Pattern - Textured Blocks Baby Blanket

Our friends, Joe and Diana, were finally having a baby - a little girl. I decided quickly that I wanted to knit them a baby blanket to keep her warm and cozy. After mulling over the fastest and easiest way to make a blanket, I decided on a series of textured squares, a bulkier yarn, bigger needles, and simple patterns.

The blanket turned out beautifully. It seems to be a reasonably big hit on my Ravelry page, so I've decided to finally make the pattern available for anyone else who wanted to knit one like it.

Recommended yarn:
Estelle Cloud Cotton
Aran / 10 ply 165 yards / 100 grams

Gauge
18 sts = 4 inches on US 8 (5mm) needles

Needles:
1 pair straight US 8 (5mm)
1 Crochet hook size H (5mm) (for border)

Colours: 106 (green), 113 (pink), 115 (white), 118 (turquoise) (1 skein of each colour)

Small amount of yellow yarn for centre of flower

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Each square is 22 sts wide and 20 rows deep

Green squares (make 7)

CO 22 sts
Slip first stitch of every row
Knit 2 rows
Purl 1 row
Repeat until finished
Bind off loosely

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Pink squares (make 8)

CO 22 sts
Slip first stitch of every row
Row 1: *K2 P2, *rep to end of row
Row 2: *P2 K2, * rep to end of row
Row 3: *P2 K2, * rep to end of row
Row 4: *K2 P2, * rep to end of row
Repeat until finished
Bind off loosely

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White squares (make 7)

Slip first stitch of every row
Row 1: K
Row 2: P2, *K1 P3, * rep to end of row
Row 3: K
Row 4: P
Row 5: K
Row 6: K1, * P3, K1 * rep to last st, P1
Row 7: K
Row 8: P
Row 9: K
Repeat until finished
Bind off loosely

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Turquoise squares (make 8)

Slip first stitch of every row
Follow chart as above. On the right side, knit the knits and purl the purls. On WS, purl the knits and knit the purls. 

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Flower (make 1)

Centre:
With scrap yellow yarn,  CO 3 sts
Row 1: Kfb, k1, kfb (5 sts)
Row 2: Pfb, p1, pfb (7 sts)
Row 3: K
Row 4: P
Row 5: K
Row 6: P
Row 7: Ssk, k3, k2tog (5 sts)
Row 8: P2tog through the back of sts, p1, p2tog (3 sts)
BO

Petals (make 5):
With white, CO 3
Row 1: Kfb, k1, kfb (5 sts)
Row 2: Pfb, p1, pfb (7 sts)
Row 3: K
Row 4: P
Row 5: K
Row 6: P
Row 7: K
Row 8: P

Row 9 Ssk, k3, k2tog (5 sts)
Row 10: P2tog through the back of sts, p1, p2tog (3 sts)
BO with long tail, do not cut
Weave in to ends on the back side of the flower

Using whipstitch, sew petals to the centre of the flower
Secure the flower to a pink square.

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Finishing

Using Kitchener Stitch, sew squares together in the following sequence, making sure each square is the right way up:

Row 1: Pink, Turquoise, White, Green, Pink
Row 2: Turquoise, White, Green, Pink (with flower), Turquoise
Row 3: White, Green, Pink, Turquoise, White
Row 4: Green, Pink, Turquoise, White, Green
Row 5: Pink, Turquoise, White, Green, Pink

When all rows are complete, using size H hook and White,  DC every 2 sts around border of entire blanket

Weave in ends

A handful of FOs

Well, it's been awhile since I've posted. BUT, it's good! I have many finished objects to show off!

1. A hat for Nick made with leftover Elann Peruvian Highland
2. Christmas Ornaments made with various leftover bits of yarn
3. Cabled Capitain hat made with Noro Silk Garden Chunky
4. My first adult sized sweater made with Cascade Eco
5. Cabilrimetry made with Red Heart Soft Touch
6. Cotton Coasters made with mystery cotton yarn

Yeah, yeah. I've been lazy with posting. But at least I make with the awesome FOs! :D

FO - Bulletproof socks

After almost a year of knitting them, I have finally finished those bloody bulletproof socks. I thought I'd never get them done, lol.

Ever since I started these socks, they've kind of become the stuff of legends at my LYS because they're knitted with 2mm needles. I'd estimate probably about 20,000 total stitches in these socks. Took way too long. First sock took 2.5 months, second sock took 10 months... but now that they're done, oh my god. They are awesome! :)

Here are the pics.

Castle Crasher

Finished another little project. I used some of my leftover cotton yarn and decided to make the red knight from Castle Crashers.

Lots of FOs

Firstly, a change to the blog. I'm not really using flickr anymore because they put a limit on how many images you're allowed to have, and that's balls. I'll just provide links to all the images instead. Just click them and don't be lazy :P

Finished a few things.

Finished the baby blanket for Joe and Diana's little one, and I finished the mobile monster bunny cell phone case for Lisa.

I went to the Knitter's Frolic again yesterday. A few good deals, but last year was way better. I didn't pick up a swift like I wanted to, but I did manage to get a nice blocking kit (8 long blocking wires, 4 small ones, and 2 flexible ones, with a package of T pins) for $35. They gave me the wrong kit (the upgraded one) and I didn't notice until I got home, so that was $10 I saved.

I also got a nice bag of 5 chunky weight Noro Silk Gardens for $35, as well as a new row counter, and a nice bottle of knitted garment shampoo. Nice haul.

I'm going to pick up a swift for my birthday from Linda's on Tuesday before knitting night starts. Looking forward to it. :)

FO - Pinwheel blanket and matching booties

I actually finished this on March 30th. I've just been so busy lately, I haven't posted about it. It turned out quite nicely, and I had enough yarn left over to make a pair of booties for baby to be.

Note: this is not for my baby to be because I am not pregnant again :P When that happens again, I will be sure to be knitting away merrily.


I have started another baby blanket for our friends Joe and Diana who are also expecting. Their baby is due in May, so I have a tight deadline to finish the next blanket. I have opted not to do another pinwheel blanket because I like a little bit of diversity. The new blanket will actually be a nice baby's textures blanket. Four different colours and four different textures. I hope it looks nice when it's done.

Pinwheel Blanket