I hope you are having a splendid week, and are finding some restful down-time.
Last year, I completed my first ‘big’ knit for a friend who is expecting a baby girl this year – the Super Easy Crib Blanket by the folks at Purl Soho. I simply adored these blankets the moment I saw them – so many whimsical and fun colour combos. I decided to try my hand at colour-coordinating and knitting one myself. I can think of nothing nicer than being wrapped up in something warm and bright on a cold winter day – Purl Soho’s creative intuition in designing this simple but lively nursery staple is spot on.
I wanted the crib/stroller blanket to measure around 30″ square. With some garter stitch swatching, I found that, using a 29″ size 11 (US) circular needle and a super bulky wool-blend, I could produce a blanket width of 30″ by casting on 72 stitches. Each of the 7 bands of colour is 4.5″ high, yielding a final length of 31.5″.
With these magic numbers, I took to my needles last October. I wanted to do a jazzy .GIF for you of the blanket growing larger with each stripe, but I lack the technical skills. 🙂 You can watch it grow below.
Blanket statements (a.k.a. Learnings)
1) It was interesting to discover that circular needles have non-circular uses. Not having to carry the weight of a large project on straight needles (letting the project lie in your lap) = an easier time on wrists and shoulders. I pretty much knit all things on circulars these days – they are incredibly portable.
2) Pattern-wise, this was a straightforward garter-stitch knit all the way through. Being loosed from a complicated pattern meant that I paid more attention to the qualities of the yarn. Yarn weight and composition aside, I found that different colours produce different knit-feel – white strangely felt the ‘softest’; pink activated my taste receptors (it reminded me of bubble gum and cotton candy); and the energizing red seemed to jet-propel my fingers right across the stitches. I can’t wait to make the next blanket and experiment with more colours.
Wishing you happy trails on your creative projects this week, big and small.
such nice clean lines on the blanket. I love using circs for big projects–so much extra security 🙂 I used two of my Addi cords locked together for parts of the last blanket–just to hold all of the stitches. Beautiful work.
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Thank you. Your blankets are stunning. Ill have to remember the idea of locking 2 cords together. ☺
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I used this same pattern for a baby blanket for a friend. I love the clean lines of it. Love your colours.
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I like those clean lines, too :). Thank you! and happy to hear you’ve done this pattern as well!
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Nice! I love the colours you chose, and the chunky knit looks so cosy. And aren’t circulars the best for general knitting? I barely use straight needles any more!
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Thank you. I tried to follow my gut on the colours. Same here – my straight needles are looking a little neglected these days. Looking forward to more beastie goodness. 🙂
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Thanks! I’m back blogging next week… I’m looking forward to FINALLY sharing all my Christmas orders 😀
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What a great blanket! Purl Soho is one of my favorite places to find classic, yet modern looking patterns. I also love your color combo😊
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Thanks, Whit. And you express it perfectly – classic, yet modern is what PS does best, I think. They’re great. 🙂
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I like your “Blanket Statements” at the end! That yarn looked yummy and what a great way to use up the leftover yarn. And glad you have a sock monkey cheerleader 🙂
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Thanks, Tierney. It was a nice surprise to discover the yummy-ness of the yarn. And yes, it definitely helps to have a little cheerleader from time to time. 😉 Thanks for stopping by!
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This blanket is stunning! 😍 The colors you chose are perfect. I am in the middle of my second ever blanket and circular needles do make ALL the difference!
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Thanks so much, Rachael! I’m glad you enjoy the colours, and agree that circulars make a world of difference. Happy knitting on your second blanket – I look forward to reading about it! 🙂
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