Chevron Baby Blanket, a recipe

 

This is my first finished project in months. Seems I've been starting several things, but not actually finishing them. But there was something about the repetitive nature of the chevron that mellowed my mind while the colors invigorated me. An oddly addictive dynamic and a purely pleasurable project.

Here's my "recipe" for this blanket. I saw several free chevron blankets on Ravelry, but none of them really were exactly what I wanted. So I put together elements from a few of them, with a few things of my own to create this little dear.

I have knit this once, and if I find errors in this recipe, I'll change them in red. These are the notes I took while knitting the pattern. The abbreviations or instructions may not be "standard". Take it or leave it.

Simple Chevron Baby Blanket

Materials: I used seven balls of Cascade 220 Superwash. I did a total of 8 stripes, and each stripe is 1/2 of the ball. I did two white stripes, using up the whole ball. I used a US 7 32" Addi Turbo. Colors used were 877 Golden, 859 Lake Chelan Heather, 886 CItron, 837 Berry Pink, 1913 Jet, 817 Aran and 1973 Seafoam Heather. You could buy just four balls and make the same blanket, just knit two stripes of each color. But I liked the idea of more colors. I also liked combining heathered colors with solid colors. Give it a try! You'll also need a set of stitch markers to help you keep track of things. Place them wherever you like to help you keep count.

Instructions:

Cast on 149 stitches. I placed stitch markers every 20 stitches to keep track. When I got into Row 1, I then placed markers after each k1.

Knit 6 rows, then start the following stitch pattern that you'll continue through the whole blanket til you get to the desired length. Then knit 6 more rows and cast off. Weave in ends. Snuggle a baby in it.

Row 1 and all right side rows: k3, ssk, k9, yo (k1, yo, k10, md, k10, yo) repeat brackets until 15 stitches remain, k1, yo, k9, k2tog, k3

Row 2 and all wrong side rows: knit the first and last three stitches, purl all other stitches across the row. Note: When I came to yarn overs on wrong side rows, I purled them through the back loop to close the hole. You don't have to do that, but I like that it didn't create a yarn over hole. Whatever you choose to do when purling the yo's, just do it the same each time or you'll have some with holes, and some without.

k = knit

k2tog = knit two stitches together

ssk = slip stitch as if to knit, slip stitch as if to purl, knit two together

yo = yarn over

md = a double decrease or a mitered decrease (turning three stitches into one stitch) slip two stitches as if to knit, knit the next stitch, pass the two slipped stitches back over the knit stitch. here's a video

For your striping pattern: I knit 8 wide stripes using 1/2 of a ball of Cascade 220 per stripe. Basically 24 rows (so 12 repeats of row 1 and row 2) per color block. For the first and last color blocks, because I knit 6 rows, I deducted that from the 12 repeats and did just 9 repeats.

This is a basically a simple 2-row pattern that has a garter stitch top and bottom and a garter stitch border to keep it from curling. I plan on knitting several more of these with different striping patterns. Perhaps thinner stripes that use 1/4 of a ball at a time. This pattern is very adaptable. Want ti make it wider? Add repeats of the chevron pattern by adding stitches in multiples of 24. So cast on 173 or 197 or keep going! And make it as long as you want!

Here's the Ravelry pattern page if you'd like to put it in your queue.

Comments

[sprite]

Congrats! It looks great!

[AnnH]

What is the finished size of your blanket, with 8 colors and cast on of 149 stitches?
Thanks!

[Allison]

Hi Ann, sorry don't know. Just off the needles and haven't washed or blocked yet.

[mary]

Over the years, I have knitted several wide chevron stripe blankets It is a very satisfying pattern and makes the most of strong color relationships. I always have one on my needles and work on it as a backup for other projects.

[Allison]

Mary, I'm going to follow your lead. I'm picking out new colors tomorrow and I'll likely do a post of other color ideas b/c this pattern is so infectious! I just want to do more and more of them! I think I'll do one a bit wider next time, casting on another 24 stitches to do another repeat of the chevron. I was thinking of doing one for each of my boys so they have snuggle blankets for movie nights.

[Juana]

Congratulations!!!! It is beautiful. I have been looking for a pattern to use tons of "single skeins", this is perfect. Thanks for the pattern.

[Nathanne Verner]

Thanks so much for the pattern and the ideas for colors. This is so pretty and cuddly. I was thinking of making a small one, for a comfort blanket for my grandkids, something they can drag around, and cuddle up with at naptime.