Yarn:
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
* Sadly, Baby’s First Yarn is discontinued! It was so good. Sponge-y, soft, and lightweight! This cotton blend yarn awas so perfect. I do not currently know of a good replacement but check out the Lion Brand Store on Amazon for a wealth of selections.
Needles: US Size 9 (5.5mm) Knitting Needles Circular
24″ or longer
Skill Level: Advanced Beginner
Measurements/Sizing: Approx. 36″ x 36″
Pattern:
Find this pattern and many of my patterns on My Etsy.
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.