photo by Instagram user @vehicularsugar
Many people are knitting blankets right now! Crocheting too, but I will leave that for next time. I thought it might be a good time to highlight some of my favourite knit blanket patterns.
If you didn't know, I used to own a yarn shop, and so I have LOTS of experience helping knitters choose a pattern and the right yarn to go with it :)
The Chevron Colour Block Blanket designed by Espace Tricot is a free pattern that can easily be sized up or down. It is written for aran / worsted weight yarn using a 7mm needle and just less than 2000 yards of yarn. It is shown in the first photo above knit as a baby blanket, using one skein each of Lichen and Lace Worsted in Linen, Beach Glass, Teal Tide, and Faded Rose.
The Beekeepers Quilt by Tiny Owl Knits created QUITE the buzz when it first came out in the summer of 2011. It is more commonly called the Hexipuff blanket, and apparently it is an addictive project! Each hexipuff is knit separately, in the round, and then stuffed! When you have a whole bunch of puffs then you begin to sew them together. This project is perfect if you have lots of tiny amounts of sock yarn in your stash. If you don't, you could start with a mini sock fade set. Alternatively, you can purchase individual 20 gram 80/20 sock minis in any of our superwash colourways for $7 CAD each.
The Ten Stitch Blanket by Frankie Brown is the obvious choice when you can't trust yourself to count over 10. A very cool free pattern, this one has you attaching as you go, starting in the center. A good way to use up scraps and leftovers that are all the same weight of yarn.
The Pop Blanket by Tin Can Knits is another oldie but a goodie. It has a crocheted granny square vibe, but this one is for knitters. This blanket is constructed in squares and then attached at the end. The construction of the squares is really neat - it would not be a boring knit. Click the pattern page linked above and check out the free photo tutorial to see exactly how a circle becomes a square.
Look at this beauty! Don't you want to make this right now? Me too. This is the Safe at Home Blanket by KnitWit Designs. My friend Carol alerted me to this project last Friday and I helped her choose twelve colours of Lichen and Lace Worsted to get started on it. She'll need more for the border (she's doing it in Black Walnut) but twelve skeins will keep her out of trouble for awhile.
These are the colours Carol chose for her blanket: Coral, Amber, Teal Tide, Nutmeg, Shrub, Clover, Linen, Baby Leaves, Calm Waters, Pewter, Beet Root, and Black Walnut.
Maybe a comfy knit blanket project is what you're in the mood for right now? If you need any help choosing colours just ask!