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I’ve mentioned in previous posts that I like to switch up from time to time and knit something, as long as it’s a pattern I can work up relatively quickly.
At my Sunday Ladies Craft Gathering last month, one of our members was knitting a baby blanket which I couldn’t take my eyes off of. Finally, I asked her for the pattern and was shocked to discover how easy it is to make.
The pattern is Lion Brand’s Diagonal Knit Baby Blanket (Pattern # khs-diagonalBabyBlanket). I would supply a link that goes directly to the pattern, but you have to log into the Lion Brand site to get to their patterns.
- Go to www.LionBrand.com.
- Log in (or register if you haven’t already).
- Click the Patterns tab at the top.
- Enter the pattern # in the search field and press enter.
Here’s the url for my search. You still have to log in or register to view the pattern.
My blanket is only 24″ square (the pattern calls for 36″ square) because I wanted to use just the one skein of Red Heart Super Saver yarn I had in my stash. I also used a slightly smaller pair of knitting needles (size 10). It probably would have gone a whole lot quicker if I had used the yarn, Lion Brand Homespun, and size 11 needles the pattern calls for.
I highly recommend using circular needles for this project, like these lovely Deborah Norville 32″ circulars, especially if you’re going to make a larger blanket. The circulars allow the fabric to spread out across the wire as it increases in size instead of being all bunched up on straight needles.
The blanket is knitted like a crochet corner-to-corner blanket. You start at one point, knit until the two sides are as long and wide as you want them, then decrease to the opposite point.
You can alter the size based on how many rows you knit before you start decreasing. There’s a wash cloth pattern that uses the same pattern (with a border of 2 stitches instead of 3). And since it only calls for the garter stitch (i.e., knit every row), the blanket pattern was a no-brainer for me.
At some point, I’ll probably make one with Homespun and the right size needles, but I’m really pleased with the result I got with what I had on hand.
Some fiber friends have suggested that it can be used as a changing pad or a blankie for a car seat. It will definitely be a gift for a baby I know will be here soon.
