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Brava From KnitPicks

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I’ve just about got my Brava project finished (save for blocking and sewing on buttons). This yarn is soooo soft, and I love it for the snuggly soft baby sweater. Machine washable and dryable too, and a DREAM to knit with. Perfect for a baby. Used the sport weight, in the Seashell colorway for the main part of the body. And camel, dove and cream for the patterns. This is a definite must-have yarn for baby projects. Knit Picks Brava Sport HERE, this yarn was so easy to knit with that I didn’t have to concentrate on anything other than increases, decreases and pattern stitches. No splitting, no creeping off the needles, very easy on these arthritic farmer hands!

If you look close enough, yes, I realize there is a mistake in the yoke. But it’s hard to see and I’m not going to fix it, sorry. It’s for a baby (who was born Thursday), a good friend of my daughter. The sweater is knit in a size 12 months though, so I have some time to get it blocked, and with Miss Anna’s coloring, the seashell color will look gorgeous on her 🙂

Since there was a bit of a color chart I aquired a new Magnetic Chart Keeper, also from Knit Picks.

The pattern was a FREE pattern, from Garn Studio HERE, I may yet knit the hat and booties, not sure yet.

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Knit a Garter Stitch Blanket with a Twist

When I first started knitting again after a long absence from the craft (which has now been almost 25 years ago!) I really didn’t like garter stitch that much. I found it super boring, somehow even more boring than knitting stockinette stitch in the round, even though it’s exactly the same thing.

Over the years I’ve softened my opinion, and even grown to like garter stitch. There’s nothing wrong with being plain, and actually the texture of garter stitch is more interesting than stockinette.

Also there are fun things you can do with garter stitch to make it more interesting if you want to, such as adding stripes, working on the bias, or doing fun effects to change the look.

That’s the way with the Bernat Twist My Way Garter Knit Blanket. Using combinations of casting on and binding off creates what they call a Swiss cheese effect along two sides of the blanket. This is a lot of fun in the self-striping ombre yarn they chose for the pattern, but it would also be fun in a solid color or making your own stripes.

Despite the dramatic effect, this pattern is rated easy. It’s worked from side to side (if you consider the “cheesy” edges the top and bottom) and has an eight-row repeat that involves binding off and then casting on again to make the holes. They’re kind of like giant buttonholes.

Once you get the hang of it it’s a pretty easy repeat to remember, and it will be smooth knitting as big as you want to make it.

You can download this pattern from the Yarnspirations website for free, or you can buy a kit direct from them that includes the yarn you need (and knitting needles if you need those, too). Bernat Sport Ombre Twist, which is what is used in the pattern, comes in 12 self patterning colors and is a DK weight acrylic yarn.

[Photo: Yarnspirations]