Gray Blanket For Baby Boy

I have made a baby blanket for nearly every baby born into our family. At least one for each family. But this little fellow and his family almost didn't get one when he was born. I tried to tell myself that it was okay. But then I didn't want this new little cousin to wonder one day why I skipped him. (I know. I know. He probably wouldn't really care.)

But I already had yarn. And when I went to the knitting retreat at our lake a few weeks ago, I had time. A project like this is great for "public" or "social" knitting. That means it's a pattern that is simple enough that you can work on it and talk at the same time.

But after knitting three-fourths of this blanket, I decided I was not happy with how it was turning out. It was too loose and stretchy. I knew this after I had finished the first three inches. But I kept tell myself it would get better. (Knitter are ridiculous. There was absolutely no reason that it would have changed.)  And I knitted on. Twelve inches into the blanket, it suited me even less. But knitters are a hopeful bunch. I told myself that it would be okay as a really stretchy blanket. No one would notice but me.

At about sixteen inches, I finally owned what I knew at three inches. It was never going to be right. SOOOO.....I unraveled the whole thing and started over with a smaller needle.

When it was time to bind off, I got curious to find out if there was a way to bind off that better matched the cast on edge. The standard bind off I've used for most things is not as stretchy as the cast on. Google to the rescue! The "sewn bind off" is a better match. I had done this kind of bind off ages ago, but needed a refresher. This video was a huge help.

Elizabeth Zimmerman's Sewn Bind Off

If it were not for internet instructions, I would not be nearly as proficient a knitter as I am. There is always more to learn. And there is always something online to teach me. Such a fabulous resource if you don't have a friend or neighbor to explain things in person.

The lesson I should have learned this time, though, didn't need any online instruction. My lesson was that I should have stopped and started over when I FIRST realized this wasn't coming out like I wanted it to. It would have saved me hours and hours of knitting.

Pattern:  Ann Norling #32, Crib-Blanket-Afghan, Blanket D

Yarn:  Berroco Comfort, Ash Gray

Needles:  Size 7

This gray color (one of the nursery colors) worked up into a classic, tailored look. I love the end result. Worth knitting it twice! I made this a smaller size (faster to make) suitable for car seat or stroller. 

As far as I know, this pattern is not sold anywhere as a download, which is the usual way to buy patterns now. It is only sold as a printed pattern. I found mine at a local yarn shop. You can also order it from some yarn shops, like Jimmy Beans Wool, and I even found it on Amazon. There are six blanket designs in this pamphlet, with instructions for using different weights of yarn.