Knit Diagonal Stripe Baby BlanketYarn:
8 Skeins Lion Brand Baby’s First Yarn, Bulky Weight,
55% Acrylic 45% Cotton, 120 Yards, $5.99 in 2 Colors:
3.5 Balls Cotton Ball (Bright White) #925-100
3.5 Balls Honey Bee (Buttercup Yellow) #925-157

Needles: US Size 9 (5.5mm) Knitting Needles Circular
24″ or longer

Skill Level: Advanced Beginner

Measurements/Sizing: Approx. 36″ x 36″

Pattern:
Cast on 5 sts.
Row 1: Knit.
Row 2: K3, yo, k2.
Row 3: K3, yo, k3.
Row 4: K3, yo, k to end of row.
Rep Row 4 until you have 144 sts on needle.
Next (decrease) row: K2, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k to end.
Rep last row until 5 sts remain. Bind off. Weave in ends.

Knit Diagonal Stripe Baby Blanket
Knit Diagonal Stripe Baby Blanket
Knit Diagonal Stripe Baby Blanket
Knit Diagonal Stripe Baby Blanket

I made this diagonal stripe baby blanket for my brother who’s expecting!! I wanted something warm and bright, snuggly yet light. So I paired this sunny and cheery color scheme with a heavier weight yarn.

The color scheme also makes it more versatile, accommodating a wider variety of decor. Girl or boy! Not light enough for Summer but perfect for Fall/Winter.

I used Lion Brand Baby’s First Yarn, a Bulky Weight yarn that knits up quick and is SO SOFT! It has a slight spongy feel. I loved the colors – muted and soft yet cheerful. It’s Cotton/Acrylic but on the heavy side.

I chose this yarn for its softness, color palette, and because it’s 100% washable and dryable on high heat! So it’s easy care and easy to keep germies away. Bulky Weight yarn is also a great option for knitting large pieces like a blanket since it speeds things up.

Notes
Original Pattern – Octavia Blanket by Lion Brand Yarn

This knits up in a diamond shape basically. So in the beginning you will be knitting a giant pyramid by increasing stitches then halfway through you will be decreasing stitches to knit the second pyramid. When complete and turned horizontal, the piece will have diagonal stripes!

For changing colors, I carried the colors up the side so there would be less ends to weave in. Twist yarn and pick up color at the beginning of each Right Side row to “carry” the yarn up the side of the piece. Only change colors on Right Side of work (when Right Side of work is facing you).

Try Magic Knot Join for adding yarn or switching colors as seen here. A nice yarn joining technique for synthetic (non-felting) yarns. Otherwise, Russian Join is my go-to technique for natural fiber yarns (feltable)!

I created irregular stripes in 2,4, and 6 row intervals. This creates a 1,2, and 3 row color change appearance. Next time I will choose wider stripes 4, 8, and 12 row intervals perhaps.

I eyeballed the stripes so they’re completely random but I found an online random stripe generator from Biscuits & Jam created specifically for knitting and crochet projects! Free!

Random Stripe Maker http://www.biscuitsandjam.com/stripe_maker.php

Be careful to use the colors equally throughout the piece. So one color does not run out before the piece is finished. Leaving you without enough yarn to keep striping! Or simply make sure you have at least 4 balls of each color.

This blanket took quite awhile to make. But it’s a generous size, big enough to fit nicely into a crib and to grow with!

A single color blanker will only require 6 full balls of yarn since you do not lose yarn changing colors for the carry-up or extra ends.