Babies = Warm Cuddlies.

If you haven't noticed, everyone around us is either getting married or having a baby.  In the last 2 years, I think I have knit seven baby blankets for my friends.  Crazy.  That's a lot of hours if I think about it.  But you know what?  Each one has turned out amazing and were, or are, well-used by the babies who received them.  This makes me happy.  Many of them have been the entrelac pattern that I like so much, but the last one I made, I made in a fan and feather pattern.  It's a lacy one that is much quicker to complete and really pretty.

This pattern is done in multiples of 18.  So for this project, I cast on 172 stitches.  (That's 9 x 18 +10 so that I could have 5 stitches on either end for a border.)  I also used a size 8 circular needle and cotton yarn from an ugly Goodwill sweater.  (The colors are really nice as you can see, just not the way it was used in this particular sweater.)  I always use 100% cotton yarn in all my baby blankets since it's super soft and I just don't like the idea of making tiny humans cuddle up to something unnatural like acrylic.  (Yuck.)

Rows 1-5: Knit
Row 6: Purl
Row 7: K5, *(k2tog) 3 times, (k1, yo) 6 times, (k2tog) 3 times.  Repeat from * until last 5 stitches.  K5.
Row 8: Purl

Continue alternating between row 7 and 8 (right side and wrong side respectively) until you feel like it's long enough or until you run out of yarn.  Then finish with another 5 rows of K.

Here are the abbreviations if you aren't used to reading them:
K5: knit 5 stitches
k2tog: knit 2 stitches together
yo: yarn over
k1: knit one stitch

That's it, super easy.  Well, as long as you're good at counting.  It's really important for this pattern that you do exactly each number and don't forget the yarn overs!  There were so many times I realized I forgot a yarn over or two and realized a line and a half later.  I definitely did some major rewinding at times, which is a pain in the ass.  So count count count and keep track of where you are.  After a few lines, you'll know based on how it looks what you need to be doing next which helps, but it doesn't prevent mistakes, it just makes it obvious when you're off by a stitch or two.

After I took these pictures, I also added a thick double crochet border all the way around.  I always finish my blankets with a crocheted border because I think it makes the whole blanket look cleaner and more polished.

The detail... so pretty.  (This is a for a pretty little girl with awesomely cool parents.)