This knit baby blanket is a project suitable for knitters of all ability levels. It is made in garter stitch, which means each row is knit, but what makes this blanket unique is the diagonal pattern the rows take. By gradually increasing and decreasing stitches at the ends of the rows in the given pattern, a square is created.
The skills required to complete this blanket are casting on, the knit stitch, increasing, decreasing, binding off, and sewing in loose ends. Most beginners are familiar with knitting in garter stitch, but the increasing and decreasing can pose a challenge for some. To increase, simply knit into the front and the back of a single stitch, creating two stitches where previously there was one. To decrease, knit two stitches together at the same time.
Materials Needed
- Size 11 Knitting Needles
- Homespun Yarn, 3 Skeins
- Yarn Needle
Abbreviations Used in This Pattern
- sts - stitches
- Inc. - increase
- K - knit
- tog - tog
Knitting Instructions for Baby Blanket
- Cast on 3 sts
- Row 1: Inc. 1, K1, Inc. 1
- Row 2: Knit
- Row 3: Inc. 1, K3, Inc. 1
- Row 4: Knit
- Row 5: Inc. 1, K5, Inc. 1
- Row 6: Knit
- Row 7: Inc. 1, K7, Inc. 1
- Row 8: Knit
- Row 9: Inc. 1, K9, Inc. 1
- Row 10: Knit
- Row 11: Inc. 1, K11, Inc. 1
- Row 12: Knit
- Row 13: Inc. 1, K13, Inc. 1
- Row 14: Knit
- Row 15: Inc. 1, K15, Inc. 1
- Continue to Inc. 1 stitch at the ends of each odd row and knitting every even row until 105 sts. are on the needle, ending with an even row.
- Knit 1 row
- Decrease Row: K2 tog, (K) to the last 2 sts, K2 tog
- Next Row: Knit
- Repeat the last two rows until 3 sts. remain, ending with a decrease row.
- Cast off
- Sew in the loose ends
About the Yarn
The yarn used in the pictured blanket is Lion Brand Yarn's Homespun. The color used is 368, Montana Sky. Homespun is 98% acrylic and 2% polyester and is machine washable and dryable. Another yarn could be used for this project, but to keep the size similar and to use the instructions above, use a bulky weight yarn. Remember that soft yarns are best for baby knitting projects.
Variations on This Pattern
The easiest way to change the look of a project is to select a different color. Another idea is to include three different colors of yarn (1 skein of each), and knit one third of the blanket in each color. For a bit larger blanket, continue increasing at the ends of every other row beyond 105 stitches. Increasing up to 115 stitches can still be done with three skeins of yarn.
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Jeris Swanhorst - After earning a Bachelor's degree in English, Literature from Minnesota State University, Mankato in 2005, Jeris Swanhorst went on to earn ...
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