UPDATE: This Knit-Along is now finished. Click here to get all the patterns for this blanket for free.
Hey folks, time for the 11th knit-along in my baby blanket series! This time we’re doing this oh-so-pretty stitch pattern called Eyelet Crescents. No, they’re not cables, just some clever placement of decrease stitches. I love how knitting can make so man shapes with just a few basic stitches! This blanket square, and the next square that I’ll share, are the closest thing to open work we’ll get in this project.
You’ll be using your third lightest shade (colour 3, or light brown) for this blanket block. It uses stocking stitch, yarnovers, and left-leaning decreases. I have put them in as slip, slip, knit (ssk) but you can also do slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over (sl1, k1, psso) if you prefer.
The Pattern
Download the pattern for this Eyelet Crescents square here: Knit-Along Eyelet Crescents Stitch Square
Easy Baby Blanket – Knit-along – Square 4 – Little Rabbits Stitch
UPDATE: This Knit-Along is now finished. Click here to get all the patterns for this blanket for free.
I hope you enjoyed my last knit-along posts. I’ve done three blanket squares so far and today I’m sharing the fourth.
If you haven’t seen them yet, jump over to my other knit-along blanket block posts. So far I’ve done a heart, a cat, and a Bamboo Stitch blanket square. In the heart video I went over in more detail about the blanket generally, yarn, needles, and the techniques that will be used.
This week we’re doing a different style of pattern. It’s this two tone tweed stitch rectangle. The stitch pattern I based this square off called the stitch diamond tweed, but the lighter parts to me look like little rabbits, so I’ve called this square the little rabbit stitch square.
As you can see in this diagram of the finished blanket, the top row is made of squares which feature the darkest brown colour, which I’ve called colour 5. The square we’re working on today is going to be the rightmost square on the top row. You’ll be using colour five as colour A and colour 3, the middle shade, as your contrast colour, or colour B.
Get the pattern
Download the pattern for this Bamboo Stitch square here: Knit-Along Little Rabbits Stitch Square
Thanks so much for reading and following along with this project! I’ll be trying to post videos and patterns for this knit-along project as close to weekly as I can. If you don’t want to miss a new rectangle to knit, remember to subscribe to my YouTube channel and tap the bell icon so you get notified when a new video is up. You can also add me as a friend on Ravelry.
Easy Baby Blanket – Knit-along – square 3 – Bamboo Stitch
UPDATE: This Knit-Along is now finished. Click here to get all the patterns for this blanket for free.
Hi everyone and welcome back to my knit-along series for this neutral-tone baby blanket. Scroll down to get the free written pattern.
I hope you enjoyed my last knit-along baby blanket blocks, the stocking stitch heart and the stocking stitch cat. In the heart post and video I went over in more detail about the blanket generally, yarn, needles, and the techniques that will be used. This week we’re doing a different style of pattern. It’s this bamboo stitch rectangle.
As you can see in this diagram of the finished blanket, the heart square and the cat square both belong in the top row, and are knit in the darkest brown shade which I’ve called colour 5, along with the lightest cream shade which I’ve called colour 1. The square we’re working on today is going to be the second square from the left on the top row.
A note on tension
The tension for this blanket block is different to the tension for the stocking stitch squares we’ve done so far. I’d recommend you do a tension swatch in Bamboo Stitch before committing to doing the whole block!
Some useful links for beginners
If you’re a newer knitter and need some info on some of the terms I’m using, here are some links that might be helpful:
☼How to do the knit stitch: https://bit.ly/2VDFI03
☼How to do the purl stitch: https://bit.ly/2Fi4xuw
☼How to cast off/bind off: https://bit.ly/2Wl5vhQ
☼How to cast on (easy): https://bit.ly/2VTl0yk
☼How to cast on (SUPER easy): https://bit.ly/30Bl30f
☼How to do stocking/stockinette stitch: https://bit.ly/2JxQWl2
☼UK vs. US knitting terms: https://bit.ly/2VP2ozk
☼How to do a tension/gauge swatch: https://bit.ly/2HGNvp6
☼Yarn weight explained: https://bit.ly/2YHgLCR
☼How to weave in ends: https://bit.ly/2WUi5BO
☼How to steam block (note: this example actually puts the iron in
contact with the piece – I instead held the iron slightly above the
piece): https://bit.ly/2HNCoui
Get the pattern
Download the pattern for this Bamboo Stitch square here: Knit-Along Bamboo Stitch Square
Thanks so much for reading and following along with this project! I’ll be trying to post videos and patterns for this knit-along project as close to weekly as I can. If you don’t want to miss a new rectangle to knit, remember to subscribe to my YouTube channel and tap the bell icon so you get notified when a new video is up. You can also add me as a friend on Ravelry.
Easy Baby Blanket – Knit-along – Square 2 – Intarsia Cat
UPDATE: This Knit-Along is now finished. Click here to get all the patterns for this blanket for free.
I hope you enjoyed my last knit-along baby blanket block, which was a stocking stitch heart. If you haven’t seen it yet, jump over to that post. In that post/video, I went over in more detail about the blanket generally, yarn, needles, and the techniques that will be used.
This week we’re doing another stocking stitch intarsia pattern; this cat.
I had been hoping to post this pattern last week but unfortunately a heap of late pregnancy symptoms and post-vaccination weakness decided to all pile into a bulldozer and run me over for about five days. I’m feeling waaaay better now though so I’m back to blogging!
As you can see in my little graphic of the blanket, this is the other picture square for the top row of rectangles.
Like the heart square, we’ll be using the Value Ball Gradients brand yarn in the darkest and lightest shades, which I’ve called colour 1 and colour 5. You’ll be using 4mm needles and your tension is 19sts by 26 rows to 10cm ² in stocking stitch.
Get the pattern
Download the pattern for this cat square here (including chart): Knit-along Cat Square
Thanks so much for reading and following along with this project! I’ll be trying to post videos and patterns for this knit-along project every week, pregnancy symptoms permitting. If you don’t want to miss a new rectangle to knit, remember to subscribe to my YouTube channel and tap the bell icon so you get notified when a new video is up. You can also add me as a friend on Ravelry.
Easy Baby Blanket – Knit-along – square-1 – Intarsia Heart
UPDATE: This Knit-Along is now finished. Click here to get all the patterns for this blanket for free.
Who’s ready for a knit-along?
As I announced in my last video, I’m pregnant with my second child. I’m going to be making my baby a blanket and I thought it’d be fun to share my pattern with you week by week.
And today, I’m going to share the first square with you. It’s not really a square, as you can see, but it’s this simple intarsia heart.
A few notes
The picture squares are all knit in intarsia, which is a type of colour knitting. It is also sometimes called picture knitting.
The solid colour squares are going to be different stitch patterns which will add some texture and a bit of a challenge for newer knitters.
Yarn
The yarn I am using is called Gradients by Value Ball (100% acrylic). It comes in tubes of five 50g balls, and I bought 4 tubes, or 1kg in total.
Tension
Your tension or gauge for this project is 19sts and 26 rows to 10cm ² in stocking stitch using 4mm needles.
Blanket Specs
The blanket itself as you can see is rectangular and is going to be about cm 74cm by 102cm.
The background colour for all the picture rectangles is the lightest shade which I’ve called colour 1, and the contrast colour for each of the rows starts with the darkest shade in the top row, going down to the lightest shade in the bottom, and the textures squares in between are going to primarily be in the same contrast colour, although some of them will be two colour stitch patterns just to add some interest.
If you’re a newer knitter and need some info on some of the terms I’m using, here are some links that might be helpful:
☼How to do the knit stitch: https://bit.ly/2VDFI03
☼How to do the purl stitch: https://bit.ly/2Fi4xuw
☼How to cast off/bind off: https://bit.ly/2Wl5vhQ
☼How to cast on (easy): https://bit.ly/2VTl0yk
☼How to cast on (SUPER easy): https://bit.ly/30Bl30f
☼How to do stocking/stockinette stitch: https://bit.ly/2JxQWl2
☼UK vs. US knitting terms: https://bit.ly/2VP2ozk
☼How to do a tension/gauge swatch: https://bit.ly/2HGNvp6
☼Yarn weight explained: https://bit.ly/2YHgLCR
☼How to weave in ends: https://bit.ly/2WUi5BO
☼How to steam block (note: this example actually puts the iron in contact with the piece – I instead held the iron slightly above the piece): https://bit.ly/2HNCoui
Some notes on intarsia
In true intarsia, every time you change colours, you switch to a new ball of yarn. This is different to other colour work like stranded knitting where you carry the previous colours behind the work to use again further along the row.
The balls of yarn can of course travel with you upwards (from one row to the next).
Knitting colour work like this can mean you end up with a lot of balls of yarn on the go! It can get hard to manage, but there are a few things you can do to help make it easier. Here are some options:
-Instead of using a whole ball of yarn, just use a long strand. This is only practical when you have a pretty small section in one colour.
-Make yourself some small centre-pull balls for each colour change.
-Make some butterflies (see pics above). These are basically really loose centre-pull balls. Here’s how you make one: Grab a length of yarn and wrap it around 3 fingers. Once you’ve rolled most of the yarn you’ll be needing in this way, take it off your fingers then wrap the yarn around the centre of the loop you have created a few times. Then cut the yarn and tuck this tail under the last wrap around that you just did. You knit from the tail which is coming out of the middle of the butterfly so it unwinds nicely as you knit, from the inside of the butterfly out.
When you change yarns, it’s really important that you lay the working yarn from the old colour over the top of the new colour, so that the two strands are entwined. This means you won’t have big gaps where the colours change.
Get the pattern
Download the pattern for this heart square here (including chart): Knit-along Heart Square
Thanks so much for reading and following along with this project! I’ll be trying to post videos and patterns for this knit-along project every week at least. If you don’t want to miss a new rectangle to knit, remember to subscribe to my YouTube channel and tap the bell icon so you get notified when a new video is up. You can also add me as a friend on Ravelry.
DIY Knitting Needles – Make your own chunky double-pointed needles for $3
Let’s learn how to DIY your own chunky double-pointed knitting needles!
If you love knitting, you love making. If you’re like me, you like making all kinds of stuff, not just knitting. So here’s how to truly knit from scratch, all the way to making your own needles.
Recently I had an idea for a new pattern for a chunky hat, and I wanted to knit it in the round, but I didn’t have any double-pointed needles (DPNs) large enough for the yarn I was planning to use, which was 9.5mm.
What are double pointed needles?
If you’re pretty new to knitting, you might not know what double-pointed needles are. Simply put, they’re needles with a point on both ends. They are used in sets of four and occasionally sets of five, to do circular knitting. That’s where, instead of knitting a flat piece of fabric, you knit a tube. This is really useful for socks, hats, and many other garments. I even used circular knitting to make my wedding dress.
Chunky DPNs are expensive – unless you make your own
I needed these chunky needles, but when I looked online for some, I found out that not only are really chunky DPNs hard to find, but they are expensive! You’re looking in the region of $12 (Australian) for a set. So I decided to make my own, and I made mine for about $3. Create your own DIY knitting needles by following along with my video!
I totally invented a hack – internet win!
I’m not a woodworking pro by any stretch of the imagination, and I didn’t have any fancy tools, but I figured out a really neat hack to make the sharp tips – you use a pencil sharpener!
I don’t know if anyone else has figured this out already, but I’m pretty chuffed to have thought of it myself. It’s the little things, you know?
Let me show you how to make your own cheap and chunky DPNs using a pencil sharpener.
Let’s make some needles
The things you’ll need are:
-A 1.2m length of wooden dowel. I bought a 9.5mm diameter length of dowel from my local Bunnings for $2.74 Australian.
-A pencil sharpener of course. If you’re making chunkier needles, you’ll need a pencil sharpener with a hole large enough to fit your dowel. DO NOT use your best sharpener for this project as it’s hard on the blades. You may even want to buy a new sharpener for this project if you don’t want to risk blunting your regular pencil sharpener.
-A saw to cut your dowel. Or, you can ask your hardware store to cut your dowel for you, into 30cm/1’ lengths. My hardware store does this for free.
-Some sandpaper. I used what we already had at home, which was P180. This is a very fine macro grit apparently (thanks, Google). I know nothing about sandpaper though. The piece I used was already partly worn so less abrasive than what it would have been fresh, and I think that worked well for this project. You want a fairly fine grain to make sure your finished needle is nice and smooth.
-Some varnish or gloss to paint your needles. I used Cabot’s CFP Floor, a polyurethane floor coating. We already had this in our garden shed, and it did the trick.
-A paint brush (for varnishing)
-A ruler
-A pencil
How to make your needles
Cut your wood into 30cm/1’ lengths. I did this myself but as I mentioned above, hardware stores are often happy to do this for you for free.
Next, mark an inch from both ends of each length of dowel. This will give you an idea of when to stop sharpening.
Then, grab your pencil sharpener and start sharpening!
The secret I found for this technique is to go slowly, and be prepared to stop and sand it down if your wood gets snagged. Don’t wait until the wood is really jammed in the sharpener before you stop, or the wood will get rough and the shape of the point will be uneven. We’re aiming for as smooth a point as possible, so your yarn doesn’t get stuck to the wood while you knit.
Keep sharpening until you get to the line you marked an inch from the end. Now, use your sandpaper to get the wood as smooth and snag-proof as you can.
This won’t make an absolutely factory-quality needle, mind you. Your ends won’t be completely uniform with one another, but they will be pretty close and do the job nicely.
Give the whole needle a quick sand. Then finish your needle with a couple of coats of varnish or other finish. As well as preventing the wood from splintering, this gives the wood a nice sheen.
Once you’ve made your set of needles using this method, all that’s left is to start knitting!
I made mine so I could design a chunky baby beanie. Tell me in the comments what you’re planning to make with yours!
I’m no woodworking expert, like, AT ALL, but I enjoy having a crack at it from time to time. If you had fun with this project, you might be interested in reading my tutorial for how to make a 45° Lazy Kate (a tool used for handspinning). I hope this tutorial helped you turn some yarn into fun today! At the very least, I hope you had fun making your DIY knitting needles. If you enjoyed watching the video too, please give the video a thumbs up and consider subscribing to my channel.
Video Tutorial – Stocking/Stockinette Stitch Knitted Flower
This knitted flower pattern is a great little shape you can use on all kinds of projects. I hope you enjoy this VERY easy project. Check out the video then download the free PDF below!
I call this knitted flower a rose in the video. But it would work just as well as a peony, a ranunculus, or even a camellia. It uses a simple, single rolled knitted piece to make its classic flower shape and can be used for all kinds of projects. Here is one I attached, along with some knitted leaves, to a pin to make a brooch.
And being only 6 rows long, the flower will knit up in about 20 minutes!
Knitted Flower – The Pattern
Download the PDF here: Knitted Flower Pattern
Yarn: Small amount 8ply acrylic yarn (I used TRS Knit & Purl in the video)
Needles: 4mm straight needles
Tension: 22 sts x 30 rows = 10cm2
Notions: Craft scissors, tapestry needle.
Pattern
Cast on 10 sts, leaving a 30cm tail.
Row 1: Increase into every stitch. 20 sts.
Rows 2 and 4: P all sts.
Row 3: Increase into every stitch. 40 sts.
Row 5: Increase into every stitch. 80 sts.
Row 6: P all sts.
Cast off all sts, leaving a 30cm tail.
Roll the piece into the shape of a rose, with the tail from the cast off edge at the back of the rose.
Thread the cast on tail onto a tapestry needle. Work a whip stitch up the row edge, finishing at the cast off edge. Pass this tail through the centre of the rose from the front to the back. Weave in this end, but if you are planning to attach this rose to something else, do not cut the tail, as the tail can be used to attach the rose to the other object.
Thread the cast off tail onto a tapestry needle. Work a whip stitch down the row edges on the back of the rose to secure the shape of the rose, and weave in end. Again, this tail can be used to attach the rose to something else.
Felicity – Beginner Knitting Pattern – Garter Stitch Headband
A quick and cute garter stitch project
Some of you will have noticed that I’ve recently started a YouTube channel. One reason for that is I want to introduce more people to knitting and to make beginner knitting projects fun and achievable. No more boring garter stitch scarves that nobody ever finishes! I’m pretty excited to share this new beginner knitting tutorial for you today. I call her Felicity and she’s a garter stitch headband, and she is the perfect first knitting project.
Even if you’re a beginner knitter, you’ll be able to start and finish this headband in an evening. Take a look at the video tutorial above, and keep reading below for the written pattern (there’s a link to a PDF below too).
If you like this headband, you might be interested in these posts on beginner knitting project ideas:
- Garter Be Kidding Me bow headband
- The Mau garter stitch baby hat
- Five things to make from your garter stitch squares
- Colour Cube and Balls educational toy
Felicity – The Pattern
Download the PDF here: Felicity garter stitch headband
Yarn: Approx 25g of 4 Seasons Marvel Soft 8ply
Needles: 4mm straight needles
Tension: 22 sts x 30 rows = 10cm2 (but tension is not crucial for this project)
Notions: Craft scissors, tapestry needle, tape measure, calculator.
Determine Headband Length
Measure the head circumference of the intended wearer. Make sure to measure around where you intend the headband to sit. If you don’t have a specific head to measure, you can find a guide to head sizing here.
Record the circumference here: ________
Multiply this number by 0.8. Record that number here: _______
This second number is going to be the length of your headband.
Headband
Cast on 15 sts, leaving a tail at least 30cm long. Work in garter stitch until the piece is the length you calculated earlier (head circumference x 0.8). Cast off all stitches. Cut a tail that is 3 metres long. Secure this long tail in a butterfly/small centre-pull ball.
Using the tail from the cast on, sew the cast on and cast off edges together using whip stitch and weave in end.
Form a gather at the seam like a paper fan (see image below as an example).
Holding the seam in this gather with one hand, wind the long tail from the cast on around the seam multiple times until this wrap is as wide and as thick as desired. Fasten off and weave in this end.
Steam block if desired.
Bob – Baby Pram Blanket – New Pattern Available!
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There’s something both fun and fancy about knitted bobbles (also called nupps), isn’t there? I feel they’re equally at home on a chunky Aran pullover or a dainty lace shawl. They even featured on the train of my hand-knitted lace wedding gown.
With that in mind, I’m extremely excited to announce my newest knitting pattern, full of fun bobbles. Meet Bob, the baby pram blanket! Scroll down to get the pattern right away, or keep reading to find out more about it.
If you’re wondering about the crochet rabbit in this photo, it is made using the pattern Animal Planet from AwareKnits by Vickie Howell and Adrienne Armstrong.
Perfect timing for a Christmas gift
It’s September and I’m sure many of you are planning some knitted gifts for loved ones. This blanket will be an ideal first Christmas gift for the baby in your life. If you’ve got enough cozy nights on the couch to spare, it’ll be knitted, blocked and wrapped well before the reindeer come calling.
When my daughter was born, a friend sent us a small square blanket, a similar size to Bob (1x1m). I can tell you, it has had a lot of use, not just for keeping baby’s lap warm in the pram.
Bob is big enough to work as a play mat, yet not so big that parents can’t fit it in a nappy bag (with all.the.other.stuff). It can warm a baby’s knees, or cover up a nursing mother. The bobbles are great tactile stimulation for a baby exploring their world. The yarn is a soft acrylic so it won’t be rough on baby’s skin, but it is easy care and can be chucked in the washing machine. For new parents, machine-washability is all important!
Bob is made with a 10ply yarn and large needles, and the zig zag bobble pattern, though difficult-looking, is a cinch and very easy to memorise.
A great challenge for the newer knitter
Bob (named after the bobbles in the pattern, if you’re wondering) features some slightly challenging stitches: bobbles and twisted stitches. They’re impressive looking but once you get the hang of them, no stitch in this project is difficult to master. A newer knitter wanting to stretch their skills will have fun working on these fancy stitches.
Get the pattern
Bob is available as a PDF on my Ravelry store for $5AUD. Click on over to my Ravelry store to get yourself the pattern! Or click the button below to get it straight away.
I really hope you enjoy knitting and gifting the Bob baby blanket. If you do make it, I would love to see a photo on your Ravelry project. Or you, can tag me on Instagram @knitkatpaddywhack .
Peace,
Kat
HOW TO KNIT | Cast Off
Hey guys! I’ve been having a great time sharing these “how to knit” videos for all the beginner knitters out there. Today I’m sharing a video for how to cast off your knitting.
With my other videos on how to cast on, how to do the knit stitch, and with today’s video, you will have all the skills you need to make a variety of beautiful projects. Check out my post on things to make from your garter stitch squares, the Garter be Kidding Me bow headband, and the cube portion of the Colour Cube + Balls.