The Start of Something New

A curly knitted swatch on circular needles sticking out of an cake of orange yarn.

Ever have your heart set on using a specific yarn for a very specific pattern? I have these past few weeks.

The Balsam Point Cardigan (<Ravelry Link) by Kerri Blumer came across my radar recently, and I love the cropped style and neat details. This sweater is something I’d wear all the time. Since I’m shopping my stash (AKA Yarn Fort) first, I stumbled across three skeins of Araucania Nature Wool in a beautiful orange. I love this discontinued yarn and was happy to finally have something to do with it. There was a problem though. Balsam Point calls for an aran weight yarn, and Nature Wool only claims to be an aran weight yarn. No harm in swatching though, right? Well, it didn’t work out. I got row gauge, but stitch gauge was way off. I’d have to go up several more needle sizes to get close, and the fabric was already looser than I’d like for a sweater. So, this yarn gets to hang out in the stash for a bit longer.

A hand holding up a giant hank of green wool yarn in front of a green brick wall.

The Nature Wool wasn’t the only option in the stash though. I’ve also been hanging on to a couple of skeins of Cascade Eco+ since 2011. Originally, this yarn was going to be an Owls Sweater (<Ravelry link), but there’s not quite enough yardage for that. There’s plenty to swatch and make Balsam Point with a little left over. Wish me luck. If this doesn’t work, I’ll have to dig through the stash a third time for this sweater.

Pattern: Cuddly Chevron Baby Blanket

Early last year I found out that a good friend of mine was having her first child. Since she’s on my knit-worthy list, my mind started churning with all sorts of ideas. I considered sweaters, hats, toys, and baby tube socks. All of those things are still an option now but what what I really wanted to make was a blanket. Sure, it’s more knitting, yarn, and time than the other ideas but a blanket has staying power. It can’t be outgrown like a sweater or a hat or adorable baby tube socks. A blanket is more useful than a toy and, maybe, not as easy to misplace. Plus, if you pardon the cliche, a great way to wrap someone up in love.

Those thoughts were the start of the Cuddly Chevron Baby Blanket. I swatched my way through several different and complicated ideas, none of which panned out, before coming back around to the simple chevron. Soft, cushy, colorful garter stitch chevrons, in fact. After tracking down a machine washable cotton/acrylic yarn that actually had all the colors I needed, a task that proved much harder than I thought, I cast on. Then I ripped out because I wanted the blanket to be bigger. After that, the knitting was smooth sailing. I didn’t finish the blanket in time to send it off before the kid was born but it did arrive before winter turned really cold. 

My original plan was to publish the pattern before Christmas. Obviously that didn’t happen but I’m so happy that Cuddly Chevron is the first pattern of 2015. The first of many! Another first and something I’m really excited about is that I’m going to be releasing a tutorial series detailing the techniques in this blanket! I’ve never released tutorials revolving around a specific pattern before and can’t figure out why I haven’t. The tutorials will focus on several key techniques that will help with both with the blanket and future projects. The series starts next week and will cover weaving in ends as you go (without a tapestry needle), working lifted increases in garter stitch, and uses for stitch markers. If you’re wondering how to work another technique, let me know. 

Happy Knitting! 

Cuddly Chevron Baby Blanket

Simple, classic, and warm, the Cuddly Chevron Baby Blanket is easy to make and a great gift for any baby or yourself. Worked in garter stitch, the blanket knits up quickly to create a cushy fabric. 

Stick with three colors of worsted weight yarn, just use two, or go wild and use up all those leftover yarns in your stash.

Want to make it bigger or smaller? The pattern includes notes to help you out. 

Size: 30” x 30”

Needle: US 7 (4.5 mm) 36” circular needle

Yarn: Cascade Yarns Avalon - 2 skeins (350 yds) of each color

C1: 10 - Artisan's Gold

C2: 02 - Silver

C3: 17 - Enamel Blue

Notions: Tapestry Needle, Stitch Markers (Optional)

Check it out on Ravelry!