Hi!
As I mentioned in places before: A friend of mine will have a baby in February. She loves handmade things and has understanding for wool and the like. And it will be a winter baby. So keeping warm is the goal.
I am making 9 squares (2 of each design) and therefore the blanket will be about 70 by 70 cm before the border.
I have now finished all but 1 square and I am ready to sew up. The middle square will be missing for a while longer, since I want to work in the babies initals and therefore will wait until the baby is actually born. On that moment I will design a “name square” and sew it into the middle. Then the blanket is ready to be washed and blocked and I can present it when the baby is coming home.
I was on the train for a few hours yesterday and finished 4 squares on the train and then the 5th one at home in the evening. The knit was really quick (especially because I have gotten a lot better about cabling without a 3rd needle — I used to not do it so much for more than 1 over 1 but now 3 over 3 works well. That is quite the progress)
Here is my progress as of yesterday evening:
I have not fully decided if I want to sew together or crochet together (I have never done that, so I need to look up how it is done and what the result is).
The blanket can do with some spacing which is why I might like the crochet borders. Getting the blanket a few cm bigger each way will not hurt. On the border I can adjust the size more.
Maybe someone has ideas for me on that topic? Or maybe a different method that I haven’t heard about?
It is about blocking. This blanket will need blocking, that is obvious. Now my question is: do you block the squares before putting them together (and then maybe again, afterwards?) or do you put everything together and THEN block only once?
I would think that in blocking first I will get a lot of equal squares with same length sides. In blocking afterwards I get a square blanket.
Do I maybe have to do it both? With blocking I am really no expert. I would be glad for help!
I would block first. It will make it easier to sew/crochet together.
I think I would also crochet them together. There was info on DIY from Lily Chin that showed how to do a reversible join for blocks, but I can’t find it. :hair:
Thanks for the tip with Lily Chin: Googling got me to this pattern by her:
This has a joining instruction with crocheting around the squares individually and then using single stitch to join them. Maybe I find a nice instruction on how do that perfectly.
I had previously seen a video with a single stitch, one or two chain stitches and then a single stitch onto the other side. But I can not remember if there was anything to remember about this.
The blocking before sounds more and more appealing to me. The pattern I linked, does that too. So wool wash it is for me in the next few days!
Thank you! I couldn’t find any info anywhere! I think there was better info on the join on DIY, but I can’t find it anymore. My link no longer goes to it. :doh:
don’t worry too much. You already helped me a lot with the info where to look. I will find a way as I go and therefore be happy with input.
I have just never made any blanket ever. And the people who’s kid I am making this for are really good friends. That’s why this one shall be perfect!
The kids mother is very good at crafts herself (her favorite being crochet). So being perfect is extra important.
BECAUSE she knows about yarn, wool, crafts and everything I did take the risk of making the blanket from such a fine yarn. For some other friends I would have never taken part Alpaca yarn, handwash quality, in white for a baby blanket. But she did get the choice on the material so she knows what she is getting into and is very happy to be receiving something so cuddly and warm for a winter baby.
By the size I think it is a cuddle blanket that can start out as a blanket for the baby bed, the baby cart, later the stroller. Eventually it can keep your feet warm on the couch and so on.
[COLOR=“Navy”]Well, I once found instructions and drawings of how to join two blocks with a flat or invisible double crochet (same method would work using just single crochet) but I cannot now find that site. :doh:
Here is my best attempt at putting it in words. I hope it does not get too long and complicated.
Begin with one round of SC in the seaming color on each block break yarn leaving a generous tail for seaming.
Join yarn at corner with slip stitch, then with two blocks lined up edge to edge, * remove hook from loop and insert hook through next stitch of other block and back into loops YO and draw through loops and stitch, begin SC in next ST * repeat from * to * across edge. :??
To avoid awkward corners, first join blocks in long strips. You can even use the tails to blocks either side to side or top to bottom. Next use the same method to join the strips together. Final finishing touch is to add an edge to the completed blanket.
I did find this site for sewing an invisible seam between pieces such as blocks for a blanket.
thanks! I assume all these methods are much easier to do than to describe. It sounds so complicated put into words. But then turns real simple once you have made it once.
I will try my best.
In sewing up a stuffed animal just now I am trying all sorts of different directions on seam (partially pulling it out again). Maybe I find a perfect method that is also sturdy enough to hold the blanket.
I was looking at that, and thinking about making it all in one piece, just keeping track of the individual pattern blocks all along each row, so there were no seams to do at the end. Probably too confusing. It really is beautiful. I know the parents will love it.
The pattern is really nice and I can only recommend it.
of course you could make it all in one piece, theoretically. But the squares get sewn in in alternating directions to make a more varied pattern. (once the cables run from side to side, once they run vertically and so on). You could not copy that in straight up knitting.
Of course you can just leave the twisting out and make them all directional. That would not really hurt the design all that much. But I like it better with the turned pieces.
With my 9 squares it works out really well: 4 designs make 8 squares. Plus the name square in the middle. Since I make every desgin twice, I can turn each one once.
Oh, if you make it, consider to not do the chessboard. It looks so boring in comparison to the others. You can find much nicer patterns for those squares.
This will be a stunningly beautiful blanket, no matter how you join the squares. I agree with others…block the squares first. Fully soak them with a bit of sweater wash, then rinse with a bit of fabric softened. Pin out to exact measurements, and leave til bone dry. After seaming, you lay it out and place damp terry cloths on all the seams to ‘press them’.
This will be a stunningly beautiful blanket, no matter how you join the squares. I agree with others…block the squares first. Fully soak them with a bit of sweater wash, then rinse with a bit of fabric softener. Pin out to exact measurements, and leave til bone dry. After seaming, you can lay it out and place damp terry cloths on all the seams to ‘press them’.
Thank you very muich, ArtLady. I will start the washing tonight but all this support and advice here makes me confident. My blocking boards are ready (2 styrofoam sheets in white), boxes of pins awaiting their pray…
I can not wait to finish this blanket! This will be such a nice gift. I know my friend will love it - she is excited, too. But she does not know much yet - it shall be a surprise as much as possible.
She is one of my best friends and she will be a great mother. If I can help to keep the kiddo warm, then I will do that.
Of course I will make some other kid-stuff, too. Good excuse to make baby things
thanks. The idea was born becasue I needed another square and wanted to make one on my own. That is when I thought, the initials would be a good idea.
It feels soooo nice and warm. Just right for a winter baby.
At this point I did wash the squares (luke warm, just water, no wool wash, by hand), layed them out and pinned them (with lots of pins) to nice sqares of 25 by 25 cm on my blocking styrofoam.
They are pretty dry now. But I will just leave them on for a few more days to rather overdry them.
I will post pictures as soon as I get to work on it again.
