Make-A-Blanket – January Square
This month is set-up for the Blanket. Pick your colours, decide on the style and knit your first square. The instructions for each square will be both charted and written.
I am working with Cascade 220 wool. So my basic gauge is 20 sts in 4inches worked with a 4.5mm US #7 needle. After knitting my first square I think that these (my) squares will be about 10 inches wide, approx. 22.5 cm. My current plan is to make 20 squares and lay them out in blanket form and attach them together (no plan for this yet).
There are two styles of blanket options that I have considered. I will lay them both out for you so that you can think about it as you knit your first square. Within these two styles there are other considerations. Do you want your blanket to be a solid colour? Or do you want lots of colour? Do you want your squares to be random or laid out in a quilt style of pattern. I bet you can guess which way I am going! Yup, lots of colour and random squares!
Blanket 1 – knit in strips, biggest advantage, less seams and less to connect. This blanket could be knit in 1 colour, or in strips of colours with a different colour connecting them. The strips could still consist of squares that change colour with each pattern, or each strip could be knit in one pattern that repeats up each strip. How you put your Blanket Squares together is all up to you.
I do like the stripes and diamonds on this Jester! His motley costume hits all the fun notes.
Blanket 2 – knit in squares, no advantage, more seams, more connections! But I like the look better. This blanket was my original idea, Lots of patterns and many differing colours; it has been pointed out to me that I am sometimes alone in my love of the motley. But how could that be – there are so many examples of it all around us!
My sloth’s intarsia coat was a fun example of a motley coat.
I did a little sketching with Samsung Note and AI. These are the possibilities my sketches suggested.
This month the Square is a Diagonal Rib pattern. It is totally reversable. And I am really liking that feature. This may be the square that I knit the most. It could act almost like a back drop for the other squares. We will see what tickles my fancy as the year progresses. This square took me approx. 36 grs yarn to knit. With that information I am figuring that I will need at least 7 skeins of the Cascade plus more for the finishing.
Notes on working with the Squares. I will try to provide both written and charted patterns for each square. When working with charts every square represents 1 st or if the square is grey the absence of a stitch. That square can be regarded as a space to be ignored on that row.
- Read all flat chart odd rows – 1, 3, 5 etc from right to left and all flat chart even rows – 2, 4, 6 etc from left to right.
- Read every round from a circular chart from right to left.
Also included in this months download is the Starfish pattern. I am going to knit a few of these to sprinkle randomly over my blanket. These Starfish will each take about 6 grs of yarn. I can see quite a few colourful starfish on my blanket.
I hope that you will share your pictures and progress with me! I am trying to decide the best way. A group on Facebook and/or a thread on Ravelry. Have you got any other suggestions?
I am having a lot of fun knitting up Sea Stars, this month’s add on! But I think that next month’s add on will be just as much fun! Now what could they be?
Hint – what is the famous day in February that is celebrated with “?”‘s and flowers!
Happy New Year!
Happy Knitting
Lynette
