Enlarging Round Dishcloth Pattern for Baby Blanket

#1

I want to knit a round baby blanket. I found this round dishcloth pattern that I like:

http://www.mielkesfarm.com/dishclth.htm

It says that the finished cloth would be 10-12" across. I was thinking that I would enlarge the pattern first by casting on three times the number of stitches (it calls for 15, so I’d cast on 45). The instructions say to knit each even row until one more stitch is left on the needle (Row 2, knit until just one stitch is left on the needle, then up to row 18, with 9 stitches left), then turn the work. On the last row (Row 20 in the original pattern), three stitches are bound off so there are 15 stitches left (original number of stitches that were originally cast on).

But, with 45 stitches, would I continue the rows until I reach a row where if I bound off 3 stitches, then 45 would be left? So, theoretically, with 45 stitches (three times the original pattern), would I be knitting 60 rows (three times the original number of rows) to make the wedges and finished blanket all proportional?

Thanks for any help!

#2

Yes, I think that would work, or you could cast on 30-40 sts and use a size 9 or 10 needle. Your reasoning about how many rows to do sounds right, just go ahead and start it and see how it works out at that point.

#3

Thanks! I also am deleting the “bind offs” that are on rows 8, 14, and 20, since I don’t know how to space them with 45 stitches and more rows. So the outer edge will be even instead of having the scallops.

#4

Actually, the bind offs balance the yo’s on the even rows (3 yo’s, bind off 3). I don’t think the number of sts or the number of rows will matter for this edging. It’s a nice touch, but if you decide to go without it, you’ll need to skip the yo’s too or else your st number will keep increasing.

#5

What Salmonmac said… You’re increasing, so you have to BO the same number of YOs you have. For more stitches, you might be doing more YOs too, so you BO the same number and you keep the scalloped edging which would look nice.

#6

I agree about the bind offs (hadn’t thought of that yet!). But, the original pattern is 20 rows. If I’m continuing, row 28, for example, will be the same as row 8 was. The bind offs are on row 8, row 14, and row 20 of the original pattern. So I’m thinking maybe row 28, row 34, and row 40, row 48, 54, 60? And row 20 (which was supposed to be the last row of the wedge), I’d have to do like rows 8 and 14, except for when I actually DO get to whatever row is the last row of the wedge. I haven’t figured out yet if the wedge will have to be 60 rows total, since I’m multiplying everything by 3. The original pattern’s even row right before the last row of the wedge (row 18) has 9 stitches that don’t get worked on the left needle. So, with 45 stitches, should I knit until the comparable row has 27 stitches that don’t get worked before I turn the knitting and do the last two rows of the wedge?

I’m not a math person, so I’m confusing myself, but I am determined to get this right! The only actual pattern I’ve found for a round short row blanket says I need to knit a swatch to figure out how many stitches I need to make up 18", and I do not want to have to do that. Because, as I said, I’m just NOT a math person! :slight_smile:

#7

I don’t think you’re going to need to extend the instructions to extra rows. Think of the extra 30 sts you want to cast on as included in the part of the directions between the scalloped edge yo’s and the knit to the last x number of sts. For example in row 1 after the direction for the YO, the pattern says to k to the last st. Your extra 30 st are in that ‘knit to the last st’ or in row 18, your extra 30 sts are in the knitting before the last 9 sts.
Once you finish the first wedge, I think you’ll see that the direction to repeat rows 1-20 seven more times will bring you full circle.

#8

I have finished my first wedge and started the second one. I ended up doing 60 rows (3 times the original pattern) and so far, so good! The wedge looks like a piece of pie. :slight_smile: I’m alternating colors (pale pink and cream/beige) for the wedges and I like the way it looks. The only thing I’m wondering is if, in enlarging the pattern, the wedges won’t match up when I’m finished with all 8! :think:

Since this blanket is for a girl, I don’t mind the scalloped edge with the yarn-over eyelet effect. But if I wanted to make the blanket for a boy, I would assume that, if I eliminate the yarn-overs, I can also eliminate the binding off, and just have the 45 stitches consistently on the needles? So the outer edge of the circle would be even, instead of the scallops, and look a bit more masculine.

#9

I don’t know that scallops are all that girly, but if you just wanted a plain one, don’t do the YOs or the BO.