Baby Blanket | Peach Lace

I wrote last week about finally finishing up some long-standing abandoned projects around the house.  One of those was a baby blanket that I started almost 6 months ago! Baby blankets are by no means a quick knit, at least not with the patterns that I select, but 6 months is still a little long. I usually estimate 1-2 months depending on how much time I have to devote to the project. In this case, it was a combination of lots of other projects going on at the same time and a general lack of interest in knitting, that led to it being dormant for so long. But over the holidays I decided that I just needed to tackle it row by row and last weekend I sewed in the finishing ends and I’ll be excited to finally see a baby enjoy my hard work.

I used the same yarn that I’ve been using for all my baby projects these days – Berroco Comfort. I think the peach (a little hard to see in these pictures) is a nice change from the typical pink for a little girl and makes it look vintage in a beautiful way.  I’m very pleased with the pattern as well. This one could be a staple for summer babies since it’s lighter and more delicate than a chunky cabled pattern (funny that I’m finishing it during the polar vortex!). I hope it is well received!

Next I will be picking up my long-forgotten sweater and I am determined to finish it before spring!  Wish me luck because I am going to need it.

Endless Lace

My latest knitting project was, surprisingly, not a baby item – it was for me!  I’m not one to knit for myself too often, but in this case it was for a good cause… it used up some of the leftover yarn from my stash.  This pattern is for a regular scarf, but because I was a little short on yarn, it worked out much better to seam the ends together for an infinity scarf.  It’s perfect!  I think I’ve worn it almost non-stop since it came off the needles.

For those of you non-knitters out there who may not be familiar with the term “blocking”, lace knit patterns don’t just magically come off the needles looking this good.  You actually have to soak the finished piece first…

And then stretch it out, pinning the edges, to dry…

Here’s a quick view of the piece right after it came off the needles, compared with what it looks like after drying.  Quite a difference, no?

It’s always nice to make a piece that you’ll use and love and it’s even better when that pieces clears space in your stash for new yarn!

Baby Blanket | Pink Checkers

I thought I would share the latest project to come off the knitting needles.  This was a special request from a work colleague of my mother’s.  Her first granddaughter is due in September and I am so pleased to have been able to knit the blanket that she will use to hold her.

I used my go-to yarn these days – Berroco Comfort.  It is the perfect texture for anything baby.  After the last, more intricate baby blanket, the mindless checkered pattern was a welcome change.  This is the kind of knitting you can do without thought.  It becomes a sort of meditation where the repetition of each block is an inhale and exhale…

One of these days, when the baby rush slows down, I’ll be able to cast on a grown-up pattern, but until then my world will be full of pastels and Berroco Comfort.

Baby Blanket | Classic Cables

I wanted to share a quick look at my latest knitting project – a blanket for my sister and brother-in-law’s “expecting” friends.  This was a project with a deadline and did it ever test my speed-knitting skills!  I have to say that I am very pleased with how it turned out and I’m a bit impressed with how quickly I was able to get it off the needles.

My sister picked out everything – the pattern, the yarn and the color.  It was actually quite nice to have someone else making all the knitting decisions for a change.  I think she really picked a winner with this color – don’t you?  Their friends plan to keep the baby’s gender a surprise, so we were initially thinking of yellow.  But after talking more about the couple, their taste and their personalities, I think this pastel seafoam color (actually called robin’s egg) will suit them perfectly!

When I mentioned a tight deadline for this piece, I wasn’t kidding.  I started it on March 11th and finished it on March 28th.  That’s a pretty quick turnaround for someone who works more than full-time and has lots of other things going on.  So on Wednesday (the 28th) for my lunch break, I ran home to knit 2 more rows before binding off and then sewed in about 10 loose ends, all in less than 25 minutes.  Then I snapped a few pictures for the blog (I almost forgot!), tossed it in a bag along with some packing tape and a sharpie and headed to the post office to make it in time for the afternoon pick-up.  It went priority mail to arrive on Friday – just in time for gifting.  Whew!!  Talk about cutting it close.

Here it is all folded and ready to be mailed:

I highly recommend this pattern, knitted in this yarn specifically, for a beautiful, soft and quick knitted baby gift.  As always, I hope to see pictures of it in use once the baby arrives (that’s a hint to my sister)!

And now, I am officially on a break from knitting baby blankets.  But what next?

Baby Blanket | A Modern Twist

I am so excited to share this project with you!  I have been knitting up a storm these last few weeks trying to finish a very special gift for very special friends whose due date is fast approaching.  If you knew these two, you would understand why this could not be just any baby blanket.  The little man for whom I was knitting is going to live in a well-designed world.  His parents run a furniture/home design shop and their house has some serious style!  The standards were high.

When I saw a photo of the baby mobile they had purchased for the nursery, the wheels started turning.

For months now I have been looking for an excuse to make this pinwheel baby blanket.  But for each baby that came along it just didn’t feel like the right fit…until Harper (that’s his name by the way – love it!).  His beautiful mobile needed a complementary blanket.  So I set off in search of the perfect yarn in the perfect colors.

Do you know how difficult it is to find baby-appropriate-yarn that’s not pastel blue, pink, yellow or green?  It’s tricky.  But with the help of my local yarn shop, I think I came pretty close to matching the colors.  I’ve never actually seen the mobile in person – just a photo posted on Facebook.  That’s what happens when you live 700 miles from your friends!

It ended up being 36″ in diameter, which is a great size for a baby blanket  in my opinion.

Here’s a photo on our queen size bed for scale:

The border is just a simple seed stitch to give the edge some structure.

I am so pleased with how it turned out.  I hope to be able to share more pictures with you once Harper arrives.  And now, it’s on to another baby project!