Baby Blanket

I am extremely proud that I have finished my first knitted baby blanket. This is the biggest project I've ever knitted - mostly I work on scarves or dish cloths. I've been afraid to try such a big project because, up until now, I didn't know how to fix my mistakes. So, every time I made a mistake, I'd rip all the stitches out and start from beginning.

However, based on a recommendation from a friend, I bought the book pictured below - Maran's Illustrated Knitting and Crocheting. It gives very specific and easy-to-understand instructions on just about everything you need to know about knitting, even fixing mistakes! The pictures that accompany the instructions are very easy to see and really help to figure out for those of us who are visual learners (like myself).

I used this simple basketweave pattern (pictured below) along with a garter stitch border. The blanket came out to be 30" x 30", which is the perfect size for a little one. I learned a couple of things, though, with this project. First of all, all yarn is not created equally. I used an acrylic yarn of pale yellow, which is nice because it's a neutral color and the yarn can be machine-washed and dried. However, it doesn't feel as good against my fingers as a soft cotton yarn (like a yarn made out of Egyptian cotton or cotton blends).

Also, in looking at the finished product, I realized that I keep making the mistake of casting on too tightly - the corners of my beginning row curl up a little instead of laying flat. I made a few other mistakes along the way, but was able to fix them, thanks to the book.

I have no idea how I did this, but I managed to mess up a stitch along the border (pictured above).
Also, I have learned an important lesson that I will complete each row before setting it down to do something else. In the picture above, my pattern is messed up because I sat my work down in the middle of a row, and when I came back to it, forgot which stitch I was on. So I knitted the rest of the row, instead of following the pattern. When I ripped it out, it took me several tries to correct the row, and in the end, I ended up with one extra stitch on the needle. The next row, I decreased by one, which threw off the pattern.

This blanket was to be a gift for friends of ours who are expecting, but I will donate the blanket instead to a local hospital for parents who need a blanket for their little one. In the end, it is a good "first blanket" and I've learned several good lessons. My next attempt will be a pattern that I create - stay tuned....