Can someone help me solve a knitting question about making a baby blanket?
I taught myself some basic knitting skills awhile ago from a very good book. I never got all the way through the book although I do still have it. I’m able to knit small squares in lots of different patterns.
What I want to do is knit a baby blanket. I’ve confused myself though about how that is possible. The needle is only so big so how do I make a blanket big enough? Would I need to join two or more pieces together?
If you could explain to me how it works in basic language I’d greatly appreciate it. If you need more clarification about what I’m asking please ask. Thank You.
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17 Answers
Just knit 12” squares in pleasing colors. A person at a knitting store can teach you how to weave them together (with wool and a large needle with a big eye) as will the online knitting sites.
Joining them is definitely one way to do it, but you don’t have to, depending on how big of a baby blanket you’re making. I’ve made shawls that were at least 25 inches on standard US size 13 needles, the yarn just bunches up at the ends. It’s fine.
A third alternative would be to use a 36 inch (pretty standard) circular knitting needle.
There are different types of “joins”. Which one you choose depends on various things -the size of your needles, the stitch you’ve used for the squares, whether your blanket is supposed to be one sided or two, and whether you want the join to stand out or be blind. There are different ways you can go with it. So, it really depends on what you want your finished blanket to look like.
Well to be frank I don’t care how it turns out, in that much detail anyhow. It is for my own baby and it’s the thought that counts. I just want to make something for her while I’m pregnant. I just want to do the simplest thing that would be sufficient for my skill level.
In that case, I’d go with one color and get a circular needle like La_chica_gomela says. Find something you like enough to do a lot of that will give the blanket a nice texture (like maybe checkered blocks in knitting and purling). You can always add a border if you want later on.
Here’s what I have done: 1. I knitted a blanket from the top, x stitches, to the bottom, just knit, perl, and such, until I reached the desired length. 2. I used a circular needle and cast of the desired number of stitches and followed the pattern (lacy with frequent yarn over, and such) 3. Made a bunch of small (6” by 6”) squares and sewed them together.
All of the things mentioned here will work. La_chica_gomela, that’s just too cute, and garter stitch is super easy. Mainly you want to pick a pattern you understand and that you like enough to finish.
Just to clarify one thing about working on circular needles (which in my opinion, is definitely the way to go for a baby blanket): you want to work back and forth along the needles, NOT in a circle as if you were using the needles to make a hat or seamless sweater. In other words, you cast on however many stitches you want, then turn the needles around, and knit the stitches from the left to the right needle. Once they’re all on the left needle, turn the needles around again, etc. If you just scrunch the stitches back to the other side and keep knitting without turning, you’ll get a tube blanket!
hope this makes sense, it’s hard to describe knitting in words!
I knit just about everything on circulars. I only own a couple pair of straight needles. Circulars are much easier on the wrists than straight needles.
Thanx for the help and the tip about the circular needles. I’m going to stop at the store and get some today before going to work and try them out.
Thanx a bunch!!
Please let us know how it turns out. Cheers!
Good luck…you’ll lurve the circulars!
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