How To Decide to Knit a Present or Buy

http://the-panopticon.blogspot.com/2012/07/yarnworthy.html

Love this chart on where ti knit or buy!

Audience is key.  I had one set of parents where I knit several items and I am 95% certain the kids never wore anything I knit.  Another set, I am about 90% certain they really loved the hand knits.  

Though as a parent who knits, I would much rather have someone else knit for a child's birth.  I simply did not have time after the kids arrived.  So while it is a lovely idea to give yarn, I would say for a new baby, knit items are always better.  I really think parents appreciate the time & energy more.

That said go with something at least 6 months or bigger.  Some babies are just large & skip past the 0-3 stuff. 

With any clothes, I really appreciated the 9-18 month stuff.  It really is great having some things that aren't as small.  Though DD shot right past the 18 month stuff.  She had a growth spurt at 14 months so she jumped from 12 months to 2 & 3 T stuff.  But DS was good with 18 month stuff.  Though mind you, 95% of that is that Little Guy has a Buddha belly.  So the 12 month ride up. 

Also, kids clothing sizes are just like adult.  They have no rhyme or reason.  Some companies run big, some small.  And patterns are no different.  But I do find that with Ravelry and such, you can often get a good feel if how they work on actual kids.  So that helps.