How to Knit a Yellow & Pink Baby Blanket for Beginners
Even a beginner can knit a lovely striped baby blanket for the new arrival in your life. This pattern is simple but flexible enough to make every blanket unique. Knit pink and yellow stripes for a baby girl or change the colors to make a blanket for a baby boy in blue and yellow. Plan ahead for a baby of unknown gender by knitting this pattern in yellow and green or choose colors to match the baby's nursery or the parents' favorite sports team. Once you master the skill of changing colors for stripes, the possibilities are endless.
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Things You'll Need
- Yellow sport weight yarn, 11 oz.
- Pink sport weight yarn, 11 oz.
- Size 7 knitting needles, straight or circular
- Tape measure
- Scissors
- Crochet hook
Instructions
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1
Choose the yarn. A sport weight or baby yarn will have a number two pictured in a yarn skein icon on the label, and will create a lightweight blanket. Look for a yarn with a soft texture. Buy at least 11 oz. each of yellow and pink yarns. The amount used may vary depending on your stripe pattern.
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2
Cast on 150 stitches with pink yarn. Use a long tail cast-on for a firm, stable edge to your afghan.
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3
Knit two rows in garter stitch with pink yarn. Garter stitch, in which you knit every stitch, is easy and quick to produce, making it a great choice for beginners.
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4
Drop the pink yarn and begin knitting with the yellow yarn. Knit two rows with yellow for a pattern of equally sized, narrow stripes.
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5
Vary the width of stripes by knitting any even number of rows before switching colors. If the stripes are more than two rows, twist the two strands of yarn together every other row when you reach the edge where the second strand is hanging. This is known as carrying the second color and it helps to keep the yarn tension even.
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Continue knitting stripes until the blanket measures 40 inches long. Bind off all stitches and cut the yarn, leaving a six-inch tail. Weave in the loose ends using a crochet hook.
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7
Pick up stitches all the way around the blanket in either pink or yellow yarn, using the crochet hook. Single crochet around each side of the blanket, making two chain stitches at each corner. This gives the blanket a solid edging which will help it keep its shape through use and washing.
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Slip stitch the last single crochet stitch to the first after crocheting all the way around the blanket. Cut the yarn, leaving a six-inch tail. Weave in the loose end.
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Tips & Warnings
Experiment with striping patterns, making all stripes equal, or alternating wide and narrow stripes, to change the look of the blanket.
Weave in the loose ends of yarn securely to prevent them from unraveling in the wash.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit David De Lossy/Photodisc/Getty Images
