Free Knitting Pattern – Staggered Squares Blanket

Handmade blankets make great gifts, and there are many ways to gift wrap them to make them extra special. Here are a few ideas:

Use a basket or container: A basket or container is a great way to present a blanket as a gift. You can fill the container with tissue paper, shredded paper or shredded fabric to add a little extra padding, and then place the blanket on top.

Use a gift bag: A gift bag is a great way to present a blanket as a gift. You can choose a gift bag that is large enough to hold the blanket and add some tissue paper or shredded paper to the bag to add a little extra padding.

Roll the blanket: Rolling the blanket and tying it with a ribbon or string is a great way to present it as a gift. You can add a little extra padding by wrapping tissue paper or shredded paper around the blanket before rolling it.

Fold the blanket: Folding the blanket and wrapping it in gift wrap or cellophane is a great way to present it as a gift. You can add a little extra padding by placing tissue paper or shredded paper between the folds of the blanket before wrapping it.

Add a gift tag: Adding a gift tag to the blanket is a great way to personalize the gift. You can write a heartfelt message on the tag to make it even more special.

This particular free pattern uses Bernat Baby Big Ball yarn to create a beautiful staggered squares blanket. The yarn is soft and perfect for babies, it also comes in a variety of colors so you can choose the one that matches the baby’s room or the parents’ taste. The pattern is free to download on the Mary Maxim website and it’s a great way to create a special and thoughtful gift for a new parent or to add a touch of warmth to a baby’s room.

A few years ago I wrote a post that was full of patterns for knit mushrooms, but I don’t think I ever did a post that was knitting patterns with mushrooms on them, so today’s the day.

I love the Fungi Beanie from Jacki Bean, which calls for worsted weight yarn and uses duplicate stitch to add the mushrooms and other details. I think the colors she used for the design are tonal/multicolor so it doesn’t use as many colors as it looks like, but you can use whatever red, green, brown and white yarn you have in your stash for those details.

How about some mushroom socks? The Magic Toadstool sock form Stone Knits includes a ring of mushrooms around the leg, contrasting heel and toe and a little more colorwork at the toe for extra cuteness. As shown it uses four colors and comes in three sizes.

Or there’s the Fairy Ring Socks from Katie Green, which have mushrooms of two sizes on the legs, plus a bit of wavy grass. They have a contrasting cuff, heel and toe and some colorwork flecks in the body of the sock as well. This one is available in eight sizes to fit everyone from a baby to an XL adult.

This trippy cowl from Hunt Hand Knits looks like a lot of fun to knit. The Fungus Among Us Cowl is shown using four colors of DK weight yarn, though you can do it with as few as two if you’d rather.

Stitch some mushroom mittens with this cute pattern from Holly C Watson. This design uses three colors, and it’s shown with a self-striping yarn on the mushroom caps, which makes the colors change without you having to do any work. The pattern is charted but it’s a pretty easy repeat. The mittens are one size.

If you don’t feel like knitting mushrooms but still want to give your project a touch of the forest, the Toadstools Cardigan from Julie Taylor may be what you’re looking for. It’s stitched as a plain cardigan worked in DK weight yarn and sized for newborns up to 4 years old. The mushrooms are added with embroidery and the pattern includes the design, which you can trace onto water soluble stabilizer to stitch the mushrooms onto your sweater. Or anything else you want. You can find this pattern on Ravelry.

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