Wavy ripples

Wavy ripples blanket

Approx 150/200 gm of DK yarn

With 7mm (UK size 2) needles cast on 120 stitches and knit 7 rows
Change to 3mm (UK size 11) needles and knit 7 rows.

Alternate the needles every 7 rows until work measures approx 26” ending with the 7mm (UK size 2) size.
Cast off.

If you do not have 7mm needles, this pattern is still quite effective using 5mm (UK size 6) and 3mm (UK size 11) needles but the edge will not be quite as wavy.

Chequerboard

Requirements

Pair of No. 4mm (UK size 8) needles
1 x 100g ball of acrylic double knitting wool – colour A
1 x 100g ball of acrylic double knitting wool – colour B

Method

Cast on 20 stitches in colour A.
Rows 1 – 4 Knit.
Row 5 – 6. Knit 2, Purl 2. Continue this to the last 2 stitches. Knit 2.
Row 7 – 8. Knit 2.Then Knit 2 Purl 2 to last 2 stitches. Knit 2.
Repeat rows 5 – 8 another 4 times.
There will now be 10 blocks of double moss stitch.
Knit 4 rows.

Change to colour B. Repeat the 28 rows as for Colour A. Continue alternating colours until you have completed 7 ‘blocks’ finishing with Colour A. Cast Off.

Make a further 3 strips starting and finishing with colour A. Make 3 strips starting and finishing with Colour B. The size of this blanket can be altered by adding to the length of each row and by adding more rows.

Sew strips together, alternately, the outside strips will begin and end with Colour A. Alternately – make up your own design using a variety of different colours.

Basket weave

Basket weave

Approx 150/200 gm of DK yarn

With 4mm needles (UK size 8) cast on 140 stitches.

Rows 1 – 10 Knit
Rows 11 – 20 Knit 10, * Knit 10, Purl 10* repeat * to * until last 10 sts, Knit 10
Rows 21 – 30 Knit 10, *Purl 10, Knit 10* repeat * to * until last 10 sts, Knit 10

Continue with this pattern until blanket measures approx 24 inches.

Knit final 10 rows. Cast off.

Log cabin (blanket without sewing)

Log cabin knitted blanketsKathleen Gibson kindly provided this copyright pattern for Project Linus UK.

Materials: Approximately 135g Double Knitting yarn. 4mm (UK size 8) needles
Finished size: approx 20 inches square.

Worked in garter stitch, slipping first stitch of each row.

Cast on 20 stitches. Knit 38 rows to make the central square. Cast off leaving last stitch on right hand needle. Pick up 19sts evenly along the left side of the square – 20 sts. When picking up, put pick up needle through the ‘bumps’ instead of the ‘loops’ as this will give a tighter seam.

Knit 19 rows. This creates the first ‘log’ of the log cabin. (At the end of the first row there may be a ‘loop’. If so, knit in with the last stitch.)

Cast off as before, leaving last stitch on right hand needle. Pick up down the left side – 10 sts from the side of the last knitted block and 20 sts from the cast on edge of the original square. 30 sts.

Continue in this manner. The next 2 ‘logs’ will have 40 stitches, following 2 logs 60 sts etc. When 4 logs are completed on each side of the central square (100 sts) cast off. Carefully sew in any ends – or weave them in as you go.

NB. Always cast off with the same side facing up and pick up down the left side of the work.

Variations:

  • Enlarge it – always working the same number of logs on each side of the central square
  • Use a variety of colours and try using more than one colour in each ‘log’
  • Change the central square to a rectangle
  • Change the width of the logs

New blanket square

The long double pointed needles you can buy now mean that it is possible to hold more stitches on the needle with the weight of the knitting on your lap. So you can make a blanket all in one go. But even so there are advantages in making a blanket out of smaller squares. The traditional blanket made out of knitted squares was a useful way of using up oddments of yarn. Knitting individual squares means that you never have too many stitches on the needle at once. A blanket knitted all in one go can sag and stretch. But, the big problem with the traditional squares was sewing them together as this is difficult to do well. The sewing has to be firm but not lumpy.

However, this pattern allows you to make a blanket out of squares without having to sew them together. The result has a much better tension, drape and feel than a sewn blanket.

Cast on 41 stitches. Knit one row. Turn. The right side of the work is now facing you.
Knit 19. Knit 3 together through back of loops. Knit 19.
Knit one row.
Knit 18. Knit 3 together through back of loops. Knit 18.
Continue in this way until 3 stitches remain. Knit 3 together and fasten off.

This is your first square and will be on the bottom left hand corner of the finished blanket with the line of knit 3 tog stitches going from bottom left to top right.new-blanket-square-1

To make the next square, cast on 21, preferably with thumb method, and, with the stitches on the right hand needle, pick up 20 stitches along the right hand side of the first square. Work the second square on these stitches. Make as many squares as you want on the bottom row.

To make the left hand square on the next row, pick up 20 stitches along the top of the first square then cast on 21 stitches, using a ‘knitting on’ technique so you are going left to right. Work the square on these stitches.

For the next, and all subsequent squares on that row, pick up 20 stitches on the top of the square below, one stitch right in the corner and 20 stitches up the right hand side of the previous square. Make as many rows as you want.

Weave in as many ends as you can while working, fasten off any remaining ends. To finish it off really neatly, use a long double pointed needle and pick up 20 sts along each square on one side. Knit 3 or 5 rows and cast off all but the last stitch. Pick up 3 or 5 sts along the side you have just knitted then 20 sts along each square on the next side and repeat. Do the same for the remaining two sides.