My little sister was only 16 when she had her baby girl. Finances were not exactly stable, so rather than her spending money on things like coats and baby blanket, I wanted here to have plenty of hand crafted items so she could spend her money on things like formula, and diapers.
I started this project 3 months before the baby was born, and lost the project 1 panel in (I was moving) 2 weeks after the babies due date, I found it again (notice I said due date???). I told my mom that I would work her furniture store while she helped my little sister finish setting up the nursery/ her room. In less than 3 days, I finished the blanket. The baby was born the next morning. Baby Brooklin Nichole. April 4, 2008.
Shadow's (that's the mom) favorite colors were Pink and Purple, and I found a great Variegated Red Heart super Saver that worked perfect when doubled with RH Super Saver White. Alvin, yes like the chipmunk, ( That's the highly un-liked Daddy) liked Blues and greens, so i found another great RedHeart Super Saver Variegated and paired that with the white from the pinks and purples.
The blanket was made up with 3 panels of alternating colors.
All panels were knitted on the Purple rectangle loom by Knifty knitter.
I guessed on the length of each panel, I knitted (zig-zag or figure 8 stitch) a few inches in the first color and white until the panel started to set into it's correct width (after it starts to slacken from being stretched between the pegs) and measured how wide it was, then I knitted until it was as long in that color as the panel was wide, counted the rows (this is your base row count) every other section of color will be this many rows.
Switch to the other color and white, keeping the white uncut. knit the number of rows you determined from 1st section, and switch back to the first color. Knit the number of rows you have worked out. Bind off with your preferred bind off method.
This is 1 panel. You will make another just like this.
The 3rd panel will be made the same way, but switching the colors, so that you secondary color and white will be the first and last square of color.
When all the panels are complete, you will line up the stitches and stitch them together, I used whip stitch on the blanket shown above, but in the future I would use mattress or blanket stitch to avoid the bulkiness on the back.
I accented this blanket at each of the meeting corners in the middle of color with a daisy made on the KK Flower loom. Each flower had a pearl center, do not use beads that are glued in or just sewn in if this blanket will be used as a regular child's blanket. Shadow used this one to shade baby in her swing, so baby Brooklin never actually touched this blanket until she was almost 2 years old. By which time the pearls had fallen off in the wash or in the nursery closet. My next blanket, I might use large festive buttons, or leave it without centers, just have the flowers.
Additional ideas!
If you want to make the blanket for use in a car-seat, leave a section about 6 inch wide un-sewn int he middle of one of the panels as you sew them together. this gives adequate room to buckle a seat-belt through the blanket without pulling the warmth off of the babies feet.
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