Blankets for boys

My boys wanted some warm blankets so let them pick out Lion Brand Homespun in their favorite color and I got to work. BTW, blankets take forever, even with this thicker yarn! I started the red one first and it took me about a month to finish. I did a simple seed stitch to play off the lumpy style of the yarn. I then did the green one and it took longer. I was back home by then and it was also started to warm up so I was short on inspiration. I still finished it in less than 2 months. This was done in a 2x2 rib, just for a different look. I cast on about 180 st for each blanket. I guesstimated that 4 skeins would be a nice blanket size so I just knit until those were used up. Turned out perfect, just around 4 feet long. They fit a kid just right, and could be a lap blanket for an adult.

Stay-put Baby Blanket-Style 2

Another baby on the way in the extended family so I decided to try a different pattern on the blanket. I had plenty of the pastel green Pound of Love yarn so I got to work, casting on 80 again with size 7 dpns.

The first 8 rows are k1,p1 ribbing followed by increasing with row 9. k7, kfb, and repeat. Then the basketweave pattern begins.

R1-3: k5, p4, repeat ending on p4

R4: k

R5-7: p5, k4, repeat ending on k4

R8: k

I continued the basketweave pattern, ending on R8 of the pattern at row 102 or approximately 14 1/2 inches long. I went back to my first blanket pattern to end this one.

R103-107: k1, p1

R108: k7, k2tog, repeat to end

R109: k2tog, k38, repeat

R110: k6, k2tog, ending with k6

R111: knit

R112: k5, k2tog, ending with k6

R113: knit

R114: k4, k2tog

R115: knit

R116: k3, k2tog

R117: knit

R118: k2, k2tog

R119: knit

R120: k1, k2tog

R121: 3 needle bo

Stay-put Baby Blanket

Yes, yet another baby item... this is the big one! I wanted to make something that followed the idea of my favorite kind of baby pj's, the baby "bag". Instead of legs, which can be difficult to get a squirmy little baby into, the bottom was just a bag so the baby would keep warm but still have room to kick.

I found one pattern that was closest to my idea, called Nocte, on ravelry. I wanted something more eye catching and decided cables would do the trick. I also didn't feel that the sizing was quite right, at least not with the yarn I ended up using.

I cast on 80 st with Lion Brand Yarns Pound of Love in Pastel Green (unknown baby sex) and followed Nocte in using k1, p1 on size 7 dpns for 8 rows.
Row 9 *k7, kfb, *repeat
Row 10 k
Row 11 *k11, c4b, *repeat
Row 12-14 k
Row 15 k3, c4f, *k11, c4f, *repeat, end with k8
Row 16-18 k

Repeat rows 11-18.

In the picture above I've ended with row 26, so I've got plenty more to go... I'm thinking the length should be around 12-15 inches, but I'll wait and see how it's looking. I'm still a little concerned that the waist isn't large enough, but from all the baby patterns I've read, it should be ok. I guess 4 years is long enough to forget how small a newborn really can be!

Yaya's Blanket

My four month WIP is finally complete! I was averaging a couple hours a day on this and started back in November... I finished it the end of February. It's a little crazy looking, but it is the favorite colors of my 8 year old girl. I started with the pink which I found in a bargin bin at a great little Seattle shop... from there I got the idea of adding a couple rows of the crazy pink/purple/orange stuff that I'd made a scarf out of. So then I had to match that and found purple and orange at Joann's that was a cozy feel.

Blanket

I feel like making a blanket... I have four fairly big balls of pink yarn, so I'm looking to use that for a blanket for Yaya. I haven't found a pattern that I like yet though, so I'm going to make up my own.

I found a stitch pattern called Checks & Ridges which is reversible, has a four row repeat, and looks cozy, so I think it will be perfect. Next I need to decide how many to cast on. I want to use either my 7 or 8 circular needles and my yarn is fairly lightweight, although I will be doubling up. The stitch pattern called for multiples of 4 + 2 and after reviewing other blanket patterns I decided to cast on 170.

So, I'm off to knit, I'll keep you updated :-)