Whit's Knits: Bulky Baby Blankets
I love thick and squishy baby blankets. They keep babies cozy in cold weather, of course, and they're fast to knit, which is always a welcome bonus; but, best of all, they are perfect floor mats for young babies who haven't yet discovered their locomotive skills. I'm always reaching for the plushest blankets I have so I can set Bear down wherever I need to be. I get to keep an eye on him, and he gets to experience new vantage points from his luxurious travelling rugs.
Spud & Chloe's Outer is the ultimate yarn for this purpose. A blend of superwash wool and organic cotton, it is honestly soft enough for sensitive baby skin. It makes a bulky blanket with wonderful loft and padding, as well as rustic beauty.
The borders are made out of Spud & Chloe's Sweater yarn doubled. Also a superwash wool/cotton blend, I used it because it comes in lots of great, kicky colors and gives a nice neat finish to the edges.
Materials
Garter Stitch Version
- 4 skeins of Spud & Chloe's Outer, 65% superwash wool, 35% organic cotton (This color is "Flannel".)
- 2 skeins of Spud & Chloe's Sweater, 55% superwash wool, 45% organic cotton (This is "Watermelon".)
Seed Stitch Version
- 4 skeins of Spud & Chloe's Outer, 65% superwash wool, 35% organic cotton (This color is "Soapstone".)
- 2 skeins of Spud & Chloe's Sweater, 55% superwash wool, 45% organic cotton (This is "Pollen".)
Both Versions
- A 24 or 32 inch, US #15 circular needle
- A 40 inch, US #13 circular needle
- 4 jumbo stitch markers
The Pattern
Gauge
2 1/4 stitches = 1 inch in garter stitch or seed stitch, using the Main Yarn
2 3/4 stitches = 1 inch in stockinette stitch, using the Contrast Yarn DOUBLED
Finished Size
26 inches x 26 inches
Seed Stitch Version
Using the Main Color and US #15 needles, cast on 51 stitches.
*K1, p1, repeat from * to end of row.
Repeat this row until you have used all 4 skeins of yarn, leaving enough to bind off.
Bind off in k1, p1 pattern, and weave in the ends.
Garter Stitch Version
Using the Main Color and US #15 needles, cast on 53 stitches.
Knit every row until you have used all 4 skeins of yarn, leaving enough to bind off.
Bind off and weave in the ends.
The Border (for Both Versions)
Note: For the Border, use the Contrast Yarn DOUBLED. You can either pull from the inside and the outside of one ball of yarn, or pull one strand from each of two balls.
With the Contrast Yarn and a 40 inch, US #13 needles, begin the border at any corner:
*Pick up 60 stitches to the next corner, place a marker, repeat from * until you have returned to the beginning corner. For the last marker, use a different color in order to indicate the beginning of the round. (240 stitches)
The border is knit in the round. Join the round by knitting into the first stitch you picked up.
Round 1: Knit.
Round 2: *K1, make 1 right, knit to the next marker, make 1 left, slip the marker, repeat from * to the end of the round. (8 stitches increased)
Rounds 3 and 4: Repeat Rounds 1 and 2.
Round 5: Knit.
Round 6: Purl.
Round 7: Knit.
Round 8: *K1, k2tog, knit to 2 stitches before the next marker, ssk, slip the marker, repeat from * to end of round. (8 stitches decreased)
Rounds 9 and 10: Repeat Rounds 7 and 8.
Now is a good time to weave in any ends.
To finish the border, fold it over so the purl sides are facing each other and:
1. Pick up the purl bump (from the pick up round) that is directly in line with the first stitch on the left needle.
2. Slip the purl bump onto the left needle.
3. Knit two together (the purl bump and the first "regular" stitch).
(At the beginning of the round, repeat these three steps one more time so that you are able to do the next step.)
4. Slip the second stitch on the right needle over the first (just like binding off).
Repeat these 4 steps all the way around the border. (Tip: Check frequently that the stitch you're picking up is still in line with the first stitch on the left needle, otherwise the border will start to skew.)
Weave in the ends and you're done!
July 24, 2009
Reader Comments (78)
Gorgeous blankets! (and super cute baby:)
Just wondering, what are the dimensions of the finished blanket?
The finished size is 26-inches by 26-inches. Thanks for your question!- The Purl Bee
So cute! I have to make this.
Quick question, do you have any yarn left over from the border color when you're done? I'd like to make a small rattle to go with this blanket for my friend and I'm wondering if I should buy more yarn. Thanks!
There is a little of the border yarn left over. My best guess would be about 40 yards...
Thanks for asking!
Whitney
Both of these yarns are "superwash" which means they can be washed and dried in the machine!
However, I am not sure what "pick up 60 stitches" means and how to do it!
Can you lend some advice?
Thanks so much!!!
Love Purl and Purl Bee
Here is a link to a great tutorial on knitty.com for picking up stitches:
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter04/FEATwin04TT.html
Hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any other questions, and good luck!
If you get the same gauge that Whitney recommends in the pattern it will work out the same. If your gauge is slightly off, you may have some variation in picking up.
Hope this helps!
Actually, there is no need for a knot when joining yarn. The knot will just cause a big lump in your knitting. Just leave a tail (about 4 or 5 inches long) and start knitting. When you're all through knitting, you will sew in the ends of each ball of yarn. Don't worry if it looks a little loose where you join the new ball, you can tighten it up when you sew in the ends.
I can't figure out how you picked up 60 stitches on the sides, when there are not that many garter ridges. Did you double-up on some? And for the top (garter-stitch version), you cast on 53, so how do you then pick up 60? The math has me very confused.
thanks,
becky
To pick up 60 stitches across the 53 cast on stitches you have to pick up two stitches in almost the same spot 7 times. So you will pick up a a stitch and then insert your needle one strand over, in almost the same place you just picked up the stitch, and pick up another stitch. Distribute these 7 "extra" stitches evenly across the side.
I hope this makes sense and I'm sorry I didn't explain that in the pattern - I should have! Thanks for your questions and good luck!
Whitney
I absolutely love the seed stitch pattern and I'm trying it out for the first time however I've hit a snag. I cast on 71 stitches and assumed that the number of sts that I would have to pick up would be equal to the number of sts that I cast on. Is there a formula for determining how many extra sts I need to pick up to begin the border? Thanks!
Felicity
Yes, there is a formula! You first need to determine the gauge of your border yarn in stockinette stitch. Then multiply the number of stitches per inch by the width of your blanket and pick up that number times along each side (assuming your blanket is square). So if your gauge is 3 stitches = 1 inch and your blanket is 30 inches by 30 inches, you would pick up 3 x 30= 90 stitches along each side (360 stitches total).
Please let me know if you need more help. I'd be happy to give it!
Good luck and thank you for your question!
Whitney
Ok, so I put this project down for a couple weeks after picking up my stitches for the border and forgot where I was. When I started the border I got ahead of myself. Instead of knitting the first round, I accidentally did my increases in the first round. Will I be able to salvage my work by knitting the 2nd round (just swapping 1st and 2nd rounds of border) and then go from there or do I need to tear it out and restart? OOPS! Thanks for your help!
Julie
I think you might be okay switching the first and second rounds. The only problem I can think of might be some puckering because the increases weren't evenly spaced. I guess you'll have to weigh out that possibility with the hassle of re-working the first round, a typical knitting dilemma!
Thanks for your question and good luck!
Whitney
The needles Whitney used are listed in the materials section of the pattern:
A 24 or 32 inch, US #15 circular needle
A 40 inch, US #13 circular needle
We highly recommend using the circular needles, it will just make your life a lot easier!
Thank you so much for your question and please let us know if you need any more help.
Best- Molly
There is no crochet version of this pattern, but we'll keep it in mind going forward.
Thanks for the question!
When I pick up, I pick up and knit, but however you do it, you will end up with a contrasting back side. But in this case, you don't end up seeing it because you'll fold the border down over it. I hope this eases your worries!
Thanks for your question and good luck!
Whitney
I am sort of new/getting back to knitting, so I'm just not sure here.
Thank you!
Danica
It sounds like your yarn's skeins are longer than the Spud & Chloe Outer. That's fine! Since the 26 inches includes the border, just bind off when your blanket is square !
Thanks for your question and for making the blanket! Good Luck!
Whitney
Round 1 begins after you pick up and knit. In other words, you'll pick up and knit a round and then begin with Round 1.
You're almost there - congratulations!
Whitney
I love the look of this blanket and wondered how big it actually is? would it fit on a single bed or much smaller?
As I'm very new to knitting (haven't knitted since child hood) I thought it would be easier to use the straight needles make smaller squares? using different tones and then do a border? or do you have a pattern similar to what I'm talking about but using the bulky wool? I've seen Debbie Bliss wool which has cashmere in it. Does this wool you talk about have that? or is it much more harder feeling? if that makes sense?
Also is there a section where it shoes you how to start off ? or a link?
We don't have a similar pattern to what you're describing but you should always feel free to experiment. There are plenty of cast on tutorials online, here's one: http://www.ehow.com/video_4429584_cast-knitting-stitches.html
The finished size of this blanket is 26 inches square.
Thanks for your questions!
Molly
Also which stitching pattern is the cream and orange blanket? I'm guessing that it's not the k1 p1 pattern??? And assume that is knit 1 row purl a row?
The Cream and orange blanket it the seed stitch version. The pink and gray one is the garter stitch version. Both patterns can be found above.
The yarn for the main body of the blanket is a bulky weight which should yeild 2 1/4 stitches per 1 inch in garter stitch or seed stitch
The boarder yarn is a standard worsted weight yarn.
Since this pattern is fairly simple and doesn't have to fit anyone you have more freedom in the yarn choice. Just make sure you're getting the correct gauage (as listed in the pattern) and you'll be fine.
Thanks for your question!
Molly
The links should be working now. Thanks for letting us know.
Molly
To answer your first question, here is a variation of the answer I gave earlier to Julie and Becky:
To pick up 60 stitches across the 51 cast on stitches you have to pick up two stitches in almost the same spot 9 times. So you will pick up a a stitch and then insert your needle one strand over, in almost the same place you just picked up the stitch, and pick up another stitch. Distribute these 9 "extra" stitches evenly across the side.
And for your second question about picking up along the sides, usually along a selvedge you pick up 3 stitches for every 4 rows, or sometimes 2 for every 3, or even sometimes 4 for every 5. A technique I often use to make sure I'm picking up evenly is to mark (with scrap yarn) every quarter length of the edge (first fold in half, then divide each half in half). Figuring out how to evenly pick up 15 stitches is a lot easier than 60!
I hope this all makes sense! Thanks for your questions and good luck!
Whitney
Thanks!
Kim