Don’t you just love the phrase ‘job lot’? I do. And here is just that – an assortment of blankets, united only by their blanketness and the fact that I photographed them.
First up, a Heart Baby Blanket (Ravelry link) by Ann Saglimbene (link to free pattern on Knitting on the Net). Knitted in discontinued Red Heart Plush Baby in 2014. The yarn is pretty and squishy, and the pattern is very simple. They don’t necessarily work in tandem but the baby didn’t know that.
I learned the risks of variegated yarn (though I’m still drawn to it, inexplicably), the concept of stitch definition, and how a detailed pattern might shine better with a subtler yarn.
Next, a project I orchestrated with work colleagues in 2015, when one of the team was going on parental leave. Some people could knit already, some couldn’t and I taught them, and one took the yarn and needles home to a knitting partner. Others contributed financially and in moral support. This time I looked into what yarn was best for baby blankets, having a raised awareness that acrylic maybe wasn’t ideal, and ultimately I chose cotton. Soft, natural, less flammable, and breathable for wrapping up a tiny human who could easily overheat. I chose Drops Paris (so cheap! Such colours!) and spent much time choosing the right shades. I looked up how many stitches to cast on for a six inch square and told folk to go ahead and make a simple garter square, or whatever took their fancy.
As I now know, knitters have different tensions. I was getting just over two squares per skein – one colleague managed three, and let me tell you, they were not the same size as mine. But I made it work, clumsily stitching them all together with a kind of whip stitch which I did in both directions of each join to make a cross. I bet that blanket literally fell apart – but it was lovely to make something as a team.
Bit of a gap, wherein I definitely made other blankets that I didn’t photograph, Star Blanket (Ravelry link) by Bernat (link to free pattern on Yarnspirations). Knitted in grey from stash (there’s so much grey in there!) and Sirdar Jewelspun which I loved. Not DK as suggested in pattern but it didn’t matter. Made in 2020.
This was a truly simple crochet project but I adore it. Easy to make, utterly compelling (like most colour change projects), and so satisfying when finished. All the straight edges! The sheer volume of it! Perfect for wrapping up parent and baby together. One of those projects I kept gazing lovingly at while I was making it.
In 2022 (just last year), I made the Honeycomb Stroller Blanket (Ravelry link) from Knitting the Easy Way (link to free pattern on How Stuff Works). Knitted in Scheepjes Stone Washed cotton, it had been on my favourites list for a while.
This was my first time making a pattern with slipped stitches like this. It’s not remotely complicated and it’s very effective. There was, as always, much consideration given to colour order. There’s much more variation to the different stripes than our extremely stylish but extremely yellow light bulbs would have you think.
It was somewhat slow progress with the finer yarn (pattern recommends DK so I added extra repeats) and I’d say I still came away with a pram blanket size. I added a crochet border for additional width/interest. Adding a crochet border to a knitted blanket made me feel like an absolute genius the first time, and I still think it gives a pleasant, finished look to the item. In this instance, it also gave a ruffled look which, truth be told, was unintentional. Too many increases round the corners, I think.
I saw the small yarn pack for an Ubuntu blanket on sale – hey, it’s still reduced at Wool Warehouse! – and thought that would be plenty to make this project, as well as being remarkably budget friendly. In fact, I still have a lot left, even though I used the same pack to make…
… a Rainbow Ripple Baby Blanket (Ravelry link) by Celeste Young (My Crochet Pattern link), also in 2022. The red was from stash, Drops Cotton Light. This blanket didn’t want to pose symmetrically, so I stopped trying to force it and let it do its off-kilter thing. It was very similar to the star blanket, but MORE.
Amazing how the Honeycomb colors don’t look like a rainbow, but you throw in a bold red and everything changes. Also amazing that I bought zero yarn and could still make this blanket that, when a baby is placed upon it, makes that baby look like a tiny pea on a massive dinner plate. It’s huge – there’s room for all under its stripey wings.
I still have a lot of that yarn in my stash, and alas, I’ve gone right off working with cotton (I know, except for Wingspan…). There it will live, in its special cotton stash box, until someone else announces a pregnancy. I’m ready.
The Crafty Yarnster 