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Free Colorful Baby Blanket Pattern

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color field blanketIt’s just turned into baby week here at Craft Gossip, hasn’t it? It just happens that a lot of people have been showing off great projects for babies lately, and that’s one genre where most of us can’t get enough, so I’m more than happy to share.

Blogger purl3agony has a cute little pattern on her site that she calls the Color Field Baby Blanket. She describes how she made the blanket and roughly how much of all the colors she used, but this would actually be a great stash busting project if you had little bits of a bunch of colors you wanted to use.

Of course you need to pay attention if you’re making a stash busting project to ensure that all the yarns you used are washable; otherwise you’ll have to hand wash it, and handwashing blankets is no fun.

The stitch pattern used here is really pretty, too. Another option might be to use the same background color throughout and change the contrast color regularly. Or vice-versa. Such a fun idea!

[Photo via purl3agony.]

Specific to knitters, you can join our Knitting Patterns Only group to get, well, knitting patterns, ask questions and gain inspiration for what to knit next. Looking for more Baby Knitting patterns? Check these out on Etsy.

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Knit a Spiky Balaclava

Not too long ago my daughter and I had a discussion about what a chestnut really looks like. The nut itself is small and brown, of course, but on the tree they’re covered with this weird kind of spiky, kind of fuzzy shell. It’s a wonder anyone ever figured out they were edible.

If you didn’t know that, you might wonder why this project is call Chestnut balaclava, but now you know.

This fun design from Yevheniia Pyroh is covered with spikes just like a chestnut shell, and is even the same color, though of course you can make yours whatever color you like. It uses two strands of fingering weight yarn held together (which it says is fingering weight but you could try a light/DK yarn and see if you get gauge with it if you’d rather).

There are two different design options in the pattern. One is a more fitted balaclava style hat (it doesn’t cover the face but does go around the neck) and a looser fit hood.

It’s worked primarily in garter stitch, with shaping done by knitting and purling in the same stitch and through various decreases (including a knit 3 together).

The pattern is charted but also explained in words. It’s worked flat to the size you want, and then joined into a hood shape with ribbing at the neck. The opening for the face is finished with I-cord.

This hood/balaclava would definitely be a conversation starter and in different colors it might read more dinosaur than chestnut, which could also be fun. The sizing is totally custom so you can make it fit whatever head you’re stitching for.

If you want to try it for yourself (and I’d love to hear about it if you do!) you can download the free pattern from Ravelry.

[Photo: Yevheniia Pyroh]

Balaclava Knitting Patterns

Colorwork Balaclava Knitting Pattern [Knitting]