Spring is a time of rebirth and with only one real blanket of snow this winter so far, daffodils were already pushing through the damp earth as early as New Year's Day. New babies come to mind and baby blankets make great shower gifts and new baby bris and christening traditions. Knit and crochet these free patterns in organic cotton, acrylic, or wool blend fiber yarns. Here are two adaptations of older patterns, one a gorgeous feather and fan blanket, the other, equally "TDF."
Kaye Smith has knitted two beautiful baby blankets, which will suit nicely for a christening, bris, or just everyday beauties. She has taken a classic feather and fan blanket pattern and made it even better with accented knitted garter stitch edging. The "Feathered Baby Blanket" pattern is written for crib-size or lap blanket size, using any sport or worsted weight yarn, and knit with a US 8 (5 mm) circular needle, for ease, not in the round.
Kaye's "Willow's Child" baby blanket pattern is beautifully knit and has an edging with a yarn-over row you can slip a white ribbon through, or the appropriate pink or blue. Find a similar ribbon-trimmed crochet baby blanket pattern here. Kaye's knitted blanket finished size is 40" x 37" knit with US 5 (3.75 mm) needle and uses approximately 1500 yards of fingering yarn; Plymouth Yarn's Happy Feet works nicely for this blanket.
Kaye modestly replied that she had enhanced and adapted the "Lil' Willow" pattern by Isabel Salgueiro to knit her version called "Willow's Child."
"I could not get her instructions to yield the same design, so took a similar stitch pattern from an index and adjusted the repeats to suit me. I also omitted the crocheting needed to attach the ruffle, plus made the blanket larger."
Download Kaye Smith's "Willow's Child" pattern.
Download Kaye Smith's "Feathered Baby Blanket" pattern.
Tree of Life patterns are equally appropriate for christening blankets, find the link below in the suggested reading links.
Isabel Salgueiro's blog may be of particular interest to many Rhode Island and Massachusetts knitters, because it is posted in Portuguese. She has included a free pattern store for instant pattern downloads of her designs. Don't speak Portuguese? Then browse Google's translation buttons, choose your preferred language and add the Google translate button to your browser bar for future use when searching the Internet.
Find more knit and crochet baby blanket patterns at knitnscribble. "Like" her on Facebook for even more free patterns and tips.
Washable baby blankets are welcomed shower gifts, knit or crocheted with organic cotton yarns, available at all your local yarn shops in Rhode Island and online at yarn.com.
All photographs used with permission of Kaye Smith.
Lede photograph, Felted nest, from Laura Malek's Feltjar on Etsy.
