I’m tickled pink (pun intended) to unveil my latest design: the Sugarplums Blanket!
This was one of those designs that hit me like a lightning bolt. And it’s a good thing it did, too, because I had less than 3 weeks to design it, knit it, and gift it to a very special friend who is expecting her first child, a little girl. Who doesn’t love a challenge?
I knew that I wanted something completely classic, something timeless with an heirloom feel to it. To me, cables and generous amounts of garter stitch are about as classic as you can get in knitting. And pink is classic too. I know we sometimes get away from those traditional baby colors, but in this instance, I felt the need to go old school. The final design element is an homage, if you will, to my own memories of wearing dresses with smocking on the bodice as a child. The lattice-like cables that intertwine across the body of the blanket provide just the smocked effect I was looking for. The cables draw in the fabric of the blanket due to their tighter gauge, just like smocking a piece of fabric would draw it in to create that typical “windowpane” effect. But with a good soaking and a good blocking, the blanket is transformed to a smooth, flat rectangle with just the right amount of pattern and texture:
I knit the blanket with (what else) Madelinetosh, in their delicious “Vintage” worsted weight yarn with the aptly named “Rose” colorway. It’s 100% superwash merino, making it easy to care for but soft and warm for a winter baby. I used a Size US8 (5.0mm) needle and with that many stitches, a 32″ circular needle will be most handy here. Not only does the cable on the needle help hold all of the stitches, but the cable also helps disperse some of the weight of the blanket as you knit it, taking some of the pressure off of your wrists. This blanket measures approximately 28″ wide and 32″ long, which is just the right size for wrapping baby up in her carriage. It could even work well as a playmat on the floor, too.
But I didn’t stop there! (But wait, there’s more!) Since we all love to snuggle up with a good blanket, I designed two larger sizes to make the Sugarplums Blanket as versatile as possible. (I didn’t knit the other two sizes. There are only so many hours in a day.) So if you’re looking for a medium-sized lap blanket to keep your legs warm, or you need a large traditional afghan built for two to snuggle under, the pattern includes both of those options!
I hope that you love this spin on one of the most traditional of all knitted items. To learn more about this design, or to purchase the pattern, you can click on over here at MWD or over here on Ravelry!
Also, many thanks go to the wonderful Katherine Vaughan for her terrific technical editing assistance.
And to Robyn: I wish you many happy moments with your little girl and this blanket!
daniellechalson.com 