Monday, March 23, 2009

Super Easy and Fluffy Baby Blanket


After making this blanket countless times for friends and family I've decided to share the pattern with others, because it's so easy that even someone who has just learned to knit can do it!

Materials:

4 skeins of Red Heart Baby Clouds yarn in color of your choice. (Each skein should be 140 yards. If using a variegated color of Baby Clouds you will need to get about 5-6 skeins because those only have 105 yards.)
Size 10 circular knitting needles or size needed to obtain gauge.

My blanket measured at 36 inches by 44 inches when I was done.
There is no right or wrong with this pattern so don't worry if yours comes out different.

Gauge: 3 stitches = 1 inch

CO 85 Sts

Knit every row until you have gone through most of your yarn. Make sure to leave enough to bind off with.

This will knit up very quickly and you will be left with a very nice, fluffy blanket that is just right for those cold winter nights of cuddling with your baby. It's also nice as a play mat for when you don't want your baby playing on a hard floor.
Every time I've given one of these as a gift, the mother always wants to keep it for herself instead of giving it to the baby.
Also this yarn is very forgiving, so if you accidentally knit some of the fibers from other stitches together don't freak out! No one will notice because of the bulkiness of the yarn.

If you've made a variation to this pattern feel free to contact me so I can post it!!

Happy knitting :-)

11 comments:

Mehgan said...

I'm excited to try this! I have been knitting just a couple of weeks and am learning to knit because my sister is pregnant and I want to knit baby things galore. But I'm still having issues with purling and still don't know how to incorporate other colors/pieces of yarn into pieces.

So this seems simple enough for an amateur who is really excited to get started on knitting for her first niece or nephew! I sent the link to my friend who is teaching me how to knit, so hopefully she'll say it'll be simple enough for me too!

I will remember to update you once I do it! Seems like a great gift for a new mom!! Thanks for your post!! :)

Unknown said...

I'm new to knitting too - I've only done it for a few days, and besically taught myself. I do okay with purling so I was thinking what if the blanket was done with a few rows of knitting, followed by a few rows of purling, and repeating to the desired length. Of course, you'd have to end with the knitted rows so the edges wouldn't curl up. Also, I was thinking maybe the basketweave pattern would work.

Onelia said...

basketweave and alternating knit with purl rows would work also. I just try to avoid patterns with this yarn because it's so thick and fluffy. The fibers get stuck together for me as it is. I know if I mixed in purl stitches I just may lose it. I have seen this yarn used in pattern work and it comes out really pretty. Maybe someday I'll have the patience to work a pattern in this type of yarn.

Mehgan said...

I finished my first baby blanket with a different kind of yarn (can't remember what the name of it was, but it wasn't RHBC yarn). It turned out great.

So I thought I could advance on to a blanket using RHBC yarn. I bought some. I started it. Knitted a couple rows with much frustration. Lost a stitch and b/c the yarn is so scraggly, I couldn't recover it. So I started over. This happened a few more times. So i gave up!

I think I need more knitting experience before I use this bulky sort of yarn.

The first blanket I made though was a great yarn--very soft and strong. I think it'll be great for a baby!

Onelia said...

Hey Mehgan, sorry this fluffy stuff didn't work out for you. It frustrated me at first also. But after I took my work apart about three times I got the hang of it.
Now I whip up these blankets in a matter of weeks. The best time for knitting them is winter. It'll keep you warm while keeping you occupied. In the summer the outside heat can aggravate your frustration further.
Good luck with your future projects and Keep on knitting!

Mehgan said...

I bought some Lion's Brand Homespun yarn:
http://www.lionbrand.com/yarns/homespun.htm

I loooove it...it's chunky but not as tattered.

I'm using 13 circular needles and casted on 85 stitches and just do knit stitches. I'm on my second skein and am going to stop when I get to about halfway through it. It's a really good size and will be ideal for a crib I think b/c of the width and length of it. It looks really great (I'm using the color Waterfall) and think it's beautiful! I may use the gothic and Antique colors for my next blankets.

Onelia said...

Hey Meghan,

Homespun yarns rule! I've made several blankets out of that stuff and they are all still going strong. This stuff also makes good hats, scarves, sweaters and anything else that needs to be soft. I made two sweaters with the homespun. And they both came out super soft and wash well as long as you put them in a pillow case and tie a knot at the top. You can also put it in the dryer that way. Although sometimes I've noticed that they shrink if it's not a full load. If you lay them flat to dry off they turn out nice. As always, nice and soft! ok enough of my jibber jabber. Have fun with homespun!!

ellen said...

I'm fairly new at knitting, and am looking for something simple to make for my future grandchild. This little blanket is perfect for me to try. We have a beautiful yarn shop in Liberty, MO. where I love to browse. Thought I'd stop there to get my yarn to do this project. Thanks for the great idea. It might be a while, but when I finish it, I'll send you a picture.

Onelia said...

sorry I haven't checked up on my own blog in forever. Having a baby can do that to you. if anyone has a pic of their blanket using this pattern, drop me a line at porphyriac@aol.com Just make sure you put Baby Blanket in the subject heading so I don't accidentally delete your message.

happy knitting

Serena Silber said...

I'm making this pattern right now. I added 2 strands of Red Heart "Foxy" yarn in Cherries. This is going to be perfect for a cold Canadian Winter. Thank you.

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