Baby Blanket 1

 Before Christmas, the Guild put out a request for some knitted baby cardigans for the Guild shop, preferably in white. Over the Christmas break I used some of the white cotton I had been using for the Shetland Wool Week hats to knit a baby cardigan, using a pattern I had from Bendigo Woollen Mills. The pattern had 7 sizes, so I picked the middle one. It turned out to be what consensus at the Guild said was for a two-year-old!

I didn't have enough white yarn for another, but made a couple in the smallest size in cream and ecru. 

It turns out that what the Guild shop is doing, is putting together Baby Welcome packs.They have a couple of knitted blankets which they are pairing with some basic clothes.  

Once I understood the goal, I got more targeted. I'm currently working on an aqua cardigan to accompany a green-blue knitted blanket they have in stock

I also dug out the squares I was crocheting towards the end of 2020- with a view to using up the same 4 ply cotton.  I had 53 completed squares - and another 45 of the centre circles. I had planned to keep going with the squares until I had used up all the yarn, but now decided to create a baby blanket  for the Guild  with what I had.

I tried joining the squares using some of the cream cotton (left). It looked, I thought, OK.  

However, I also found some rolls of white/blue/pink variegated knitting cotton which had, I think, belonged to my mother. 

That, I thought, looked really good. So this week I have been busy crocheting around the squares, and creating a baby blanket from 56 squares, laying it out on the floor as I went to get the best combination I can.  

I didn't undo the ones with ecru borders. I will make a second blanket using the centres I have left.  The variegated pastel works really well, but so will other things.                                 

It took quite a bit of time to do the individual, then the total border - most of the Adelaide Cup weekend. The result pleases me.

I worked a border around the whole thing in the variegated cotton. It is about 110cmx91cm.

I decided against stretching it much  by blocking, given it will need to be washed many times in its life and no mother has time for blocking. Instead, I washed it and spread it to dry flat on my table.

After 24 hours I moved it to a drying rack to get airflow underneath. 

I have a cone of 3 ply wool/acrylic mixture which I'm hoping might knit into a cardigan to go with this blanket, and an idea about a bag to contain them. 

Hopefully I will report on progress soon!