Elegantly Simple Baby Blanket

© 1997, 1999 Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer
www.heartstringsfiberarts.com

Elegantly Simple Baby Blanket is a free online pattern valued at $6.00. This pattern is intended for charity knitting. It may be freely distributed for non-commercial purposes only, as long as distributed in its entirety including copyright notice and origination. If you are knitting a blanket for your personal use or gift, I just ask that you also knit a blanket for the charity of your choice. No sale of finished products from this pattern is allowed without express permission with licensing agreement.

Note: To print this pattern from this webpage, set your printer to landscape mode. Or, if you have Adobe Reader, you may click here to print the pattern in 2-sided folded leaflet format.

With so much movement and design interest to this pattern stitch, its complex-looking structure is much easier to do than it looks. The pattern stitch is derived from the feather and fan family of Shetland Lace.

This blanket is self-edged, so when it's done, it's done. The beginning and ending borders are gracefully scalloped, and the side borders also have dainty small scallops.

Yarn and Needles

6 - 3 oz skeins sportweight acrylic or other machine washable and dryable baby yarn, approximately 1600 - 1800 yds

Size US 7 (4.5 mm) needles suggested

Gauge: 16 sts per 3 inches over pattern stitch

Finished size: 45" x 45"

These instructions are for a square baby blanket in medium weight yarn. However, this pattern adapts easily to other uses, sizes, and yarn weights. Just adjust needles and yarn amounts accordingly.

Abbreviations and Special Stitches

NOTE: These instructions assume you are knitting from your left-hand needle onto your right-hand needle. If you are working instead from right to left, please adjust instructions to agree with your direction of work.

k - knit

p - purl

yo - yarn over

sl 1 wyif - slip 1 stitch as if to purl and with yarn held to front of work

sssk - slip 1 stitch as if to knit, and then slip 2 more stitches in same way; insert left needle tip into the 3 slipped stitches from left to right and knit these 3 stitches together

/3 - (right slanting triple decrease): sssk, then slip NEXT stitch over stitch just made by temporarily moving stitches from needle to needle as follows: Move the stitch you just made from right-hand needle to the left-hand needle. Slip the next un-worked stitch on left-hand needle over the sssk stitch. Move the resulting stitch to right-hand needle.

3\ - (left slanting triple decrease): slip 1 as to knit, knit 3 together, pass slipped stitch over

rep from * - repeat all instructions from the previous asterisk

( )# times - repeat instructions inside the parentheses the number of times indicated by the #

TIP 1: It is helpful to place markers between the repeats, at least until the pattern is established and the repeats can easily be seen.

TIP 2: If you usually do not swatch, take a moment to reconsider by reading "To Swatch or Not?". Here is a sample swatch for Elegantly Simple Baby Blanket that I worked on 30 stitches in Swedish Yarn Import's Jarbo Garn TROPIK, 50% bamboo, 25% combed cotton, 25% acrylic. Just follow the Pattern Instructions for the Baby Blanket below, except cast on only 30 stitches, work for several rows, then complete as per instructions (including the wash and dry part!).

Click to enlarge

Pattern Instructions

Cast on 240 stitches (or multiple of 15 stitches for other sizes).

Knit one row.

Row 1: sl 1 wyif, * 3\, (yo, k1)5 times, yo, /3, p2, rep from * substituting a k1 for the p2 in the last repeat.

Row 2: sl 1 wyif, p13, * k2, p13, rep from * to last stitch, k1.

Row 3: sl 1 wyif, * k13, p2, rep from * substituting a k1 for the p2 in the last repeat.

Row 4: Repeat row 2.

Repeat these 4 rows until just short of 45" from beginning or desired length, and ending row 1.

Knit one row.

Bind off loosely.

Weave in ends invisibly.

Wash and dry according to yarn manufacturer's instructions.

Happy knitting! Jackie E-S

I strive to make your pattern accurate and complete. If I have overlooked something, or if you have problems or suggestions, please let me know at: HeartStrings, 53 Parlange Dr, Destrehan, LA 70047, (985)764-8094, or email Jackie@HeartStringsFiberArts.com

Available wherever HeartStrings patterns are sold. Check with your favorite yarn shops for more patterns by Jackie E-S. For an on-line photo gallery and catalog of all patterns, visit

www.heartstringsfiberarts.com