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 ...

Tummy tickler-I was there with you last week! It feels like much more of a responsibility when its someone else's wool. In the end I did a really plain first square to get into it and then it was okay. Remember the mantra....

tummytickler My DC and I love the Big Bang Theory! Squares range from very simple to very complex and all are equally lovely and valued. You need a range on a blanket. My squares are always the most simple and usually wonky, once I had to send one in with a safety pin holding a dropped stitch, but they are always made with love, and it is the thought that counts. Don't doubt yourself!

oh yes, the safety pin

And it went on the blanket!

(the square, not the pin )

Thanks trib! I will do that instead of the cat. Am working overtime tomorrow but will do it at some time

PurpleKitty - be warned, that's the full-size pattern, it won't make a 6" square without some pruning. Let me know how many stitches you get and on what size needles and we can scale it back accordingly.

Has anyone got a link to a simple fair isle pattern using two colours that I could have a crack at? trib has very kindly linked me some instructions and i'm keen to try but I'm struggling for a pattern. Scouring Ravelry and Google but can only find jumper, scarf, hat etc patterns

Sorry, on my lunch earlier, hadn't noticed numbering stitches in chart. Nearly every square I do has a different amount to cast on! Always seems to be about 33-38

Gorgeoise squares arriving today. Check the threads X

Pastabee : I adapted the pattern from this free kids' jumper pattern to make one of my squares (you can see the end result on my profile). I found it relatively simple - but there again, I had already got used to the pattern, having knitted two jumpers! (doing Icelandic/fair-isle on double-ended needles for the sleeves was an interesting learning curve ).

Just had to get used to doing it backwards and forwards on "ordinary needles rather than in the round as I had done for the jumpers.

The other Icelandic squares were adapted from this pattern which although it uses three colours, I changed to using two colours (again, I was familiar with the pattern, having just knitted the top for myself)

A whole selection of free Icelandic patterns available here - you can extract the pattern and use it across 33 stitches or (as I did) within a four row/four stitch moss stitch border (giving you 25 stitches to use for the pattern)

I have my wool now thanks to the delectable Pistey! And I've started a plain garter stitch square. I will do something more complicated for the next square.

I have the hairdresser tomorrow morning, I am serioulsy considering taking my knitting with me because we have a wedding tomorrow so no other chance to knit tomorrow and I expect to be feeling "under the weather" on Sunday. Will they laugh at me?

Fizzog, they might but sod em

I charted a peanut last night very roughly so hopefully I can knit it up easily tonight. Dp is on nights so will have lots of peace and quiet to mn crochet and knit :o

Thanks very much pretty. I see exactly what you mean about adapting a pattern.

I'm determined to give it a go. Off to pick the cheese on toast out of baby DD's hair and put her to bed so I can get on!

My word but you guys can talk!!

Intarsia, hmm? I am on my third attempt, and I really wish I'd read about the Fairisle method

Attempt 1: I did the big loops method, but I didn't leave enough slack so my square wouldn't lie flat - I got halfway through before I realised as well?

Attempt 2: I miscounted here, so just read the wrong line of the pattern - seemed quicker to undo and start over.

Attempt 3: As I'm doing a star, I've got background-one leg of star-background-other leg of star-background, which means FIVE, count 'em, five spools of wool getting all knotted going on. I'm not sure I've got the over-under thing right (hence the big jumble) and I've lost count of the number of pesky ends I'm going to have to sew in, but it's looking ok from the front.

Next square is going to be simpler, not least for time!!

Pasta, this is a good tutorial on how to design your own fairisle motifs in Excel, worth a look. And I have some lovely ones in my collection of Zimmerman books like this one that I can chart up for you, like these mittens if you fancy them, or these. Gorgeous lotus pattern and lilac patterns too.

That's actually taken me on a Ravelry journey to these bird mittens if we want more bird squares!

Btw I also love this little whale cardigan!

First square done! Now I'm going to try the star square! Wish me luck!

35st on plain garter gives me 6inches, is the star pattern tighter? Should I go for 37 or 41 stitches?

Glaikit - I think looser rather than tighter, despite the fact you have to do loads of knit 3 togethers. You combine it with a bunch of increases. I would hedge your bets and start with 35.

Wow trib the whale cardigan is amazing. That's getting printed and sent to my family sweatshop MIL to be knitted up for DD.

If you have a pattern charted up I'd love a peek but I am pretty good with Excel so I reckon I could give it a go if you don't.

I love those bird mittens! Trib, would that bird need to be colours or would it work as knit and purl? If the latter I might tackle my chart phobia and give it a go.

Thank you Trib! I was thinking about the peanut thing earlier (sorry if you have already mentioned this) but would doing small bits of icord(check me using jargon) in the right colour look like a peanut? They could then be stitched onto a square?

Right I'm off to start my stars!

Whoop. I've finished the knitted square. :) back to crochet though for the remains of the yarn I've got. If I'm lucky and am careful with what I make I might just manage 5 squares in total. I will definitely get 4, it's just fine tuning as to whether it makes 5. Might need a large crochet hook and some very loose crochet!!