Monday, February 13, 2012

Striped Chevron Baby Blanket - Free Knitting Pattern!



Recently, I completed a baby blanket as a gift for a pregnant friend. It got some good response in the ol' Instagram community, so I thought I try my hand at writing a pattern and offer it for free to you fine folks!

As this is my first time writing a pattern out for others to actually be able to use, please be kind and forgive any errors made. Did I screw up somehow? Let me know and I'll be happy to help/fix the mistake!

So, without further ado - ta-dah! - the pattern:



Striped Chevron Baby Blanket

When I learned my friend was pregnant, I knew instantly that I wanted to knit something for her.  She’s a classy little lady so I thought a classy little blanket would be perfect – and preferably one that didn’t scream “cutesy.”  Enter this striped chevron blanket!  Once you’ve gotten the hang of the pattern, it’s pretty quick and easy going, with enough changes to keep from getting bored to tears while knitting it but not so complicated that you get frustrated or lost when you have to put the project down.  And it’s super customizable!  Add or subtract rows to make the stripes wider or the blanket longer and use any colors you’d like!

Quick tip:  Make the chevron pattern into a simple chant you repeat to yourself while knitting to avoid making the easy mistake of creating extra stitches in your rows (learned this the hard way - but chanting in my head really helped!)

Materials
·         Size 8 needles (36 in. circular)
(My personal faves – Denise Interchangeable Knitting Needles)
·         Worsted weight yarn
(I used Caron Simply Soft but any worsted weight yarn will do)

Colors
·         A1 and A2: Caron Simply Soft – Heather Grey (315 yds.) - 2 skeins
·         B: Caron Simply Soft - Lemon (315 yds.) - 1 skein
·         C: Caron Simply Soft - White (315 yds.) - 1 skein

Gauge (although, on a blanket, do you really need to worry about it?)
Approx. 4 sts. x 7 sts. = 1 in. in chevron pattern

Finished Measurements
Approx. 29 in. x 30 in.

Chevron Pattern
*K2tog, K10, YO, K1, YO, K10, S1, K1, PSSO*

Border
Using A1, CO 156 sts
Rows 1 - 4: Knit in garter stitch for 4 rows.


Body
(You will be maintaining the edges in garter stitch throughout the entire blanket.)
Row 5 (right side): K3, chevron pattern to last 3 sts, K3
Row 6: K3, P150*, K3
Rows 7 - 38*: repeat rows 5-6 (34 rows total)

Yellow Stripe
Row 39* (right side): K3, add in and switch to B, k chevron pattern until 3 sts remain. Add in and switch to A2, K3.
Row 40*: using A2, K3, bring yarn forward as if to purl, twist B around A2 and continue to P150* sts with B, yarn back as if to knit, twist A1 around B and continue to K3 with A1
Row 41*: Using A1, K3, move strand B back to knit, twist around A1 and continue in chevron pattern until last 3 sts, move strand B back, twist A2 around B, and K3 using A2.
(Note:  This reads a little complicated but it’s really not, it’s just to show how to twist the strands around during your color change so there are no gaping holes in your work as you progress.)
Rows 42-54: Repeat Rows 40 and 41 (16 rows total of color B)

White Stripe
Row 55* (right side): With A1 K3, add in C and continue in chevron pattern until 3 sts remain, switch to A2 and K3
Row 56*: K3 with A2, P150* with C, K3 with A1
Rows 57-58*: Repeat rows 55 and 56 (4 rows total of color C)

Yellow Stripe
Rows 59 (right side) - 76*: repeat rows 40 and 41 (16 rows total)

Body (Grey Stripe)
Rows 77 (right side) - 92*: using A1, K3, chevron pattern to last 3 sts, P3 (16 rows total)
(It’s up to you if you’d like to keep using A2 where the pattern usually calls for it. It does make it one less seam you’d have to weave in later, if you do. J)

Yellow Stripe
Rows 93 (right side) - 110: repeat instructions for rows 40 and 41 (16 rows total)

White Stripe
Rows 111 (right side) - 114: repeat instructions for rows 55 and 56 (4 rows total)

Yellow Stripe
Rows 115 (right side) - 130: repeat instructions for rows 40 and 41 (16 rows total)

Body
Rows 131 (right side) – 164: using A1, K3, chevron pattern to last 3 sts, P3 (34 rows total)
(Do not continue using A2 at this point, it’s no longer necessary – except for if you run out of A1 before you finish the blanket.)

Border
Rows 165 (right side) - 168: K in garter st for 4 rows

Finishing
Bind off all stitches.
Weave in ends and block blanket (if desired).

* Errata
Row 6: A previous version stated P156, corrected to P150
Rows 7-38: A previous version stated Rows 7-39, corrected to 7-38
Row 39: A previous version stated Row 40
Row 41: A previous version stated P156, corrected to P150
Row 57: A previous version stated P156, corrected to P150




 ©2012 She Is Crafting My Doom  www.sheiscraftingmydoom.blogspot.com
All rights reserved.  This pattern is provided free for personal use only.  Neither pattern nor garments made from this pattern may be sold.  If you’d like to share this pattern, please link directly to my site.  Questions?  Happy to answer!  Contact me at happydoomcrafter@gmail.com.