Finished: Super Easy (& Groovy) Baby Blanket

I finished up my Super Easy Baby Blanket. It looks great, feels great, and was fun to make. Very satisfied, a great mindless knit on large needles. 

I cast on 100 sts on 7mm needles and worked approximately 32 to 34 rows in each colour (depending on the yardage in the skein - it tended to vary from skein to skein). 

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Finito! Moderne Log Cabin Baby Blanket

We FINALLY finished our summer project!  It is the Moderne Log Cabin Baby Blanket from Mason Dixon Knitting. We used Cascade 220 Superwash and it is definitely an heirloom. The colours worked out great, and I think that you could use heathered charcoal grey (colour 900) as a substitute for the dark mossy green (860). 

The blanket came out nice and big, 34" x 48", and used up a good amount of yarn (garter stitch will do that). If you want to make it a for a bit less money I think it would also look nice using Berroco Vintage:

• 3 skeins of 5101 mochi (cream)
• 3 skeins of 5107 cracked pepper (grey)
• 2 skeins of 51190 cerulean (blue)
• 2 skeins of 5175 fennel (green)

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Projects in Progress Update

I didn't think I'd get a chance to blog today, but so far it's pretty quiet, so it'll be a stealth post today!  Above is my Prism Shawl I'm making with Noro Silk Garden Sock.  It looks amazing and it's stupidly easy. The only caveat is that in the pattern they tell you to use an "M1" increase, which they give you a web address for instructions. The caveat is that it is not actually an "M1" increase they want you to do - if you follow the link you'll see that they want you to make a backwards loop cast on!  Otherwise, easy peasy. 

I don't know if I've shown you this one yet. This is a Moderne Log Cabin Baby Blanket we're making for the store with Cascade 220 Superwash.  Another easy peasy project!

A always, you can find us at knitomatic.com!

New Free Pattern - Simple Crochet Ripple Baby Blanket

Simple Crochet Ripple Baby Blanket

Pattern by Haley Waxberg

Ravel It   Download It

Skill Level: Beginner

Notes

The pattern repeat for this blanket is 14 +2 sts, so if you want to increase or reduce the size of your project, add or subtract stiches in multiples of 14. Each ripple measures approximately 4”. Additionally, don't be afraid to skip over part of the colourway if it isn't working, sometimes Noro throws in a colour that's a dud.

Resources for New Crocheters

The Crocheter's Companion by Nancy Brown is an excellent reference resource.

StitchDiva also has excellent tutorials: http://www.stitchdiva.com/custom.aspx?id=53

There are also helpful video tutorials on youtube titled The Art of Crochet by Teresa: http://www.youtube.com/user/tjw1963

Size

26”wx30”l (30”wx35”l)unblocked

Materials

3(4) skeins Noro Taiyo, 100g/200m (colour used for small sample, colour 20 used for large)

5mm/H crochet hook

Gauge

approx 17 sts & 5 rows = 4” in ripple stitch

Abbreviations

ch chain

dc double crochet

dc3tog double crochet 3 together

Techniques

dc3tog

(Yarn over hook, insert hook in next stitch, yarn over hook and pull up loop, yarn over hook, draw through 2 loops), repeat instruction in brackets 3 times {you should have 4 loops on hook}, yarn over hook, draw through all loops on hook.

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Another Ripple Blanket

Me so bad ...;-)  I'm hooking up a second ripple blanket in the Noro Taiyo - the colours demanded they become a baby blanket. I've added a pattern repeat and I think it will take 4 skeins. So far, the only issue is that Noro put in a gross, dirty yellow in between the yellow and green. They do this frequently, I fondly refer to it as 'the douchebag colour'.  Sometimes an odd colour works and makes the colourway interesting, and people's preferences often surprise me, but c'mon, it's a pastel colourway!

As always, you can find us at knitomatic.com!

Baby Blanket Finito!

Many of the links posted here are from Ravelry.com, a free website for knitters and crocheters. If you don't have your own account you can use ours: login: knitomatic2, password: knitomatic. But you should get your own account fast, 'cause you're going to LOVE it!

This one was a very satisfying finished object - the Log Cabin Baby Stoller Blanket for my new niece. I used approximately 3 balls of Mission Falls 1824 Wool in each of 6 colours, but if you want to make one I recommend you get an extra ball in each colour - just in case.  The blanket is very dense, since it is knit in garter stitch, and I expect it'll be very warm.  

I'll take a picture of her with it as soon as the three of us (me, baby, and the blanket) get together along with some good lighting.  

As always, you can find us at knitomatic.com!

Log Cabin Baby Blanket - in the home stretch!

Many of the links posted here are from Ravelry.com, a free website for knitters and crocheters. If you don't have your own account you can use ours: login: knitomatic2, password: knitomatic. But you should get your own account fast, 'cause you're going to LOVE it!

I'm in the home stretch baby!  My Log Cabin Baby Blanket is almost done, I only have some ends to weave in and FINITO! Which is a good thing, 'case the baby arrived 2 days ago. I'll take a better picture when the thing is all done. 

Post Script

Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, I'm an autie now!  A great big baby girl arrived on Tuesday, 8lbs & 11oz. She's pretty big, chubby and long, and pretty. 

Addenda: 40 minutes later

Weaving in ends while listening to classical music is SO BORING!  I am determined to get this done today and will persevere, but OMG!  Working from the centre out is getting tedious, so I've resorted to an old childhood cleanup-game, where you put everything away that is red, then blue, then orange, etc. I'm starting by weaving in all the dark grey ends, and then see if it's a little more stimulating.

As always, you can find us at knitomatic.com!

Log Cabin Baby Blanket Update

Many of the links posted here are from Ravelry.com, a free website for knitters and crocheters. If you don't have your own account you can use ours: login: knitomatic2, password: knitomatic. But you should get your own account fast, 'cause you're going to LOVE it!

Update you on the Log Cabin Baby Blanket I've been making for my soon to be niece/nephew.  It`s almost done, just a few more logs and I`m done!  The deadline is looming, baby Wax-Barron (I like to call it the Wax-Bairn) is coming soon!  My spidey sense suggests that it`ll be one more week, but it is best not to rely too much on one`s spidieness.  

It`s a yarn sucker, but will be very warm, which is exactly what it needs to be - I made it to go with their stroller (uppababy in carlin), which is exactly the same colour as the lighter green in the blanket. Mission Falls, your musty colours are finally useful! It`s going to look so good! Squeeeeeeeee!  Hey, don`t roll your eyes at me. I see so many beautiful hand made garments and blankets with babies, but they`re all kinds of different, incongruous colours. It`s like having a living room with a victorian sofa across from a barcelona chair. Anyway, my sister-in-law loves the colours, so all the better.

as for the construction, I thought I was doing just fine until I saw Chelle`s Moderne Log Cabin Baby Blanket (I don`t think she`s raveled it yet). Her seams were so beautiful, so flawless!  I had no idea a log cabin could be so tidy!  After that, I started paying closer attention to the details. 

Here are a few tips for a better Log Cabin:

1. Knit the last stitch of your cast-off row with the next colour of yarn.
2. Do not weave in the ends as you go. Do it at the end.
3. Pick up your stitch with a crochet hook in a size 1mm smaller that your needles
4. When picking up stitches, do not pick up in the same space as the knitted stitch, pick up one for areas where 2 colours meet (unless there is a big gap, then pick up 2 stitches), and at the end of the row do pick up in the space on the very outer edge. 
5. After you cast off an edge, if it is ruffling then you have picked up a stitch or two too many. If it is pulling in then you have not picked up enough stitches. 

That`s about the size of where you put your eyes.   xox :-)

As always, you can find us at www.knitomatic.com.