Support thread - new blankets

[tribpot]

I'm starting to pull together some ideas for our new blankets, very sadly knit for MNers who have both lost a beloved baby recently :(

You will have instructions from Pistey about wool colours and some suggested shops to buy from - personally I buy mine from McA Direct and have found their service excellent, but there are lots of alternatives out there. Warning: Hobbycraft do not generally stock the required yarns.

The question of how many stitches to cast on comes down to the question of gauge; how tight or loose your knitting is with the yarn in question. Best way is to knit a sample (or a plain square); just measuring how wide it is once you've cast on won't be a very reliable measure because it stretches out once you start knitting. Equally, if it's already more than 6" wide you're on a hiding to nothing. For most people, on 4mm needles, 33-ish stitches and about 45-ish rows should give you a 6" x 6" square but don't do a whole one if you're not sure or a slow knitter, as it's mega-frustrating to have to pull it all back down again.

What follows is mostly links to patterns that we've done or revised in earlier blankets, or ideas for things you might want to try. I know there are some specific pattern requests for these two blankets and I'm looking those out. Warning: many of these are links to patterns on Ravelry, which is like the Facebook of knitting. Registering is free and 100% worth it, although it may mean you start sending your salary direct to your yarn shop of choice at the start of each month as you discover more and more amazing things to knit.

If you want to start with something more adventurous than garter stitch (knit every row) or stockinette (knit one row, purl the next, and so on) why not try the Chinese waves pattern? (Non-Ravelry link). Or maybe stars - this is a bit more difficult - (Non-Ravelry link).

Birds have been specifically requested so we're starting with this lovely Owl pattern - this involves cables and ends up looking a bit like this.

Note, though - before having a go at these patterns you need to know what your gauge is, so you can modify the pattern (so in the case of the owl, cast on fewer stitches / chop out a few rows in terms of length for example) or change needles to get it close to the 6" size.

If you want to follow our adventures in trying to get a particularly devilish heart pattern right, please see the support thread in which Team Heart did battle with hearts, trees and elephants.

More to follow ...

Is it peanut as in just an oval, or peanut as in monkey nut, ie still in the shell?

Pidj - I've drawn a shape which is, I have to say, more reminiscent of an acorn than an actual peanut but it was meant to look a bit more nutty than an oval. On the other hand - let's be honest, it doesn't, so I think an oval would be just as good.

trib - will you be making the peanut for MrsY?

If so, shall I order you some of the same wool that I am getting for Droitwich for the Mouse she is making. We are going to use donkey which I think is a rowan wool.
If it is to be you, then I will need your address

This sorta shaped [[http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4524463929_b465da02db_o.jpg
peanut?]]

That's what I thought, Pistey, like a fat figure 8.

I don't understand something. These squares are not backed are they? So the back needs to look as good as the front right? So how can we do patterns like tribpot's 3 colour cat without untidy loops on the back? Am I just being thick?

I can't help you with loops and stuff, but the squares aren't backed. I know that bit.

Woolly thank yous on the threads and soon to be on our Facebook page.... MNWoollyHugs.com if anyone hasn't seen it yet!

Chakotay, there's a clear Right and Wrong side and the blankets are put together accordingly. Recipients are asked if they'd like a blanket, and all so far have lurked on threads so they know how much effort goes in - and the blankets are treated accordingly!

A fair amount of recipients (might even be all?) Are now donors themselves.

Oh, and the wool is machine washable and chosen to be sturdy and stand up to family life. Its why we chose expensive stuff not cheapo acrylic :)

Does that explain it?

I've had a look at the Mouse charts on Ravellry and it's definitely something I can do. I have not yet posted my other squares so I will hold onto them until the mouse is done

Droitwich - I'm really grateful I have ordered one ball of Rowan 'donkey' for the Mouse for MrsY's blanket. Brilliant. The wool should arrive with you on Saturday X

When I am sure who is going to make us a Peanut, I'll order them a ball of donkey too.

Fab. Will see if I can get it done over the weekend

Um, not really. The issue is with the loops left on the back if you use three colours like the cat chart above. Some loops will be 3 or 4 stitches long, surely fingers can catch in them?

Right, so more of a figure of 8 motif like on the 'New Peanut' page of this?

I can order some donkey if you like Pistey, I need to get some other stuff from Deramores anyway.

Chakotay makes a good point about the backs of multi-coloured squares, it's not the neatest process. But hopefully the fronts make up for it!

Chakotay, the yarn is caught every few stitches behind the stitch itself, it's not left loose potentially over many stitches. It's relatively difficult to get your fingers through.

If the back of the blanket is too loopy, we'll sort it somehow.

In other news, I'm crocheting peanuts here! well, attempting to. First peanut has promise but not quite right. I'm working on it

New peanuts look good trib. Looking forward to seeing crocheted peanuts too knotty.

I wouldn't attempt a dual/multi colour mouse as I supect the back of mine would be a potential deathtrap but I may try to add a small mouse motif somewhere if that would be welcome?

Sounds great, Barbara

Good-oh Barbara, that answers one of my other questions about the cat pattern, do you want it described in two colours or in two stitches. I assume you want to purl the cats on a knit background?

There are a few small mice motifs on cat patterns 4 and 5, there's also a lovely one on mouse face chart

I've seen the peanut and it is soooooo cuuuuuuuute!!

So pleased about the Mice and the Peanuts MrsY will be too X

Happy to leave the peanut to the crocheters if that's easier?

Have now done at least 5 attempts at doing a wavy cable and failing. This time I'm just going to continue (rather than ripping it back to the start again ) and just use a cable needle for the single stitch and see if I can work out what I should have been doing. It'll mean the first inch or so is a bit messy textured, but it's the effort thought that counts!

In fact I can do my new peanut motif in the colours I've got - I have a biscuity brown if that is allowed (043 I think), and some cream.

bird, what's the issue with wavy cable? We had a problem with the dreaded Team Heart Tree last time where the instructions for the cable are not translated for doing on the wrong side of the work, so every purl row is described back-to-front (it's assumed either you just figure that out from the pattern, or you are knitting in the round so you're always knitting on the right side of the work).

Just ordered a Donkey to be sent to Knots.

I shall call him Dave