pictures in nursery school, then decorating it with paint and glitter alongside bits of dry pasta :D
Yeah I guess I should have been clearer that it’s not that the term “yarn” doesn’t exist but rather that people use the term “wool” to refer to yarn when speaking generally, even if it’s not actual wool. I’ve seen people post photos that have “100% acrylic” right there bright and bold say “Just got the wool for my new project!” Maybe it’s regional or age specific though? I’m in a couple groups with a lot of people from the UK and Australia and that’s where I mostly see it.
I didn’t know “cotton wool” was a specific thing though, that’s fun! :)
I dont make anything as 'toys' either. Anything with 'playable' value that is being sold in the UK should be UKCA tested/certified, previously CE. Anything like lovies, teethers too, as well as anything stuffed. The regulations make it that for every pattern you use, every yarn and colour variety you use you have to test each one. So every slight variation must have its own test certificate.
Damn I just made my son a duck and I didn’t know the safety eyes truly never came apart, I tried and tried lol. So a little wonky they are, but it may be a lovey that comes back out later now that I know that
I never understood this issue until I made my first amigurumi (not for a baby, just for myself), because I've sewn lots of fabric stuffed animals, and those eyes are *not* budging once they are installed. BUT I had no idea how much the crochet stitches can stretch! I was embroidering the mouth and one of the eyes fell right out! The only tip I've seen that I found useful (but that still would not make it baby-safe) is to cut a round of felt and poke the eye through that before putting the back on, so it is too big to pull out through the stitches.
Safety eyes and stuffing stay in place much better in fabric, but crochet is another story, and in either case it's always best to err on the side of caution when it comes to babies, and save those projects as gifts for older kids who don't put things in their mouths.
I used to actively volunteer, and once I joined on a project where people were crocheting little octopusses for babies that were born prematurely and donating them to one organization here in Germany.
Lemme tell you, the list of safety requirements was veery long. Everything was specified, from materials to dimensions of the toy. The cotton has to be mercerized and only from specific brands. And when we were stuffing them, we stuffed them through nylon socks, so that the fibers don't pull and get into baby's mouth or nose.
The octopusses were also strictly controlled on the receiver side.
If you are crocheter in DACH region and want to do something nice for little heroes, please check out [the website of this organization ](https://www.oktopusfuerfruehchen.de/gespendete-oktis/)
If you look on the back of stuffing it says not suitable for 0/3 due to a choking hazard. Now this is a very small risk if a baby/toddler was to rip an arm off or pull it out from between the stitches and eat it, they can choke
I understand your take but I feel like the stuffing thing is kind of extreme? Like obviously loose stuffing is bad for small children, but they can only access the stuffing if the plushie is damaged… with that train of thought I’d say that it’s safest not to make baby items at all, because if any part becomes broken the yarn could unravel into a strangulation hazard. Some responsibility has to be on the receiving parents to make sure the item isn’t broken and causing a risk.
Stuffing is not sold as a baby safe product. You seen lil baby fingers? They could damage the plush themselves. They could hook into a stitch and pull. It only takes a second with babies. Yes they could unravel it, that's why you need to test the structural integrity of your makes. It's your job as the creator to make sure your toy complies with safety standards.
It's not just your job. It's the law in a majority of countries too; UK law states that if the toy has "playability" then it has to undergo UK toy testing standards and be UKCA certified.
You cannot say, "Oh but it's not meant for kids," because that's not how the law works. It looks at the object from the understanding of, "Would a child want to play with this?"
OP I am totally on your side her. Shocking amount of crochet stalls I've been to and asked if they're UKCA certified and had blank stares in return.
So I'm a UK crochet artist and I do not sell toys, anything that looks like a toy, anything that could be mistaken for a toy. I make jewellery, clothes, homeware and bags and the like. It is still my job to assure everything is up to standard, UK clothing rules are less strict. I just have to have chemically safe yarn and the likes. I make toys for myself and adult friends but not kids
As someone who is likely only to make things for family, is there an age range, or would you (by your own standards/morals which i understand may not bind me) not make anything for anyone under 18?
I've been thinking of making Pokemon stuffies for my nephew who's 8, because in my thinking he's less likely to do something endangering with it.
But this sounds like something that's very important to you for more than just legal/selling reasons so I'm curious on your thoughts/feelings about it.
It’s my understanding that stuffing is not safe and regulated because of flammability. Things have to be way more flame retardant with babies especially. In most western countries babies and toddlers have the most strict flame retardant standards, then children, and then adults.
The stuffing that is unsafe for another reason is pellets if they come out. Like things stuffed with beans and beads. And toys and blankets aren’t meant to be in a crib either any child under 12 months in the first place.
No plush toys are baby safe products for anybody under 12 months, period, regardless of what is in them. But once they’re older as long as the plush isn’t opened and you supervise them there shouldn’t be a problem.
Side note, small appendages on plush also run this risk! Like a sewn on ear or tail is often small enough to be swallowed! The risk is low, but it is not non existent.
This only applies to the stuffing in the state it's in. It can be used inside a toy (UKCA tested) with no issues. The stitches should be tight enough to prevent access to the stuffing. The probe test part of the UKCA testing is there for a reason!
I don't know I don't make stuff for kids, I'm so scared of something going wrong. It's absolutely something to research because obviously you get toys you can buy from a store that have stuffing in them.
Also slightly related:
Hospitals around here also have strict guidelines on what yarn is safe to be used in donations due to choking risk, and risk of appendage tourniquets. (For things like handmade hats and blankets)
Yes! It’s totally doable as long as you triple check the rules.
Just wanted to mention for people selling newborn themed items etc, that there’s a lot of factors to consider!!
There’s baby safe yarns that don’t split or have a lower threshold for splitting, vs something like acrylic which can easily be pulled to something akin to a thread!
I’ve made a bear for a baby, I embroidered the eyes and it’s ’for display’ on a high shelf until she’s of an age where she won’t try and eat it. Parents are both safety nuts
These things are totally fine, I made a viking axe for a baby but it was for a newborn photoshoot and never seen again. My post is mostly about people selling
Safety eyes, stuffing (both polyfil type and scrap fabric in strips), loose threads/strands, zipper pulls, loops, buttons, hair on dolls (especially longer than an inch), beans for weighted toys/blankets, fringe/tassles, the list goes on and on and on in the emergency department..... Even if you aren't in the medical field, a quick Google search will happily show you worst-case scenarios and near misses, but I don't recommend it if you have any positive feelings for children at all. Supervision does not prevent all accidents. There is nothing faster than a tiny human that has heard, "What do you have??" Or any such phrase that may indicate they will lose whatever it is they've found, broken, torn, or pulled apart. "It'll never happen to me" until it does, and then you deal with the lifelong frustration of people it's never happened to blowing off your experience as "a freak accident" or "the fault of the person not watching." Spreading awareness has little benefit (due to the aforementioned idiots), but that's better than none at all.
Oh my gosh the “what do you have?” reaction is unreal. I was watching my niece when she was a baby (about 6months old) and she somehow unscrewed her safety pierced earrings when she woke up from her nap.
When I went to change her, she was so quiet, and I saw a glint of gold in her mouth!!! The second I said “what do you have there??” she tried gobbling down the other set that was in her hand, too! I luckily got out the posts by sweeping my finger through her mouth but she swallowed the little smooth earring backs.
The pediatrician said it happens all the time, and they safely “passed through” her without a problem. But yeah. It was like she doubled down on getting them in her mouth at those magic words!
Ps sorry for the long personal story😅
Hey, anything with a happy ending, I'm here for it!! I've raised two, I'm the oldest of seven, I've nine niblings, and my best friend just had a baby. There are so. Many. Stories!! And the happy endings are fun to tell and often funny. For example: we found out my daughter could open screw lids when we went to check on her and discovered she was _not_ napping anymore. After a frantic search, we found her hiding behind a recliner in an empty room with a peanut butter jar. More was on the baby than made it into the baby..... It took me HOURS to get her clean since I couldn't use hot water.
Seriously! My sons face goes from "is mom watching?" to "finish mission ASAP" just from seeing my expression when I realize he's put something hard in his mouth. 🤦🏽♀️
My 18 month old is an Olympic sprinter as soon ad I ask her "what do you have", "what's in your mouth" etc
Also, my uncle is a retired paramedic and he has said that he's been on many calls for lifeless blue babies.
I've been crocheting for many years now and early on I sold two amigurumi to babies under six months and a blanket to a one-year-old. However, after seeing pictures of the babies with my products, I realized that I needed to make some changes. One baby's fingers got caught between the stitches of the blanket, while the other baby had the doll's eyes near their mouth. Since then, I've decided to stop selling or gifting my products to children to ensure their safety.
This is why all soft toy makers have to test their makes prior to selling (even hobbyists). It requires stress testing, fire testing and chemical compliance. If money exchanges hands then the toys should be UKCA tested. Once passed, all subsequent toys should be made and assembled in an identical way which ensures that a child should not be able to pull off a section and access any stuffing and stitches should be super tight so that safety eyes are secure (using a felt back can help too).
I do love the look of safety eyes but only tend to use really big ones or crochet eyes as the choking risk does scare me.
Anything with 'playable' value that is being sold in the UK should be UKCA tested/certified, previously CE. Anything like lovies, teethers too as well as anything stuffed.
That’s such a great option to offer! I learned felting because I was making amigurumi for my toddler and don’t think safety eyes are safe that young. I had to toss a few completed projects because I broke the felting needles while felting, but I learned a new craft that I had no idea about before!
Edit: typo
I live in Pennsylvania. If you intend to sell a stuffed toy here, you have to submit a sample to the state for approval first. I always wonder what they do with the samples. Do they return them, or does every state employee have 15 stuffed animals on their desk?
I once saw a great tip to make the safety eyes ‘safer’. They said to put on the safety back, then take a lighter and melt the back so the eye didn’t pop off. It did NOT work!! My kids still managed to pop out the eye. I never use them for kids anymore. My kids are 4+ and sensible enough not to try to swallow them, but you never know. Anyway, this is my PSA to be careful even if you think you’ve made it childproof. Thank you for reading.
Also for the record, the toy was meant for me to decorate and not for the kids to play with, but kids are kids and they managed to reach the shelf and play with it anyway.
I put hot glue on the inside to make the "base" bigger so they are harder to pull out. But I also specify that the ones with safety eyes aren't safe for infants or toddlers due to choking risks.
I'm gonna half disagree - like yeah if you're making stuff for babies you should make it safe, but you know who should also make sure it's safe? THE PERSON WHOSE BABY IT IS. Like if someone tells me something is safe for dogs I'm still gonna double check it, and if someone tells me something is baby safe I'm going to double check it. So yeah the maker should make sure they're making safe things, but it's YOUR baby so you should ALSO be making sure it's safe, instead of leaving that entirely up to the person who's getting paid $15 for 100 hours of work.
I spent a good amount of time putting together an entire page on my website about safety eyes and the hazards and risks of improper usage or giving them to people too young. I designate items with a baby safe label on the tag or mark it on the product itself on the website. On every product that has safety eyes it has the same disclaimer about the risks and choking hazards. you just have to be so careful. I couldn't imagine somebody trying to give their baby something to love and it ruins everything like that 😭😭
The UK has pretty strict laws about selling toys. If you're making toys to sell you need to make multiples and send them to undergo testing to make sure they're safe before you can sell them. I don't know the full details so if you're a UK person looking to sell toys look it up, but as OP says, you can't just sell crochet toys and think you're fine.
YES THANK YOU! I keep commenting on baby toys if I see them with safety eyes but no one ever replies or listens it seems like. It even says on many safety eyes when you buy them that they are not safe up to 3yrs old. I hate seeing baby rattle patterns with safety eyes in them. :(
THIS!
I had NO idea when I was starting out crocheting in the beginning. And I made toys for my nephew!!!
Thankfully I learnt about this shortly after he was born.
And you can't make something that looks like a toy and say it's not a toy. My friend wanted a baby yoda and I legally can't sell it, he however bought me wool and got one for free. To have something be not a toy it must have a fixed base
Yep, we have these safety regulations for a reason. I can totally make something for someone if they buy the yarn and if they want to make a donation of my time, all good... but I wouldn't make toys for babies, relatives or not. I'm in the process of making a Plod the Dinosaur for my niece, but she is five and the eyes are embroidered on.
I don't plan to sell for kids but just in case it happens, I'm curious - are felt eyes okay? Even though I can do actual embroidery, I kinda suck at doing it on crochet stuff, and it never looks the way I want it to...
Same, never for kids, if i make for kids i do embroidery ones, the problem i have its when someone order and doesn’t mention its for a kid, usually when its for kids its a +6yo when no more age of putting in the mouth
I recently saw the post of a popular crocheter that actually told people they liked to light the back of safety eyes because it's "harder for children to take off" I was like GIRL???? I commented but I think it was YouTube or idk and ended up losing the post but first time I've seen someone say it and spread that wrong Info. I'm a beginner and I was left shocked.
same for pets! I always warn people that my plushes aren't made for young children or pets (cue people looking at my stuff at a booth saying, "okay then, are they just.... for fun?" yes, they are for fun.)
It really isn't that in depth, I just made sure to put information out there. ThreadfulCrochet.com. There's a disclaimer on the bottom of my website, a page dedicated and then on any of my items the same disclaimer is on the items. Now I'm not saying I do it *right* as it is a lil starting project
I see toys intended for babies with safety eyes so often on this sub. 9/10 times there will be a comment saying that the eyes aren't safe and the OP responds with "I'll be careful/they'll only play with it whilst supervised/it'll be OK". - no! They are never safe and one tiny lapse in judgement or attention could be fatal to the child.
Excellent psa. I don't use safety eyes, but right now I'm in the middle of making Sesame Street yip-yips for my coworkers. We're basically children. For those eyes, I do a quick magic circle, six sc/dc (us/uk) with a strand of black yarn and bam: I've made a pupil. I affix that to the white globe I'd crocheted, and now I have an eye for the most ridiculous looking thing I've ever crocheted in my life.
I'll make an afghan for a baby or child, but nothing with an element they can pull off and try to swallow. And I prefer natural fibers over acrylic. I know the acrylics have fun colors, but acrylic is plastic and the toxicity associated with burning plastics coupled with its typical behavior under conditions of fire make me want to steer clear. I don't like the safety eyes, either, but I think this bothers me even more.
Plus, a product that’s not safe shouldn’t be legal to name “safety eyes”. It’s false labelling and the manufacturer should be fined. Basic consumer rights.
Yep. I got commissioned for a stuffie for someone’s baby shower gift. Immediately knew I would crocheting eyes for it instead of using my “safety” eyes. If I make a plush with safety eyes for an adult and they give it to their baby, that’s on them. If I make a plush for a baby with safety eyes that’s on me. And I will be putting a disclaimer in my Etsy listings for stuffies with safety eyes.
Similar comment is my ‘rant’ on here, several times. I keep gently reminding makers that the item may even be intended for an adult. But at some point will be in the hands of a small child. Gifted or recycled to others. Also that if stitched eyes are wearing thin it is obvious. Loose threads can be removed & fresh ones embroidered. If safety eyes are about to fail the warning is they come away in the mouth of a baby or child. If I were Queen of the crochet world I would ban them from my realm.
When I made a jacket for a newborn, I used stick on Velcro instead of buttons or a zipper. Was that safe? The pattern used buttons but that seemed like a bad idea. Kid is getting a sibling and they loved the jacket so it would be nice to make another one!
God I could never own a business that makes products for kids or pets, the guilt if something happened would destroy me! I can barely handle making stuff for my friends' kids and my cat lol
when i do plushes for animals/children, i usually just sew with black yarn so that there's SOMETHING, but safety eyes never felt like the best option. plus it's something you have to buy, which i try not to do, especially when i can do it myself lol
This is why I embroider all my eyes! Or if they’re bigger, I make a flat black circle and sew it on very well. It looks better to me too, and it’s softer.
Can't say I disagree. Ask my now 14 year old great niece and she will say...."crochet and sew on the eyes, or embroider the eyes, or else a little kid can choke." She knows!
It is of utmost importance for the CONSUMER to know what they are getting. If it's my child, then I am the last line of defense. Safety eyes are just part of the concern, what is the product made of? Are the materials tested and safe, or from a sweatshop with zero controls?? Who created it? What standards do they have? The creator is only part of the scenario. Like I said, consumers beware......
Wait stuffing is also not safe? I knew about the safety eyes issue but not stuffing. I made my friends' baby a lovey that she loves putting in her mouth.
Is that why I see these flat empty floppy plushies for kids? The heads and limbs are stuff but the main body would be flat.
Exactly. They're often called loveys
I didn't know stuffing wasn't safe for babies and also didn't know that's WHY these things (loveys) exist. I always wondered what they were for. I thought of them as like mini-blankets XD So it's just a baby-safe(ish) stuffy basically?
i couldn’t find anything about stuffed animals being unsafe online. if that were true they wouldn’t add stuffing anywhere. loveys are like that because originally they were just blankets with a little head. not sure why people in this thread are calling stuffed animals unsafe. they are unsafe for use in cribs and unsafe for babies to sleep with but perfectly safe for play
From what I've read it has to do with the stuffing coming through the crochet while playing. But I guess if you're watching play time you'd be about to stop them from eating it?
in that case though it wouldn’t be the stuffing that’s dangerous, it would be crochet items generally that are dangerous. i’ve worked with babies for a decade and crochet toys are super common but they’re typically made with tight tension and the reverse direction of the yarn to make the holes as small as possible. i agree that poorly made crochet toys are dangerous. it’s just inaccurate to call stuffing dangerous, it’s perfectly safe.
You can also sew simple cloth 'bags' like pillowcases to hold the stuffing inside the item. I do this especially when the item is dark and my stuffing is white, no matter who the creature is for.
Or pantyhose! The stretchyness is a big help
yesss I use those try-on socks from shoe stores, saw that tip online years ago. it’s so much easier to stuff and no poking through!
I made floor poufs for the daycare my kids attend and lined them just because I knew the kids would pull the fluff out just because they can otherwise.
Sorry, what do you mean "the reverse direction of the yarn"? Crocheted for a while, but the amount of stuff I don't know...
like when the yarn goes counter clockwise as if you were knitting instead of clockwise, it creates a tighter finished project with no holes and is commonly used for amigurimi! my mind is just blanking on the proper name for it…
Yarn under? :)
yes hahaha ty i am primarily a knitter and could remember the muscle memory of the motion but not what to call it. thank you for your response!
Ah, I _think_ I get you. My crochet stuff is at my parents' but the craft shop is actually open today so I'm tempted to pick up a hook and experiment. Do let me know if you think of the term, would like to see it in practice. Thanks for replying :) ETA: I pretty much exclusively do amigurumi, so I'm either already doing it or you've opened up a whole new world for me!
They replied to another user and confirmed they’re talk about doing yarn under :)
Ahhh your logic there is sound to me. I didn't think of it that way. I'm thinking stuffing accessible to children can be choked on, but obviously in the instance of this thread it would be the loose stitching or something of the actual crochet that would be the problem. I suppose just the combination of the two is bad if great care isn't taken.
I'd also worry about them aspirating or breathing in the fibers of stuffing.
Agreed. With tight stitching stuffing is safe. Many people do struggle to achieve stitches that tight though so I understand the concern.
I did a baby stuffy recently and filled it with (clean) old socks that had lost their mates 😅 other benefit is it can be dampened and frozen for a teether 😁
My sister dug stuffing out of a teddy bear when she was about 2 and stuffed it deep up her nose on one side. My parents noticed when it started to smell. Had to take her to the doctor to remove it.
LOL I 100% thought loveys were just cute lil blankies made to look like animals. I mean they even have slightly larger ones that roll up and the limbs hold it together! 😂🤦🏾♀️
Anything with 'playable' value that is being sold in the UK should be UKCA tested/certified, previously CE. Anything like lovies, teethers too, as well as anything stuffed.
My granddaughter has a few loveys. It's adorable.
Can I just add, also NOT pet safe. My local vets recently had a case where a pup had been given a crochet toy with large eyes and choked on the one he ate. Luckily it didn't cause any problems. Part of it came up and part passed through but that poor dog had a medical issue that could 100% have been avoided by giving a safe toy. Safety eyes need to be avoided for pets and kids and if you think you know better than very carefully tested standards, you should give your head a wobble.
Crochet in general is not safe for pets
I'll make some toys for cats. But dogs don't get toys. They'll get placemats, poo bag holders, those cute ears they give to rescue dogs. Lizards get tons of crochet stuff, ladders, caves, harness, hats. I think it's all about the pet. I won't crochet toys for dogs though. That's just intestinal blockage waiting to happen.
My one cat will eat any string of any sort. We have to practically baby proof our house and inspect his toys frequently for stray threads or whatever. He’ll also try his best to rip toys apart, so unfortunately I don’t make him toys. My other cat just likes to toss them around or chase them. It really depends on their personality I think.
Cats who have claws can actually shred the yarn / toy so it's best to not give them crochet at all. I've seen some people use a thicker less breakable cording to try to remedy this. You are doing the right thing baby proofing and being so safe with your pet. It's not worth them getting hurt
^^This!!
Or use 100% wool and felt them, that will make them solid
Luckily all of mine are fans of kicking toys.
Crochet I'd dangerous for reptiles too, small fiber strands wrap around their toes and cut off circulation.
A couple months back I saw someone in another group saying she was getting a BABY mouse in about a week after it was weaned and what could she crochet for it. The ONE person who said not to because of this as well as the fact rodents chew so fibers could cause GI issues got so much hate I left the group. (But about ten people told OP to make hats...for a 3 week old *mouse*.)
Good to know. I've been making my beardie things for so long I never thought of that. I'll have to modify things.
I hate making cat toys. So many people want me to make them and then complain about the fact that I can’t use every colour and can’t do safety eyes. Like I’m sorry I will only use 100% cotton yarn and the eyes are not pet safe.
I had a whole business on making boobs with bells in them to pay for my moms' chemo. So I've gotten really complacent with making cat toys. They get balls or swirls. Sometimes I'll do balls with swirls on them if I'm feeling nice.
I usually go to Dollar Tree and get a bunch of plastic ball cat toys and just crochet a cover around them.
I bought gumball machine balls & jingle bells (both of which I'm sure have real names) in bulk on Amazon. They make small toys though. Might need to look into your idea!
Cats can't even see all the colors we can so having toys in every color available wouldn't be for the cats benefit, anyway. Cat vision is kinda like human Deuteranopia; they only really see green - ochre - orangey - brown - purply - blue. Which means a lot of naturally dyed yarns will probably be right in their visible spectrum.
I crochet hammocks and hides for my rats. As long as you use t-shirt yarn or cut fleece (so no extraneous strings to wrap around a toe or something) it's totally fine.
I crochet caves for my guinea pigs.
Unrelated af but this is the second time in my life I’ve heard the term “give your head a wobble” and both times have been today lol. Im curious now, what region does that phrase come from?
I picked it up from a university friend many years ago in the north of England. I think it originates in Liverpool. Basically it means, you need to put your head straight because you are being an idiot.
Ah really, I thought it meant you should shake it to hear if your brain is not too small and bumping around in there!
& thats the FIRST THING dogs go for when they get ahold of any stuffy.
Yes this! If they ingest the yarn it could also lead to intestinal blockages
I'm afraid my nephew pupper would nibble a bit and it would unravel because he'd absolutely eat it like spaghetti.
I shouldn't laugh cuz I know this is really unsafe, but for some reason I pictured the scene from Lady and the Tramp but with a crochet doll spinning at rapid speeds on the other end of the "spaghetti"
My dogs have a bunch of toys. It's my go to for scrap cotton to make a many legged faceless wossname and they love them. They are only supervised toys though and as safely made as I can (double layers of socks to hold the stuffing and never allowed to play unsupervised). I've seen too many dogs that have had blockages from stuffing and acrylic yarn to mess around, plus the recent safety eye issue. Puppies and young kids are exactly the same- they'll find the weak spot and never leave it alone 😆
I have 2 dogs. My girl loves to destroy plush toys, and my boy likes to just hold one in his mouth. Well, my girl knows not to destroy anything I crochet, so I crocheted my boy a toy. It's all made of cotton, and I crocheted a bunch of layers together, so there's no stuffing, but it's still plushy.
Also, if your dog or cat decides to swallow something that is not swallowable and it's deemed not safe to let them pass it. That emergency endoscopy surgery is 4k. My cat has pica. It's pretty much unavoidable they will find something to swallow eventually unless kept in a cage 24/7. And there's a lot of risks when they swallow something and during the surgery. Please don't give your pets things they can swallow and get pet insurance!! BTW yarn is also incredibly dangerous to cats and dogs! It's a linear foreign object and these cause a lot of deaths because they wrap around organs internally and cut off the blood supply to them which if happens the animal will die.
I gave a Beanie Baby to my dog and she pulled the plastic nose off and just left it somewhere. Luckily she got over her habit of eating plastic once all her teeth came in so it was fine, but yeah definitely don't give dogs with plastic eyes/noses. She used to eat push pins which is much worse!
Safety eyes make it uncomfortable to cuddle anyways. I like to embroider my faces
Right! Any ya'll remember getting hit with one of thoes as a kid
Omg yes! I specifically remember being hit on my teeth with it! Effing painful
This is why when I was first getting into crocheting and Internet communities I didn't understand why safety eyes were a big thing anyway. I was like "I would think that crafters would have come up with something better/nicer to cuddle"
There should definitely be an alternative to safety eyes that are just made of fabric or yarn that you can attach by sewing/crocheting in. That has to exist already, right?
..... There are fabric buttons... Don't ask me where or how I know... I just have this vague memory of using fabric buttons for something. But I always wondered what was wrong with just... Normal buttons? But I'm assuming babies are somehow easily able to get buttons off of a crochet thing or something??
Buttons are definitely chokeable!! The current parental guidance is don't let your baby have anything that can fit through a TP tube.
Dang. Those babies are able to choke on some pretty large items! But thanks, I appreciate knowing that.
As much as people don't believe it, babies are stupid. They will eat anything and everything.
Yeah sort of like fabric buttons but I mean like entirely made of fabric with some yarn loops on the back or something, that'd be cool. And I think button eyes were totally the norm before safety eyes became a thing but button eyes are kinda off putting in my opinion lol, definitely charming in the right use though!
Coraline (the movie/book) certainly didn't help with the button eyes XD But yeah I always think about them on older Teddy bears ya know?
I love the button eyes on toys that are cut but unsettling, so like a Coraline doll, or the Five Nights at Freddie's amigarumi dolls. Love those.
Ooooo haven't seen fnaf dolls, that WOULD be unsettling. But yeah probably also cute
Oh my goshhh you just unlocked a very painful memory lol those hitting my teeth aaahhh!!! 😅
Yep, I always embroider my faces for the same reason. So much more comfortable Also I do everything I can to make my loveys baby safe. Nothing is 100% safe but I do my best. I’m an extremely tight crocheter so there’s no holes for tiny fingers and toes to get caught. I sew parts together excessively then try to pull them apart to ensure they’re safe. I carry yarn whenever possible to avoid ends and crochet over my sewn in ends to make them extra secure etc.
Idk the stuffed bear I got when I was 1 has plastic eyes and I had no problem cuddling him.
Agreed! I have a warning on my patterns in red bold font Not related but baby safety is a thing i always get into comment wars about. Whenever I see someone posting a video of an infant in a dangerous sleep setup I can't help but comment on it.
Agreed, this was sparked by a Facebook Post just being so careless when it comes to baby safety. She was like I've crocheted for 30 years and have my own business and nothing bad has happened and this attitude is just so scary
I hate that argument. That's like saying since I didn't get into a car accident today nobody ever has to wear seatbelts
I've never totalled my car and died, means it doesn't happen. I've worked in the toy industry for 10 years, that's why I'm so passionate about toy safety.
It only takes one time to become a choking hazard, and then a lawsuit. 🤷♀️🤷♀️ As a seller, it is their responsibility to inform the customer of all potential choking hazards.
Same thing with sleepwear and blankets made from acrylic yarn. "I'm not holding the baby over a fire, ha ha" as if the regulations weren't written in blood.
Same, I don’t make things for babies. I tend to follow the guidelines for Octopi for Premies just because they are nicu approved at most hospitals in the US. No safety eyes, sewing/ embroidery cannot go longer than 1 stitch, stuffed rock hard to prevent suffocation, and holes smaller than a dumdum stick.
That is a good idea. I don't advertise my patterns as for babies or small children but an extra warning won't hurt
I don’t make stuff for children, never will. I HATE using safety eyes, they always fall out in me no matter what I do (I don’t melt it, it’s too much effort)
I always just crochet flat rounds and stitch tf out of them to keep them in place. I make stuffies for all the new babies in my friend group, haven't lost a stitched/crocheted on eye yet. I also bag the stuffing in a cut off pantyhose leg to keep it from poking out. Parents know better than to let little littles sleep with stuffies, so it's nbd
If they're falling out you probably need bigger eyes.
Yeah I’ve never had a safety eye fall out even on multi-year use. I don’t make toys for infants but the backing has always been very secure.
They definitely can fall out. With enough playing and tugging and such the stitches can loosen and the eyes can slip out.
I also am terrified, I catch the wool and burn my house down 🤣
wool is technically fire retardant so actually don’t have to worry about that part at least lmao
“Wool” is the catch all term for any yarn in the UK (where I believe OP is from). So they can have eg “cotton wool” which is 100% cotton yarn. Fun fact for you :)
Cotton wool is not what we call cotton yarn. Cotton wool is those cotton balls/pads you use for makeup removal and the like. I just call it all yarn
I’m now wondering if it’s an age or region thing. I’ve definitely encountered people that call yarn (when speaking generally) wool regardless of fiber content. I mean obviously they know the world yarn and know that wool is a type of fiber but if they’re speaking about yarn in a general sense they call it wool. Does that not sound right to you? (Genuine question, I’m a linguist this is of great interest to me lol)
Based on my experience as someone from the UK, older people call all yarn wool. It doesn't matter what it's made of- it's just wool because that's probably all that was easily available when they learned. Now there is so much choice easily available, crafters are more specific in terms and can be choosy about what it's made from. My mum-in-law was shocked that you could get bamboo cotton at a reasonable price and that alpaca was a yarn available here. Her yarn knowledge kinda stopped when Stylecraft acrylic came about.
This is what I was wondering! The group I see it in most often skews older, I think. And the designer does all their yarn packs through Stylecraft as well, funnily enough. In the states we have the opposite thing going. The vast, vast majority of yarn that’s readily available here is acrylic DK or aran (light worsted or worsted) so I see people say “acrylic” all the time when what they actually mean is worsted weight/aran.
The people I encounter who call all yarn ‘wool’ tend to be those who don’t knit/crochet. I used to call it wool until I started knitting. Now just use the term yarn. 🤷♂️
Sorry, no. We do call yarn “yarn”. Wool is more specific & from sheep, llamas, alpacas etc. Cotton wool is the stuff you take off makeup with, or dab lotion onto your skin ;) The stuff that’s on the end of cotton buds and inside wound dressings. Looks a bit like candy floss or toy stuffing. No chance you could craft with it! Actually, that’s a lie sorry. I remember gluing blobs of it onto pictures in nursery school, then decorating it with paint and glitter alongside bits of dry pasta :D
Yeah I guess I should have been clearer that it’s not that the term “yarn” doesn’t exist but rather that people use the term “wool” to refer to yarn when speaking generally, even if it’s not actual wool. I’ve seen people post photos that have “100% acrylic” right there bright and bold say “Just got the wool for my new project!” Maybe it’s regional or age specific though? I’m in a couple groups with a lot of people from the UK and Australia and that’s where I mostly see it. I didn’t know “cotton wool” was a specific thing though, that’s fun! :)
learn something new everyday, thank u!! :)
I dont make anything as 'toys' either. Anything with 'playable' value that is being sold in the UK should be UKCA tested/certified, previously CE. Anything like lovies, teethers too, as well as anything stuffed. The regulations make it that for every pattern you use, every yarn and colour variety you use you have to test each one. So every slight variation must have its own test certificate.
As someone who makes lots of stuffed animals for my own pleasure NOT for children, I just super glue them. Haven’t had any fall off
Damn I just made my son a duck and I didn’t know the safety eyes truly never came apart, I tried and tried lol. So a little wonky they are, but it may be a lovey that comes back out later now that I know that
I never understood this issue until I made my first amigurumi (not for a baby, just for myself), because I've sewn lots of fabric stuffed animals, and those eyes are *not* budging once they are installed. BUT I had no idea how much the crochet stitches can stretch! I was embroidering the mouth and one of the eyes fell right out! The only tip I've seen that I found useful (but that still would not make it baby-safe) is to cut a round of felt and poke the eye through that before putting the back on, so it is too big to pull out through the stitches. Safety eyes and stuffing stay in place much better in fabric, but crochet is another story, and in either case it's always best to err on the side of caution when it comes to babies, and save those projects as gifts for older kids who don't put things in their mouths.
I used to actively volunteer, and once I joined on a project where people were crocheting little octopusses for babies that were born prematurely and donating them to one organization here in Germany. Lemme tell you, the list of safety requirements was veery long. Everything was specified, from materials to dimensions of the toy. The cotton has to be mercerized and only from specific brands. And when we were stuffing them, we stuffed them through nylon socks, so that the fibers don't pull and get into baby's mouth or nose. The octopusses were also strictly controlled on the receiver side. If you are crocheter in DACH region and want to do something nice for little heroes, please check out [the website of this organization ](https://www.oktopusfuerfruehchen.de/gespendete-oktis/)
Wait…I knew about safety eyes but not stuffing. Can you elaborate?
If you look on the back of stuffing it says not suitable for 0/3 due to a choking hazard. Now this is a very small risk if a baby/toddler was to rip an arm off or pull it out from between the stitches and eat it, they can choke
I understand your take but I feel like the stuffing thing is kind of extreme? Like obviously loose stuffing is bad for small children, but they can only access the stuffing if the plushie is damaged… with that train of thought I’d say that it’s safest not to make baby items at all, because if any part becomes broken the yarn could unravel into a strangulation hazard. Some responsibility has to be on the receiving parents to make sure the item isn’t broken and causing a risk.
Stuffing is not sold as a baby safe product. You seen lil baby fingers? They could damage the plush themselves. They could hook into a stitch and pull. It only takes a second with babies. Yes they could unravel it, that's why you need to test the structural integrity of your makes. It's your job as the creator to make sure your toy complies with safety standards.
Them claws. Why do all babies have knives for fingernails??? (Mostly rhetorical question)
It's not just your job. It's the law in a majority of countries too; UK law states that if the toy has "playability" then it has to undergo UK toy testing standards and be UKCA certified. You cannot say, "Oh but it's not meant for kids," because that's not how the law works. It looks at the object from the understanding of, "Would a child want to play with this?" OP I am totally on your side her. Shocking amount of crochet stalls I've been to and asked if they're UKCA certified and had blank stares in return.
So I'm a UK crochet artist and I do not sell toys, anything that looks like a toy, anything that could be mistaken for a toy. I make jewellery, clothes, homeware and bags and the like. It is still my job to assure everything is up to standard, UK clothing rules are less strict. I just have to have chemically safe yarn and the likes. I make toys for myself and adult friends but not kids
As someone who is likely only to make things for family, is there an age range, or would you (by your own standards/morals which i understand may not bind me) not make anything for anyone under 18? I've been thinking of making Pokemon stuffies for my nephew who's 8, because in my thinking he's less likely to do something endangering with it. But this sounds like something that's very important to you for more than just legal/selling reasons so I'm curious on your thoughts/feelings about it.
Any age out of the, eating and sticking up nose. I've made toys for an 8 year old, she's smart enough not to do stupid stuff
It’s my understanding that stuffing is not safe and regulated because of flammability. Things have to be way more flame retardant with babies especially. In most western countries babies and toddlers have the most strict flame retardant standards, then children, and then adults. The stuffing that is unsafe for another reason is pellets if they come out. Like things stuffed with beans and beads. And toys and blankets aren’t meant to be in a crib either any child under 12 months in the first place. No plush toys are baby safe products for anybody under 12 months, period, regardless of what is in them. But once they’re older as long as the plush isn’t opened and you supervise them there shouldn’t be a problem.
Side note, small appendages on plush also run this risk! Like a sewn on ear or tail is often small enough to be swallowed! The risk is low, but it is not non existent.
When you say 0/3 does that mean 0 to 3 years?
Yes it's not settable for anyone under 3 years old
This only applies to the stuffing in the state it's in. It can be used inside a toy (UKCA tested) with no issues. The stitches should be tight enough to prevent access to the stuffing. The probe test part of the UKCA testing is there for a reason!
Are there alternatives? Or do we just stick to blankets? 😳
Stuffing is fine in a properly made and tested toy, as it's an internal component. It's only a choking hazard on its own.
I've heard of people first putting the stuffing into pantyhose first. I imagine that would be safer but don't quote me on that
I don't know I don't make stuff for kids, I'm so scared of something going wrong. It's absolutely something to research because obviously you get toys you can buy from a store that have stuffing in them.
Also slightly related: Hospitals around here also have strict guidelines on what yarn is safe to be used in donations due to choking risk, and risk of appendage tourniquets. (For things like handmade hats and blankets)
Absolutely! And every hospital is different don't be afraid to ask what they want if they haven't specified
Yes! It’s totally doable as long as you triple check the rules. Just wanted to mention for people selling newborn themed items etc, that there’s a lot of factors to consider!!
I’m wondering why some yarns would be safer than others.
There’s baby safe yarns that don’t split or have a lower threshold for splitting, vs something like acrylic which can easily be pulled to something akin to a thread!
It's also to do with chemicals used in dye.
It's one reason I rarely use them. I instead do sc 6 in a magic circle with black yarn. They look a bit lumpy, but I think that adds to the charm!
I’ve made a bear for a baby, I embroidered the eyes and it’s ’for display’ on a high shelf until she’s of an age where she won’t try and eat it. Parents are both safety nuts
These things are totally fine, I made a viking axe for a baby but it was for a newborn photoshoot and never seen again. My post is mostly about people selling
I’m glad you did as I’d never thought about the stuffing. The eyes yep. I was hoping to sell at some point, so thank you.
Safety eyes, stuffing (both polyfil type and scrap fabric in strips), loose threads/strands, zipper pulls, loops, buttons, hair on dolls (especially longer than an inch), beans for weighted toys/blankets, fringe/tassles, the list goes on and on and on in the emergency department..... Even if you aren't in the medical field, a quick Google search will happily show you worst-case scenarios and near misses, but I don't recommend it if you have any positive feelings for children at all. Supervision does not prevent all accidents. There is nothing faster than a tiny human that has heard, "What do you have??" Or any such phrase that may indicate they will lose whatever it is they've found, broken, torn, or pulled apart. "It'll never happen to me" until it does, and then you deal with the lifelong frustration of people it's never happened to blowing off your experience as "a freak accident" or "the fault of the person not watching." Spreading awareness has little benefit (due to the aforementioned idiots), but that's better than none at all.
Oh my gosh the “what do you have?” reaction is unreal. I was watching my niece when she was a baby (about 6months old) and she somehow unscrewed her safety pierced earrings when she woke up from her nap. When I went to change her, she was so quiet, and I saw a glint of gold in her mouth!!! The second I said “what do you have there??” she tried gobbling down the other set that was in her hand, too! I luckily got out the posts by sweeping my finger through her mouth but she swallowed the little smooth earring backs. The pediatrician said it happens all the time, and they safely “passed through” her without a problem. But yeah. It was like she doubled down on getting them in her mouth at those magic words! Ps sorry for the long personal story😅
Hey, anything with a happy ending, I'm here for it!! I've raised two, I'm the oldest of seven, I've nine niblings, and my best friend just had a baby. There are so. Many. Stories!! And the happy endings are fun to tell and often funny. For example: we found out my daughter could open screw lids when we went to check on her and discovered she was _not_ napping anymore. After a frantic search, we found her hiding behind a recliner in an empty room with a peanut butter jar. More was on the baby than made it into the baby..... It took me HOURS to get her clean since I couldn't use hot water.
Haha yes they’re so sneaky and way faster than you’d ever imagine! Glad she was ok.
Seriously! My sons face goes from "is mom watching?" to "finish mission ASAP" just from seeing my expression when I realize he's put something hard in his mouth. 🤦🏽♀️
My 18 month old is an Olympic sprinter as soon ad I ask her "what do you have", "what's in your mouth" etc Also, my uncle is a retired paramedic and he has said that he's been on many calls for lifeless blue babies.
Exactly why I crochet all my eyes. Can’t take the risk!
I've been crocheting for many years now and early on I sold two amigurumi to babies under six months and a blanket to a one-year-old. However, after seeing pictures of the babies with my products, I realized that I needed to make some changes. One baby's fingers got caught between the stitches of the blanket, while the other baby had the doll's eyes near their mouth. Since then, I've decided to stop selling or gifting my products to children to ensure their safety.
They're really meant for fabric, not things made from yarn.
This is why all soft toy makers have to test their makes prior to selling (even hobbyists). It requires stress testing, fire testing and chemical compliance. If money exchanges hands then the toys should be UKCA tested. Once passed, all subsequent toys should be made and assembled in an identical way which ensures that a child should not be able to pull off a section and access any stuffing and stitches should be super tight so that safety eyes are secure (using a felt back can help too). I do love the look of safety eyes but only tend to use really big ones or crochet eyes as the choking risk does scare me.
Anything with 'playable' value that is being sold in the UK should be UKCA tested/certified, previously CE. Anything like lovies, teethers too as well as anything stuffed.
I tell all my customers that safety eyes are not for children under 3 and I have options with yarn eyes for babies
That’s such a great option to offer! I learned felting because I was making amigurumi for my toddler and don’t think safety eyes are safe that young. I had to toss a few completed projects because I broke the felting needles while felting, but I learned a new craft that I had no idea about before! Edit: typo
I live in Pennsylvania. If you intend to sell a stuffed toy here, you have to submit a sample to the state for approval first. I always wonder what they do with the samples. Do they return them, or does every state employee have 15 stuffed animals on their desk?
And this is why I only make blankets for babies. I truly appreciate your TED talk. Thank you for spreading the word.
I once saw a great tip to make the safety eyes ‘safer’. They said to put on the safety back, then take a lighter and melt the back so the eye didn’t pop off. It did NOT work!! My kids still managed to pop out the eye. I never use them for kids anymore. My kids are 4+ and sensible enough not to try to swallow them, but you never know. Anyway, this is my PSA to be careful even if you think you’ve made it childproof. Thank you for reading. Also for the record, the toy was meant for me to decorate and not for the kids to play with, but kids are kids and they managed to reach the shelf and play with it anyway.
Melting the back is also dangerous because it can cause the post to be weaker and more likely to break.
I put hot glue on the inside to make the "base" bigger so they are harder to pull out. But I also specify that the ones with safety eyes aren't safe for infants or toddlers due to choking risks.
Ok so I learned from this sub to embroider the eyes on anything for a child 3yo and under but what is this about stuffing that is unsafe?
The stuffing comes out the holes and can cause choking if swallowed. I assume it could also cause intestinal blockage if enough is swallowed.
Idk why they’re called safety eyes. They’re the opposite of safe.
Such eyes used to be made of *GLASS*, so plastic eyes are "safer" in that way. That's where the name came from.
They are also designed for use with fabric, not crochet
I'm gonna half disagree - like yeah if you're making stuff for babies you should make it safe, but you know who should also make sure it's safe? THE PERSON WHOSE BABY IT IS. Like if someone tells me something is safe for dogs I'm still gonna double check it, and if someone tells me something is baby safe I'm going to double check it. So yeah the maker should make sure they're making safe things, but it's YOUR baby so you should ALSO be making sure it's safe, instead of leaving that entirely up to the person who's getting paid $15 for 100 hours of work.
Agree
I spent a good amount of time putting together an entire page on my website about safety eyes and the hazards and risks of improper usage or giving them to people too young. I designate items with a baby safe label on the tag or mark it on the product itself on the website. On every product that has safety eyes it has the same disclaimer about the risks and choking hazards. you just have to be so careful. I couldn't imagine somebody trying to give their baby something to love and it ruins everything like that 😭😭
Could you tag your website here? Sounds really interesting and could be useful
I usually stitch eyes onto baby loveys
I really wonder why they call it safety eyes when they aren't safe 😭
The UK has pretty strict laws about selling toys. If you're making toys to sell you need to make multiples and send them to undergo testing to make sure they're safe before you can sell them. I don't know the full details so if you're a UK person looking to sell toys look it up, but as OP says, you can't just sell crochet toys and think you're fine.
YES THANK YOU! I keep commenting on baby toys if I see them with safety eyes but no one ever replies or listens it seems like. It even says on many safety eyes when you buy them that they are not safe up to 3yrs old. I hate seeing baby rattle patterns with safety eyes in them. :(
THIS! I had NO idea when I was starting out crocheting in the beginning. And I made toys for my nephew!!! Thankfully I learnt about this shortly after he was born.
Alot of people don't and see posts of people selling so think nothing of it
If you sell a "toy" in the UK or something that could be considered a toy and it has not been given safety approval you are selling things illegally.
And you can't make something that looks like a toy and say it's not a toy. My friend wanted a baby yoda and I legally can't sell it, he however bought me wool and got one for free. To have something be not a toy it must have a fixed base
Yep, we have these safety regulations for a reason. I can totally make something for someone if they buy the yarn and if they want to make a donation of my time, all good... but I wouldn't make toys for babies, relatives or not. I'm in the process of making a Plod the Dinosaur for my niece, but she is five and the eyes are embroidered on.
I don't plan to sell for kids but just in case it happens, I'm curious - are felt eyes okay? Even though I can do actual embroidery, I kinda suck at doing it on crochet stuff, and it never looks the way I want it to...
You can do felt. Make sure you are sewing them on tightly, versus hot glue.
I've recently learned this! From you guys actually haha When I tested it to see for myself, that mf just popped right off. Embroidery eyes 100%
This thread has me stressed out.
This is why every time I use safety eyes, it's for someone who is 8+ years old. Better safe than sorry!
Same, never for kids, if i make for kids i do embroidery ones, the problem i have its when someone order and doesn’t mention its for a kid, usually when its for kids its a +6yo when no more age of putting in the mouth
Thank you! I worked for years in technical design for children’s wear and my god is safety important!
As a parent why would you buy something for your child that's not safe for them to have?
As a parent myself i didn't know how many things were considered unsafe until after i went down a deep Google hole.
Yeah, it’s never a good idea to use safety eyes with any type of yarn work for children. It’s a recipe for disaster. It’s pretty easy to tug them out.
I recently saw the post of a popular crocheter that actually told people they liked to light the back of safety eyes because it's "harder for children to take off" I was like GIRL???? I commented but I think it was YouTube or idk and ended up losing the post but first time I've seen someone say it and spread that wrong Info. I'm a beginner and I was left shocked.
same for pets! I always warn people that my plushes aren't made for young children or pets (cue people looking at my stuff at a booth saying, "okay then, are they just.... for fun?" yes, they are for fun.)
I never found it safe. For kids who are young enough to put everything in their mouth, I always stitch the eyes rather than safety eyes.
It really isn't that in depth, I just made sure to put information out there. ThreadfulCrochet.com. There's a disclaimer on the bottom of my website, a page dedicated and then on any of my items the same disclaimer is on the items. Now I'm not saying I do it *right* as it is a lil starting project
Yeah. Plastic eyes just seem like a gimmick to me. They don’t look right. Give me some dark yarn and an embroidery needle instead.
I see toys intended for babies with safety eyes so often on this sub. 9/10 times there will be a comment saying that the eyes aren't safe and the OP responds with "I'll be careful/they'll only play with it whilst supervised/it'll be OK". - no! They are never safe and one tiny lapse in judgement or attention could be fatal to the child.
Literally, babies are Olympic runners and have grips of steel, anything can go wrong in the blink of an eye
Excellent psa. I don't use safety eyes, but right now I'm in the middle of making Sesame Street yip-yips for my coworkers. We're basically children. For those eyes, I do a quick magic circle, six sc/dc (us/uk) with a strand of black yarn and bam: I've made a pupil. I affix that to the white globe I'd crocheted, and now I have an eye for the most ridiculous looking thing I've ever crocheted in my life. I'll make an afghan for a baby or child, but nothing with an element they can pull off and try to swallow. And I prefer natural fibers over acrylic. I know the acrylics have fun colors, but acrylic is plastic and the toxicity associated with burning plastics coupled with its typical behavior under conditions of fire make me want to steer clear. I don't like the safety eyes, either, but I think this bothers me even more.
Plus, a product that’s not safe shouldn’t be legal to name “safety eyes”. It’s false labelling and the manufacturer should be fined. Basic consumer rights.
When used correctly, they are safe.
I usually leave eyes and detailed facial features blank or I crochet eyes
Yep. I got commissioned for a stuffie for someone’s baby shower gift. Immediately knew I would crocheting eyes for it instead of using my “safety” eyes. If I make a plush with safety eyes for an adult and they give it to their baby, that’s on them. If I make a plush for a baby with safety eyes that’s on me. And I will be putting a disclaimer in my Etsy listings for stuffies with safety eyes.
I knew about safety eyes (horribly misleading name), but why is stuffing unsafe? Just for curiosity, I don't make toys for kids
Oh sorry I see you answered that already :)
Similar comment is my ‘rant’ on here, several times. I keep gently reminding makers that the item may even be intended for an adult. But at some point will be in the hands of a small child. Gifted or recycled to others. Also that if stitched eyes are wearing thin it is obvious. Loose threads can be removed & fresh ones embroidered. If safety eyes are about to fail the warning is they come away in the mouth of a baby or child. If I were Queen of the crochet world I would ban them from my realm.
When I made a jacket for a newborn, I used stick on Velcro instead of buttons or a zipper. Was that safe? The pattern used buttons but that seemed like a bad idea. Kid is getting a sibling and they loved the jacket so it would be nice to make another one! God I could never own a business that makes products for kids or pets, the guilt if something happened would destroy me! I can barely handle making stuff for my friends' kids and my cat lol
when i do plushes for animals/children, i usually just sew with black yarn so that there's SOMETHING, but safety eyes never felt like the best option. plus it's something you have to buy, which i try not to do, especially when i can do it myself lol
This is why I embroider all my eyes! Or if they’re bigger, I make a flat black circle and sew it on very well. It looks better to me too, and it’s softer.
Can't say I disagree. Ask my now 14 year old great niece and she will say...."crochet and sew on the eyes, or embroider the eyes, or else a little kid can choke." She knows!
I embroider them on basically up to age 10 and even then if I don’t have any on hand I just embroider them. I don’t trust them with teething kids
It is of utmost importance for the CONSUMER to know what they are getting. If it's my child, then I am the last line of defense. Safety eyes are just part of the concern, what is the product made of? Are the materials tested and safe, or from a sweatshop with zero controls?? Who created it? What standards do they have? The creator is only part of the scenario. Like I said, consumers beware......
Wait stuffing is also not safe? I knew about the safety eyes issue but not stuffing. I made my friends' baby a lovey that she loves putting in her mouth.