Tag: knitting

Baby Blankets For Sweet Dreams

Posted on by dchigazola

Hello again…it’s me! I promised you some baby blanket patterns awhile ago, so I thought would make good on that now! I have been busy this past year babysitting my youngest grandson, Zach, who is now 17 months old. In this post I am sharing four of my recent baby blankets but there are many more…

Zach 1 month old
Gift box for Zach when he was born. (this picture is the wrong side of the blanket, see below for the design of the top)

I was so excited about baby boy #2, Zach. I made tons of stuff for him, and I’m just sharing a few items in this post. I love this pattern by leeleeknits.com . For the blue and gray blanket above, I purchased 5 skeins of the blue yarn and 2 skeins of the gray chunky baby, 100% Acrylic yarn. I had extra and made the the multi-color hats. I used US 10.5 size needles. Circular needles work well for heavy blankets such as this project. This type of needle is more comfortable and prevents strain on your wrists and arms when working on items with weight.

Recently my dear niece Katie and husband Nick were expecting their first baby. Below is a baby blanket gift that I made for Baby Max this spring. FYI, Max can expect a few other handmade items in his future. This is a super chunky baby yarn. I went up a needle size using US11 size needles. Baby blankets are my favorite gifts to make. They are always appreciated and thinking of babies gets my creative juices flowing. Feel free to play with patterns and make them your own by choosing colors, textures, and weight of yarn making your blankets one of a kind. Baby blankets can be made in all sizes and the gauge is not so important unless you want to get the exact size as stated in the patterns. I take some creative license with the size. I purchased the same number of skeins, so this one turned out pretty big, crib size.

Blue and White Blanket for baby Max

I currently don’t sell items commercially but I was honored when my son asked be to make a PookieKnits blanket for his friends that had a baby boy this last year. The second example is called “Where the Sidewalk Ends” is by FiftyFour Ten Studio and can be found at ravelry.com/designers/fifty-four-ten-studio or etsy.com/shop FiftyFour TenStudio. I used Lion Brand Wool Ease yarn. Making the crib sized blanket took 5 balls and made a nice big chunky style blanket. Size 11 needles using a circular knitting needles helps with the weight of the blanket and prevents wrist and arm fatigue. Great pattern for watching a movie or holding a conversation while knitting. It’s easy to follow knit and purl instructions. I have made 3 other blankets using this pattern in the largest size using an Italian wool yarn that is multicolored, giving a totally different look and feel.

Blue Baby Blanket by Pookieknits.com
Another view of the Where the Sidewalk Ends blanket. The solid blue really shows the pattern well.

We have developed lots of friends over the years but some of the dearest are our soccer parent friends. Now that we are all be coming grandparents, I find lots of reasons to make baby gifts. The next blanket was made for a traveling high school soccer team mate of Angela’s. This pattern is for those of you who like to make things by increase and decrease on the diagonal. The blanket is similar to the Front Porch Shawl in one of my previous blogs. I love the border that this pattern creates. A simple but elegant design.

I had fun with this pattern, I was curious if this could really be made from a single ball of Lion Brand Pound of Love. Yes it can be done!

  • LION BRAND POUND OF LOVE®
  • 1 ball
  • Large-eyed, blunt needle
  • Circular needle size 8 [5 mm] 24″

SIZE:
30″ square

Pound of Love Diagonal Baby blanket can be found at Joann’s website
Fox themed baby gift, I embroider and sew the burp cloth and bib too!
Bernat Basketweave Baby Blanket

Last but not least is another blanket I made for Zach. I took a picture of it draped over the bassinet I used for both Tony and Angela. Years ago I made the blue eyelet skirt with quilted lining for them to sleep in their first days.

I love a good basket weave baby blanket. In a previous post, “Why I Knit”, I tell my story of how I came and returned to knitting, which is also a basket weave. The above pictured pattern you can find the pattern at Yarnspirations. This blanket is made using 2 balls (390 yards) of Bernat Baby Blanket, 100% polyester yarn and US 11 size needles. I use 100% acrylic or 100% polyester for most of the baby blankets I make, because they are machine washable and dryable. I always recommend cool water wash and low heat for drying.

I have been busy with lots of projects including sewing, embroidery, and knitting. I will share more ideas soon.

Keep knitting and sewing,

Love, Debbie

Play with Color In Knitting Blankets

Posted on by dchigazola
I call this blanket, “Colors”. I made it for my grandson, Lucas

As we have all been spending a lot of time at home during the pandemic, I decided to use the supplies on hand to make gifts. This blanket is made from left over yarn from baby blankets I have made over the last couple of years. My favorite go-to yarn is Bernat Softee Baby. I used eight bright colors and white for the top and bottom borders as well as alternating between colors.

Lucas loves to cuddle with his blanket on the sofa.

The blanket was sent by mail with several other items. When Lucas opened the package, he pulled out the blanket and claimed it as his and stated “a very nice blanket.” He likes to cuddle with it on the sofa and drink his morning milk as well as use it during story time before bed.

The nautical colors portion of this same blanket folded for gifting lended itself well to tying with a piece of white rope.

Tools needed

  • Size 13 needles-I recommend circular needles due to weight of blankets. If you knit a lot, ergonomics are important and these needles put less strain on your hands.
  • Approximately 150 yards of 8 different colors- I used remnants from Bernat Softee Baby yarn that has 310 yds per ball. If you use full balls, you will probably have enough yarn for two blankets.
  • Approximately 310 yards of white yarn
  • Darning needle-to weave in the ends

Pattern for Colors Blanket

  • Using size 13 needles cast on 95 stitches using two strands of white (A) yarn (note this is a double strand pattern)
  • Knit 10 rows to make border using color A
  • Change to color B and knit 10 rows of stockinette stitch using the following row 1 and row 2:
    • Row 1: knit all
    • Row 2 K8, P79, K8
    • Repeat rows 1 & 2 until 10 rows completed (5 times)
    • Knit 2 rows in color B
  • Change to color A and repeat the 12 rows as outlined above
  • Change to color C and repeat 12 row pattern
  • Change to color A and repeat 12 row pattern
  • Change to color D and repeat 12 pattern
  • Change colors B, C, & D alternating with A or add additional colors E, F, G, & H until desired length.
  • Last section of blanket, end with color A knit all for 10 rows to make final border.
  • Cast off and weave in ends

Tips

When purchasing yarn always get extra. It is hard to match dye lots if you need to purchase more later. This is why I have so much extra yarn from my baby blanket projects. I also make lots of hats with the extra yarn. Don’t be afraid to try something different with these patterns.

This pattern is the perfect size for a toddler throw or nap blanket, as well as a lap blanket. Approximately 36″ long and 24″ wide. You can adjust the size by checking your gauge and altering the pattern for desired size. I estimate that both of the patterns shared here use about 1500 yards of yarn. Since I used remnants, the yardage is truly an estimate.

Color Block Lap Blanket is a version of the same pattern

I used 4 colors plus white for this blanket. This blanket is a block style following the same pattern as above by repeating the 12 row pattern 2 times for each block. The large borders on throw blankets creates a sturdy blanket that can be used everyday. It is recommended to block these blankets when finished but the gauge and size are completely flexible depending on the look you want. I typically make blankets for small children about 24’x36″ but a lap blanket can be any dimension that is visually appealing to you. The options are limitless. Enjoy making the blanket your own with the supplies you have on hand. This one is for a friend’s elderly mother. I thought she could use a comfort blanket during this difficult pandemic and changing times.

Pattern for Color Block Lap Blanket

  • Using size 13 needles cast on 95 stitches using 2 strands of color A yarn (white)
  • Knit all for 10 rows creating a border
  • Change to color B 
    • Row 1: knit all
    • Row 2 K8, P79, K8
    • Repeat rows 1 & 2 until 10 rows completed (5 times)
    • Knit 2 rows still color B
    • Repeat all 12 rows still using color B
  • Change to color C (same pattern as above)
  • Change to color D (same pattern as above)
  • Change to color E (Same pattern as above)
  • Change to color D (same pattern as above)
  • Change to color C (same pattern as above)
  • Change to color B (same pattern as above)
  • Change to color A, knit all for 10 rows
  • Cast off and weave in ends
  • This pattern can be adjusted in length by completing color blocks until the desired size is completed.
The blanket is folded in half but you can see how the block pattern repeats after the midline color E

I look forward to seeing and hearing about how you use these ideas. Please sign up to receive my blogs and send me a note about your projects.

Happy knitting and sewing…more to come soon!

Ciao,

Deb

Shawl for a Special Friend

Posted on by dchigazola

When the shelter in place (SIP) went into effect in March 2020, I decided to plan some big projects to keep me relaxed and focused. One of these projects was a shawl for my good friend Pam. Pam retired just before the SIP and did not have an official/traditional retirement party, so I wanted to recognize her community involvement and her successful career as a business women. She has had a tremendous influence and provided amazing support in many areas of our community. Thank you Pam!

This shawl is handmade using the Back Porch Shawl pattern by
http://www.peartreeknitting.com

This pattern takes 6 skeins of yarn, 2 skeins of three different colors. I used Cascade Yarns, Venezia Sport Merino Silk which is 70% Merino Wool and 30% Mulberry Silk. The pattern recommends size US8, 36″needles which worked great for this result. It took me about a week per skein with a total of 6 weeks knitting a few rows throughout the day for relaxation breaks. It is an easy beginner pattern, just takes a commitment and time to make. I enjoyed starting with just 3 stitches and ending up with a beautiful wearable blanket. Pam loves the colors and the softness of the yarn.

Happy retirement Pam! I hope you enjoy this shawl on the cool evenings.

Pam and I have traveled with our husbands frequently over the last couple of years to France, Italy, and Spain. We are all looking forward to more travel together after the pandemic is over. Maybe on our next adventure we will find more ideas for shawls.

Pam and I in Paris a couple of years ago. Good times!

All for now…keep knitting and sewing. Please feel free to comment and let me know what you have been working on…Debbie

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