This striped garter stitch cotton blanket is perfect for summer babies. You can make it bright and cheerful or subtle and refined, depending on the colours you choose. The i-cord edging gives it a nice finished look, and even includes a helpful little loop on one corner.
Finished Measurements: 23” square. Size can easily be adjusted by casting on more or fewer sts and working more or fewer rows.
Materials
- Yarn: Use 3 colours of any smooth cotton or cotton-blend yarn. Sample shown used 3 skeins Americo Original Pima Cotton [100% pima cotton 100g/273 yards (250 m)], with one skein each in Dark Goldenrod (Colour A), Light Goldenrod (Colour B) and Light Citron (Colour C). If yellow isn’t your thing, here are some other colour suggestions: Serious: A: navy blue | B: khaki | C: cream; Fashion: A: ecru | B: chocolate brown | C: mauve; Traditional: A: pale pink | B: pale butter yellow | C: pale blue; Bright: A: magenta | B: tangerine | C: apple gree
- 1 4.5 mm 40” circular needle
- 1 set 4.5 mm DPN
- tapestry needle
Gauge: 19 st + 19 ridges = 4” in garter st, but this pattern will work with any yarn weight and any gauge. If the same number of sts are CO, heavier weight yarn will yield a larger blanket, and lighter weight yarn will yield a smaller blanket. Make a gauge swatch first and adjust sts to achieve your desired blanket size.
PATTERN NOTES
Abbreviations + Techniques:
BO – bind off
CO – cast on
K – knit
st – stitch
Garter stitch, worked flat: knit every stitch of every row.
Stripe pattern: A-C-A; B-C-B. When knitting the stripes, “carry” the yarns you’re not using along with you so that they’re ready to use again: wrap the strand of yarn you’re using around the one or two you are not currently using before starting your row.
Pattern
Using long circular needle and colour A, CO 110 sts. Turn work and k to end. Work a total of 10 rows (5 garter ridges) in colour A.
Join colour C and work 10 rows, carrying colour A up the selvedge.
Work 10 rows colour A.
Join colour B and work 10 rows, now carrying both Colour A and Colour C up the selvedge.
Work 10 rows Colour C.
Work 10 rows Colour B.
Work 10 rows Colour A.
Work 10 rows Colour C.
Work 10 rows Colour A. Cut yarn, leaving an 8” tail.
Work 10 rows Colour B.
Work 10 rows Colour C. Cut Cut yarn, leaving an 8” tail.
Work 10” (or more, if desired) Colour B. Cut yarn, leaving an 8” tail.
Join Colour A, work 10 rows, then BO off sts.
Carefully weave in ends, trying to keep to the selvedges as much as possible.
I-cord Edging:
Using DPNs and Colour C, CO 5. Do not turn work. Instead, slide sts to the right end of needle. Bringing the yarn around the back, knit the first st. Knit until there is 1 st remaining on the left needle. Slip this stitch as if to purl. Dip the needle into the edge of the knitting, and pick up 1 st. Pass the the slipped st over the st just picked up (5 sts on needle). When you get to a corner, make 4 additional sts to allow for a smooth turn. Continue in this manner until you have worked your way around the blanket.
Work 4” regular i-cord (K5. Do not turn work. Instead, slide sts to the right end of needle. Bringing the yarn around the back, k5. Repeat until you have 4″ of i-cord). BO. Loop the end of the i-cord around and firmly sew to beginning of edging.
Weave in any remaining ends, and block.
Pattern and images (c) Cheryl Niamath, 2015