Pattern: Surprise by Cinzia New York
Yarn: Berroco Vintage DK
Needle Size: US 8 (5 mm)
Modifications: I used a fairly lightweight yarn on biggish needles for a very drapey blanket... almost a wrap, really. I added three repeats to the width and then knit the chart 48 times until the yarn was gone. Another game of Yarn Chicken won: less than 2 yards left.
Comments: At the beginning of June I purchased a half dozen skeins of Berroco Vintage DK with the idea of working a border on some crocheted hexagons to finish one blanket and to make a second blanket with the leftovers of that border colour. That worked out better than I could have hoped. This second blanket has worked up at 36" x 48" - a really nice, generously sized blanket.The pattern is very simple - mock cable and traveling eyelets. It works up very quickly and yields a very beautiful result. I started and finished mine in about two and half weeks. I'd definitely consider this pattern again for another baby blanket. Typically I can knit the first half of a baby blanket enthusiastically but then entirely run out of steam for the second half. This blanket was on and off the needles before I even had a chance to get tired of it. Perfect!
The yarn is labelled as "Machine wash and lay flat to dry". This weekend I'm going to try laundering it according to those directions to make sure it's durable enough for everyday use. Well actually I also intend to tumble dry on low until it's just damp! I picked up a delicates bag for in the washer/dryer with the hope that separating it that way will keep it from pilling during the agitation. If necessary, I'll gift a delicates bag along with the blanket. My feeling is that I'd rather know how well it launders before I give it away. I'd hate to hand it over to a new Mom only to find out it was wrecked at the first washing. We'd both feel badly about that.The Berroco Vintage is a really lovely yarn to work with. It's blissfully soft, not too splitty and comes in a gorgeous range of colours. If the laundering experiment works out, I'll definitely buy more for children's items like this. Fingers crossed!
Happy Friday everyone. And you know the drill - go check out all the great things on this Finished Object Friday over at Tami's Amis!
23 comments:
It looks lovely. I have to knit a blanket for a friend - this is now on the list of choices
Oooh... really lovely!
This blue is my blue! :-)
That looks so cuddly. Good luck with the laundering.
It looks like a lovely little blanket and I have a love for little blankets...but they take me forever. My track record with baby blankets is not good. Little Man's baby blanket took me about a year and a half to do (and it's still not had ends woven in and been washed properly) and the one I made for Sassy Girl (one of our nieces) took almost six months. ::sigh::
So very pretty! I love the pattern and that gorgeous, deep blue yarn.
Must remember that one for future reference. Very lovely blanket. Hope it passes the wash test.
Great blanket! I'm usually not a fan of acrylic blends but I used Vintage in a hat for my dad once and thought it was fabulous. Good luck with the washing experiment!
I love your blanket , nicely done ! Berroco Vintage is my favourite yarn for baby blankets . I've knit several for my grandchildren and they 've held up very well over time . The laundry bag is a great idea , if you're worried about how it will be handled once gifted ...
Terrific FO! The color is deep and the stitch pattern is timeless and unisex. Man, 2.5 weeks? I bow down!
Beautiful Lynn
Congrats on being Yarn Chicken Champion of the world!
It came out great! I love Vintage too!
Beautiful blanket and beautiful blue. Yarn Chicken - just realised I play that quite a lot... and lose!
Gorgeous blanket. Sounds like a great pattern to be able to hold your attention the entire time. I agree that the first half is usually the best, and the rest is just perseverance!
That is GORGEOUS! Congrats.
Beautiful blanket! I may have to pick up that pattern
That is lovely. I love the colour and pattern. Good idea with trying out washing before you gift it. I am the same, as much as I like working with lovely yarns, there is no point if they need to be washed regularly.
Oooh gorgeous! And quite a good size too. Lucky baby!
Gorgeous colour. Looks very snuggly and squishy!
Beautiful blanket!
Do share the washing/drying info. I'd love to be able to make baby blankets in something that isn't 100% synthetic.
Beautiful, they pattern is gorgeous and I love the colour. Deb x
What a fabulous baby blanket finish. The drapey ness you describe will be wonderful for that little one. It is a truly magnificent gift.
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