2 + 2 Baby Blanket, Fall colors
All rights reserved, Copyright © 2015 Mayan & Richard Ward, www.pictureknitting.com
Size: 30 x 30”
Yarn: 4 skeins worsted yarn, approx 190y/175m each.
Needles: #15us/ 10mm
Gauge: 9 sts & 15r = 4”/10cm. Gauge is not crucial, just make sure the width is to your liking and knit as high as you want the blanket to be.
About this technique:
You know how you knit with 2 yarns and change stripes every 2 rows?
Well, this is what we’ll do, only with 2 yarns on the right and switch them every RS rows, and 2 yarns on the left and alternate them every WS rows. Each row is knit double stranded, with 1 yarn from the right and one yarn from the left.
To Start:
1. Choose the yarns for your ‘right’ group and put them to your right. They’ll be A and B.
(in this example A=mustard yellow, and B=orange).
2. Choose the yarns for your ‘left’ group and put them to the left. They’ll be E (variegated) and F (gray).
3. With A+B together, loosely CO 67 sts.
Bottom garter border:
With A+B knit 10 rows. For a nice looking edge always purl the last st of each row, and slip the 1st st as if to knit.
Body:
1. RS: k6 A+B. Attach E. Drop B. k A+E to last 6 sts (55sts). Attach F. k6 E+F.
(attach the yarn by weaving it in, or knotting and weaving the tail in later, or any way you like).
2. WS: k6 E+F. Drop E. p A+F to last 6 sts (55sts). Drop F. k6 A+B.
3. RS: k6 A+B. Drop A. k B+F to last 6 sts. Drop B. k6 E+F.
4. WS: k6 E+F. Drop F. p B+E to last 6 sts. Drop E. k6 A+B.
Repeat these 4 rows, until you got a square in the middle ( approx 96 rows/24 repeats).
Top Garter Border uses only E+F:
Starting on WS: k6, p55, k6.
Next: k 12 rows with E+F.
BO.
How to stay untangled:
– Organize the 2 yarns to your right, and the other 2 on your left.
– When turning the needles to start a new row, pay attention, and turn it in a way that keep the yarn untangled. It is not complicated, you just need to look at what you are doing.
– When changing between garter and st.st, untangle the yarn you will not knit with, by pulling on it lightly from the skein towards the knitting. It is quite simple, when you actually do it.
Mistakes?
If you drop a st pick it up, but other then that, just go with it:
– Forgot to change yarns? Go on knitting with a new color scheme.
– Run out of yarn? Attach another and just go on knitting.
– If you find that you do get tangled, or if your garter area is shorter than the st.st area, move to knit the borders with all 3 yarns. This will keep them untangled + make the garter area a bit thicker. (on the right border it will be A+B+(E or F), on the left side E+F+(A or B ).
Border options:
1. Knit A+B on the right side and E+F on the left, as in the instructions for the example above.
2. Knit the border triple stranded. On the right with A+B+ E /F (they will keep rotating), and on the left with E+F+ A/B.
3. Knit the border with the row color, and change yarn after the border. For example, on a RS if you k A+E, finish the row with A+E, and do the border st of the next row (WS) with A+E, then change E to F and continue with A+F.
4. Mix it all! Make a big mess, be totally inconsistent, and enjoy it whole heatedly!
Abbreviations:
DS = double stranded (k/p with 2 yarns held together as one).
TS = triple stranded (with 3 yarns held together as one).
CO = cast on
BO = bind off
RS = right side of the knitting
WS = wrong side of the knitting
k = knit
p = purl
Picture Knitting 