Knit a Blanket to Bring Color to Your Mornings

No matter how many blankets I am working on or have finished — knit or crochet — I feel like there’s always room for another one. Blankets can make great gifts or charity projects, and it’s also just lovely (for me, anyway) to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house.

So while I have at least three blankets “in progress” right now, I’m sorely tempted to cast on a Good Morning Blanket from Purl Soho.

If you take one look at it I’m sure you’ll feel the same way.

This luscious, colorful blanket looks so squishy in garter stitch, and it gives you practice with the log cabin technique, which you’ll want to use again and again once you learn it (this is such a fun way to use stash, for example).

The version shown here is worked in a 100 percent cotton that’s light worsted or DK weight, and the throw blanket size uses 32 colors (plus the main color, which is the large white block). Assuming you don’t want to buy all of that yarn in one go, you can use whatever yarn (and weight from DK to a heavier worsted) you have on hand for this one. The contrast color balls come in 58 yard/53 meter skeins so you can probably use a lot of little odd balls from your stash to make this one.

You can also change colors more or less frequently or use these techniques to make a blanket that is larger or smaller. The pattern includes instructions for a throw and a crib-sized baby blanket, which uses five contrasting colors along with the main color.

This looks like such a fun project, and once you get the idea down it’s smooth knitting because it’s all garter stitch. It’s a perfect TV project or for whenever you need something that doesn’t take much thought.

You can get the free pattern from Purl Soho.

[Photo: Purl Soho]

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It felt like it had been a while since I’d done a roundup of knitting patterns involving sheep, and if search is any indication, that is true. I found a roundup of patterns for knit sheep from a few years ago, but the only one with v I could find is from 2015. So it’s definitely time to revisit this fun genre of knitting patterns.

This all started with a headband. Alyssa Kaat’s Icelandic Sheep Headband (free on Ravelry) to be specific. Ravelry showed it to me as a pattern highlight and I couldn’t resist taking a closer look. It’s worked with two colors of worsted weight yarn and alternates sheep with stars around your head.

Another great sheepy headband is this one from Loch Fyne Crafts on Etsy. These sweet little sheep are worked in bulky yarn and you can make the background look like field and sky or work it in a solid color.

Or make a headband (or a hat, cowl, or all three) covered with a flock of sheep with this set of patterns from New Age Knitting CA. These pieces also use the field/sky coloring, but you can use whatever colors of worsted weight yarn you like.

Speaking of hats, there’s also the sheep hat from Lynann Knits Designs. The sample was worked in Icelandic wool to make the sheep and the hat extra fuzzy and warm, but any worsted weight yarn will work.

There’s also the Wandering Sheep hat from Kat Hudon (on Ravelry), which features a fun collection of speckled sheep that can be worked in different yarn weights to make different sizes of hats for kids and adults.

And lest you think sheep need to be knit in traditional stranded colorwork, check out the Rebel Sheep Mob blanket by Deborah Moore. This one is worked in mosaic knitting using fingering weight yarn. In mosaic knitting you’re only working with one color per row so it’s pretty easy. You can find this pattern on Ravelry.

I can’t possibly share sheep knitting patterns without mentioning the amazing Black Sheep Shadow Shawl by Mark Jamieson. Shadow knitting is a technique I want to do more of, but it involves working two rows alternating in two different colors and the pattern emerges when you look at the design from an angle. It’s so cool and the sheep on this one are amazing! It’s not a beginner project but well worth the work. You can find it on Ravelry or at the designer’s website.

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