Colorful Crafting with Jen: Koigu Basket Weave Baby Blanket
My friend Aimee is due in November. She and her husband are one of the few couples I know who haven't found out if they are having a boy or a girl. I love the idea of not knowing as the parent, but it sure does make it harder to choose colors when you are the gift giver! I wanted to make something colorful and cheerful that would suit either a boy or a girl, but not too bright because Aimee prefers softer colors. I also wanted the finished product to be washable, of course. When I started thinking about this blanket, we had just received a new shipment of Koigu KPPPM (their multi-color 4 ply merino). I chose a bright color that caught my eye and decided to knit it together with a strand of natural white Koigu KPM (their single-color 4 ply merino) to soften the overall color of the blanket. This blanket has so many possibilities since you use two strands held together to work the blanket. For instance, a solid other than natural white could be used to emphasize one of the colors from the multi, or you could use eight skeins of the same multi to achieve a more saturated look. Enjoy! --Jen
Materials
- 4 skeins of Koigu KPPPM, I used color 119
- 4 skeins of Koigu KPM, I used color 0000
- US size 7, 24-inch circular needle (or size needed to get the correct gauge)
- Tapestry needle
Gauge
- 18 stitches = 4 inches in basket weave stitch (please note: yarn is doubled throughout)
Finished Measurements
- Approximately 29-inches square
The Pattern
With one strand of each color held together, cast on 132 stitches.
Knit 2 rows.
Rows 1 - 20: K18, p16, *k16, p16; repeat from * to last two stitches, k2.
Rows 21 - 40: K2, *p16, k16; repeat from * to last two stitches, k2.
Repeat these 40 rows four more times.
Knit 2 rows.
Bind off loosely.
Use tapestry needle to sew in ends.
September 13, 2009
Reader Comments (27)
Mares
Lisa
Sometimes knitters are looser on the purl side then the knit side, which might be creating the problem. You shouldn't be pulling tight when you switch the yarn from front to back, however the yarn shouldn't be loose either. I wonder if you are somehow wrapping the yarn over the needle instead of between the needles? If your project is ending up too short the easiest fix would be to add a few more repeats to lengthen the project. If you are in NYC please feel free to drop by the shop for more personal help.
Joelle
This blanket would probably benefit from blocking but it really depends on the knitter.
thank you
patricia
You'll need to cast on a multiple of 16 plus 4 to resize this blanket.
Thanks for your question!
Molly
The best way to calculate how much yarn you'll need is to first figure that a 29 x 29 inch blanket is 841 square inches and uses 8 skeins of yarn. Next, determine the square inches of the throw you want to make, then divide that number by the square inches of this blanket, then multiply that number by 8.
For example, a 36 x 52 inch throw: 36 x 52 = 1,872 square inches divided by 841 = 2.22 x 8 (skeins) = 17.8. So you would want to buy 18 skeins of Koigu KPM (9 of each color).
Please let me know if you want help calculating for a specific size. I'd be happy to do it!
Whitney
Judith
Just want to make sure I'm on track- I want to make a throw 44x60 so that equals 2640 sq inches divided by 841 = 3.139 x 8 =25.11. I bought 26 skeins- 13 in each color. Is that right? I had the yarn wound and it doesn't look like it's going to reach the dimentions.
Should I cast on until I reach 44 inches making sure I have the right multiples or is there a calculation for that? I'm planing on 5 stitches on each side for the border sides and 5 rows top and bottom. Also stitching 10 knits and 10 purls- I think a slightly larger basket weave might look better on a big blanket- your thoughts?
Thanks so much- I'm a fairly new to knitting- sorry if I'm asking dopey questions. Really appreciate your help and I love the website and the store.
Judith
I think that 26 skeins should do it (provided you get the proper gauge of 18 stitches to 4 inches). If you're worried about it, you can buy extra skeins and leave them unwound so that in case you don't use them you can exchange them later. It can be very difficult to find the same colors twice with Koigu, so keep that in mind too!
As far as casting on goes, you should first make sure you're getting the proper gauge by doing a gauge swatch. If you're unfamiliar with this concept, you may want to check in with our Not Too Tight Tutorial here: http://purlbee.squarespace.com/not-too-tight-tutorial/
Then you'll want to cast on 200 stitches which will give you 10 border stitches (5 on each side) and 19 blocks of 10 stitches each. I arrived at this number by multiplying the gauge (4.5 stitches = 1 inch) by the width (44 inches).
I hope this helps!
Whitney
We would recommend markers. Place them at every point where you are to change from knitting to purling. You can also use a row counter to count the rows. Unfortunately there is no easy fix for this but you'll be able to recognize where you have knit or purled as you get more experienced. Also, if you get very lost, you can always bring it in to our store- or most any local yarn store- and they should be able to tell you where you are.
Hope this helps! Thanks for your question and good luck!
Molly
eg 9x9x9 . 9st garter /9st seed across for nine rows ,Then switch to 9st seed /9stgarter for nine rows . Odd numbers have a big advantage in that the first and last section are always the same and each seed section starts with a knit st no matter what side you are on . I have experimented and found that 7st or bigger sections work out best . It is totally reversible as well.
The perfect car trip or commuter take along.
You need to double this particular yarn to get the correct gauge. However if you use a thicker yarn you should be able to get the gauge (18-stitches over 4 inches in the basket weave stitch) without doubling it. A light worsted weight yarn should be able to get the correct gauge without doubling.
Thank you so much for your question and good luck with the project!
Molly