Knitting a blanket isn’t difficult. It’s pretty mindless. Monotonous. Endless. I much prefer knitting hats where there’s a definite start and end and it can be completed in an afternoon.
That being said, there is something special about giving someone a hand-knitted blanket. It shows you care enough for the person to spend a lot of time and sometimes money on a thing she will hopefully cherish for years and years.
Enough with the negativity! Here’s a pattern for a lovely baby blanket that measures approximately 29″ x 32″. I recommend it to knitters of all levels. I used a worsted superwash wool so no matter what temperature the gift recipient washes it in, it will not shrink.
I based my pattern on two different designs from Altadena’s Baby Designs and the TLC Channel’s website (who knew they had knitting patterns?) You can make this pattern on whatever needle size you like and make it as long as you like. I randomly selected the color pattern and width of the stripes, but what follows is the exact rows and combinations for this particular blanket. Make the stripes the way you want. This is more of a guide.
Materials:
Long size 8 circular needle (mine is about 38 inches)
2-3 balls Ella Rae worsted superwash wool in light grey (I used exactly two balls, so you may want three just in case)
1 ball Ella Rae worsted superwash in limestone green
1 ball Ella Rae worsted superwash in moody blue
Darning needle
Directions:
Except when you’re bringing in new color, slip the first stitch of every row.
Cast on 144 stitches. Knit in garter stitch for 16 rows.
Row 1: Knit across
Row 2: K8, P8, *K4, P8*, repeat * until 8 stitches remain. Knit 8.
Repeat rows 1 and 2 while following this stripe pattern:
14 rows grey, 6 rows limestone, 12 rows blue, 6 rows limestone, 26 rows grey, 4 rows limestone, 4 rows blue, 10 rows grey, 8 rows limestone, 30 rows grey, 12 rows blue, 10 rows limestone, 8 rows blue, 4 rows limestone, 20 rows grey, 6 rows limestone, 6 rows grey, 14 rows blue, 6 rows grey, 12 rows limestone, 6 rows blue, 6 rows limestone, 14 rows grey.
Knit 15 rows in garter stitch and bind off using the stretchy method.
Now the fun part! Weave in all ends. This is the downside to stripes. A whole lot of ends. I don’t have any scientific method of weaving in ends, so do what works for you.\
You could also block your blanket, but I figured this one won’t be shrinking much so I didn’t bother. If you have a good reason why I should block it, please leave me a comment. :)
Hope you find this pattern helpful and good luck knitting a blanket. You’ll feel a great sense of accomplishment and relief when you’ve finished.
-Natasha
Here’s baby George all bundled up and cozy with his new blanket:
Natasha was born and raised in Anchorage. She has always had a passion for making useful things, whether they are knit, crocheted, sewn or randomly glued and assembled. She received her bachelor’s degree in French and journalism from the University of Alaska Anchorage and spent six fulfilling years working at Skinny Raven Sports. She is currently Program Associate at Spirit of Youth and also does voice over work around town. If you're awake at 3 a.m. and tune into KLEF 98.1 you might hear Natasha delivering public service announcements. She lives in Anchorage with her husband, Stephen, and young son, Jack.
