PLEASE help me find a knitting pattern

[Mrdarcyswife]

One of my very best friends is expecting her first baby in July. Both soon- to-be grandmas are keen knitters and already producing beautiful bootees, etc

I'd love to make something for my friend, to celebrate the event and have been trying to find a shawl/ wrap pattern, thinking she could use it when feeding and for shade etc, but I can't find anything suitable.

It needs to be washable (I've found lots of gorgeous things, but they all need to be blocked)
It needs to be relatively easy, I'm an intermediate knitter at best
And it needs to be light enough to use in July/ Aug

Any ideas or suggestions very gratefully received!

Hello, check out lionbrand.com. There are loads of free patterns. I have just finished the Diagonal eyelet baby blanket from there. I ignored the yarn suggestions and used a washable 4ply. U can just keep knitting until it's the size u want, the pattern was really easy to remember and it was beautiful when I'd finished, even if I do say so. Hope that helps. Happy knitting x

Check out Ravelry website. (You need to have an account, but they're fine, they don't spam you.) Oodles of gorgeous patterns and ideas, many of them free downloads.

Thanks for the quick replies!

I'll check out the lion brand site.

I am on Ravelry, but find the choice a bit overwhelming, so was hoping for specific recommendations. I'm happy to pay for a pattern, if it looks good

Will keep searching!

Try the Hogwarts Express shawl on Ravelry.

Why not make a patchwork blanket? Go into a nice wool shop and ask for their advice choosing a yarn that meets your requirements. Buy a range of colours. Then do a Ravelry search for 'washcloths' and make lots of squares, each 6"x6". Then sew, knit or crochet them together to make the blanket. As long as they are all made from the same yarn, which specific yarn you use does not matter.

That way you never have boringly long rows to work, or major unpicking to correct a mistake. Your project is very portable because most of it is small items. And, best of all, you can make squares at any skill level. Even just garter stitch looks awesome in a well-chosen palette of colours, especially if you sew them together so that every other square runs in the other direction.

If you're feeling ambitious you can try more complex squares, and not feel overwhelmed by having committed to a whole blanket in that particular stitch.

What about a feather and fan design like this?

The pattern is a four row repeat with a knit as you go garter stitch border.

The weight of the finished blanket and it's washability would then be down to yarn choice. Perhaps a cotton yarn or baby bamboo would be nice.

I love this elephant family blanket too. It's on my project list.

Elizabeth Zimmerman baby surprise jacket. It's in garter stitch, very easy and forgiving of uneven tension and the odd mistake. Blankets take sooo long. Check ravelry.

Have a look on Rav for Gacoco, will link to it when I get home. Or garter ripple.

These look lovely thanks everyone!
The Hogwarts Express shawl is lovely- and now added to my favourites.

I love the feather and fan one too. If it was machine washed would it hold it's shape (don't want to produce something that never gets used)

The gracoco and the garter ripple are fab too, I need more time (or more friends to have babies!)

Feather and fan will never look as good in an acrylic as it would in wool but it will look fine and be nice and usable.

The baby surprise jacket is fantastic, but the pattern is not easy to come by.

I like doing blankets as it means you can get months or years of wear out of it, compared to to an outfit which may only last for a few months. You've absolutely bags of time - I'm less than half way through this for a baby due at the end of the month, garrgghhh (And have about 15 other things on the go as well). Gacoco is modular so you can actually do a small one for the first few months and then add more modules to it as you go.

The garter ripple I had in mind was this one, although there are several nice ones.

How about garter rib baby blanket? Very simple but effective.

I've done a heart baby blanket before as well, although I reversed every other heart, so one would be stocking stitch on a reverse stocking stitch background and the next the other way around.

The Vivid blanket is very popular too.

I've made this blanket several times as a new baby gift.

I've tweaked the pattern a bit as I think it looks best with a moss stitch border rather than garter stitch and I've also put a moss stitch border around each square. This makes the blanket a bit wider too (the original is rather long and narrow).

If you enjoy doing cables, it's quite a fun project, not too tricky at all.

Thanks again everyone.
I think I'll go with the garter rib baby blanket, looks like something I could easily do in the evenings.

Any recommendations on yarn. I think it has to be very washable. Does that mean I have to get an acrylic, or is there something else that would be soft and cooler. The baby's due at the end of July, so would like it to be quite light
Thanks again!

this is lovely for baby stuff. It washes and tumble dries, it's cheap and it knits up well. It's very soft and light so would be great for a summery blanket, only downside is that there is a fairly limited selection of colours.

If you've not done much with modern acrylics, they are much nicer than the squeaky yarns of old. And much more practical for baby knits as well.

I was going to suggest Sirdar Snuggly DK, there are a few garter rib blankets in that already on Rav, although I like the sound of the cotton mix NannyR has suggested. I haven't tried it but I like the semi-solid Scheepjeswol.

Thanks again NannyR and tribpot
They're not going to find out the sex of the baby, so I'm going for a cream blanket. Just called my local(ish) yarn shop and they have the Cotton On, so I'm going to go with that.

I'm looking forward to getting started now!

I have to say, I personally wouldn't go for cream as I'd be worried about it staying presentable. Green, brown, navy, purple, yellow, grey are my go-to colours for babies - in general actually regardless of whether I know the gender. (Not all in the same blanket, that would be hideous)

Good point!
Perhaps I shoul include a packet of Nappysan with the gift