Book Review: Knitted Baby Blankets and Cuddle Bags

Baby blankets are my favorite baby gift to knit. I love that they don’t have to be a particular size, you can play with stitch patterns and colors, and they are always useful (and tend to be useful longer than garments that may be quickly outgrown).

Marta Skadsheim Torkildsen shares more than 50 snuggly projects for baby in her book Knitted Baby Blankets & Cuddle Bags.

As you’d imagine from the title, this book is chock-full of baby blanket knitting patterns, most of which are pretty classic, solid color with an allover pattern or pattern blocks, or two or three color stripes. Six of the blankets are sized for preemies. In addition to the blankets there are three patterns for cuddle bags.

The patterns have a skill rating of one to three balls of yarn. Among the blankets, 18 are level one, 27 are level two and three are level three. The cuddle bags are one at each level.

The patterns aren’t listed on Ravelry but you can get a sneak peek on the publisher’s website. (Click on see inside this book.)

There are lots of cute options, such as Målfird, which has lacy heart blocks; Hilde, with blocks of reverse Stockinette stars; Torunn, covered in a lacy zig-zag; and Anne, with a textured diamond pattern.

This book is a great reference if you knit a lot of baby blankets for friends or for charity. The patterns are pretty and straightforward and should keep you happily knitting for a long time.

About the book: 144 pages, 51 patterns, hardcover. Published by Trafalgar Square Books, suggested retail $23.95.

Looking for more Baby Knitting patterns? Check these out on Etsy.

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I know that my posts can be read at different times of year and in different years by different people, but as I write this we’re on teh cusp of summer. And I know a lot of people don’t knit as much, and certainly don’t wear a lot of knits in the summer, but I want to encourage you to make and to wear your makes no matter the temperature.

To introduce you to the joys of summer garment knitting, I offer the Tied Vest from Lion Brand Yarn.

This easy project is great to make and wear throughout the year but it’s especially good for summer. It’s worked flat in one piece from the bottom up, mostly in stockinette stitch with a seed stitch edging. The I-cord ties are worked directly onto the garment so you don’t have to sew them on.

The project uses worsted weight yarn, and calls for a blend of cotton and hemp that’s great for warm weather.

There are eight size options, ranging from a finished chest measurement of 35 to 62.5 inches, or 89 to 159 cm. That makes it sound like it should be worn with at least a few inches of positive ease, but the pattern doesn’t specify.

The ties at the front give it a casual look and make it great to wear over a tank top or T-shirt when the weather is warm.

I also think this one would be good to knit in wool or a warmer fiber, too, to make a version you could wear more comfortably in the winter months, too. Though of course you could layer the summer version over a long-sleeved shirt and wear it throughout the year, too.

The tied vest is a free pattern available from Lion Brand. You can also purchase a kit that includes the yarn and optional needles and stitch markers if you need them.

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]

Knit an Easy Hooded Vest

Knit Vests to Help Transition to Warmer Weather

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