Pattern: Parakeet Blanket
Jul. 30th, 2008 06:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
houseelfTwo years ago, Yarn Harlot came up with the idea for the Knitting Olympics. Knitters were challenged start and complete a challenging project during the 16 days of the 2006 Winter Olympics.
I made myself a lap blanket which was dubbed the Parakeet Blanket when, at the yarn store, my mother spotted some lovely silk yarn in a muted, variegated colorway that looked like a palette of watercolors all swirled together. The rainbow Plymouth Encore, on the other hand, looks rather like someone put a parrot in a blender.
This pattern is also available as a free Ravelry download.
Parakeet Blanket
by Becky Harlow
http://houseelf.dreamwidth.org
Needles: US #9 (5.5mm). This project is knit flat, but a 24" (or larger) circular needle is recommended to accommodate the number of stitches.
Gauge: 4 stitches per inch in stockinette
Finished Size: 29" by 42"
Yarn: Plymouth Encore Colorspun Worsted (75% acrylic/25% wool, 200 yards/100 grams)
MC: color 7130 (blue with yellow flecks), 3 skeins
CC: color 7132 (rainbow), 2 skeins
Notions:
2 stitch markers
tapestry needle for weaving in ends
Notes:
Slip the first stitch of each row purlwise. Slipping purlwise with yarn in front will result in a smooth edge. Slipping purlwise with yarn in back will result in a very bumpy edge that blends well with the seed stitch border.
The blanket is made up of narrow stripes of four or eight rows. Rather than breaking the yarn at the end of each stripe, carry the unused color up the side of the blanket. This can be done by knitting the second stitch of each RS row and the next-to-last stitch of each WS row with both colors (resulting in a slightly thicker edge that is not visually noticeable provided the two colors are similar as they were here) or by twisting the yarns together at the edge instead.
Bottom seed stitch border (MC):
CO 131 sts. If using a longtail cast on, tie the ends of two balls of yarn together rather than trying to measure out an appropriately long tail ahead of time.
Row 1-5: Slip 1, *k1, p1* to two sts before end, k2.
Row six sets up the pattern for the rest of the blanket. Stitch markers are placed to separate the side borders from the body of the blanket. Because the bottom border was worked over an odd number of stitches and the body requires an even number of stitches, it is necessary to increase by one stitch. The instructions here place the increase in the middle of the row, but if you prefer not to have to count, you can place it immediately after the first marker instead.
Row 6 (WS): Slip 1, (k1, p1) twice, k1, place marker, p59, kfb, p59, place marker, (k1, p1) twice, k2.
Body of blanket:
This is where the stripe pattern begins. Rows 7-10 constitute one stripe. Knit one stripe in the MC, one stripe in the CC, two stripes in the MC, and one in the CC. Repeat that pattern – MC, CC, MC, MC, CC – until you are nearly out of MC yarn (saving enough to do the top border) or until the blanket is long enough.
Row 7 (RS): Slip 1, (k1, p1) twice, k1, slip marker, k120, slip marker, (k1, p1) twice, k2.
Row 8: Slip 1, (k1, p1) twice, k1, slip marker, p120, slip marker, (k1, p1) twice, k2.
Row 9: Slip 1, (k1, p1) twice, k1, slip marker, *k3, k2tog three times, (yo, k1) six times, k2tog three times, k3* five times, slip marker, (k1, p1) twice, k2.
Row 10: Slip 1, (k1, p1) twice, k1, slip marker, k120, slip marker, (k1, p1) twice, k2. Knitting this WS row forms ridges on the front.
To make sure you have enough yarn to do the top border, take a moment when you finish the first skein of MC yarn, and count how many full pattern repeats you've done. As the top and bottom borders are identical, this is how many you'll be able to do with the third skein of MC yarn before you start the border.
Top border:
The top border is worked entirely in the MC. You can remove the stitch markers as you reach them. The decrease on row one is to bring the total number of stitches back down to 131.
Row 1 (RS): Slip 1, (k1, p1) twice, k2tog, *p1, k1* to one stitch before the end, k1.
Row 2-5: Slip 1, *k1, p1* to two sts before end, k2.
Bind off loosely.
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
I made myself a lap blanket which was dubbed the Parakeet Blanket when, at the yarn store, my mother spotted some lovely silk yarn in a muted, variegated colorway that looked like a palette of watercolors all swirled together. The rainbow Plymouth Encore, on the other hand, looks rather like someone put a parrot in a blender.
This pattern is also available as a free Ravelry download.
by Becky Harlow
http://houseelf.dreamwidth.org
Needles: US #9 (5.5mm). This project is knit flat, but a 24" (or larger) circular needle is recommended to accommodate the number of stitches.
Gauge: 4 stitches per inch in stockinette
Finished Size: 29" by 42"
Yarn: Plymouth Encore Colorspun Worsted (75% acrylic/25% wool, 200 yards/100 grams)
MC: color 7130 (blue with yellow flecks), 3 skeins
CC: color 7132 (rainbow), 2 skeins
Notions:
2 stitch markers
tapestry needle for weaving in ends
Notes:
Slip the first stitch of each row purlwise. Slipping purlwise with yarn in front will result in a smooth edge. Slipping purlwise with yarn in back will result in a very bumpy edge that blends well with the seed stitch border.
The blanket is made up of narrow stripes of four or eight rows. Rather than breaking the yarn at the end of each stripe, carry the unused color up the side of the blanket. This can be done by knitting the second stitch of each RS row and the next-to-last stitch of each WS row with both colors (resulting in a slightly thicker edge that is not visually noticeable provided the two colors are similar as they were here) or by twisting the yarns together at the edge instead.
Bottom seed stitch border (MC):
CO 131 sts. If using a longtail cast on, tie the ends of two balls of yarn together rather than trying to measure out an appropriately long tail ahead of time.
Row 1-5: Slip 1, *k1, p1* to two sts before end, k2.
Row six sets up the pattern for the rest of the blanket. Stitch markers are placed to separate the side borders from the body of the blanket. Because the bottom border was worked over an odd number of stitches and the body requires an even number of stitches, it is necessary to increase by one stitch. The instructions here place the increase in the middle of the row, but if you prefer not to have to count, you can place it immediately after the first marker instead.
Row 6 (WS): Slip 1, (k1, p1) twice, k1, place marker, p59, kfb, p59, place marker, (k1, p1) twice, k2.
Body of blanket:
This is where the stripe pattern begins. Rows 7-10 constitute one stripe. Knit one stripe in the MC, one stripe in the CC, two stripes in the MC, and one in the CC. Repeat that pattern – MC, CC, MC, MC, CC – until you are nearly out of MC yarn (saving enough to do the top border) or until the blanket is long enough.
Row 7 (RS): Slip 1, (k1, p1) twice, k1, slip marker, k120, slip marker, (k1, p1) twice, k2.
Row 8: Slip 1, (k1, p1) twice, k1, slip marker, p120, slip marker, (k1, p1) twice, k2.
Row 9: Slip 1, (k1, p1) twice, k1, slip marker, *k3, k2tog three times, (yo, k1) six times, k2tog three times, k3* five times, slip marker, (k1, p1) twice, k2.
Row 10: Slip 1, (k1, p1) twice, k1, slip marker, k120, slip marker, (k1, p1) twice, k2. Knitting this WS row forms ridges on the front.
To make sure you have enough yarn to do the top border, take a moment when you finish the first skein of MC yarn, and count how many full pattern repeats you've done. As the top and bottom borders are identical, this is how many you'll be able to do with the third skein of MC yarn before you start the border.
Top border:
The top border is worked entirely in the MC. You can remove the stitch markers as you reach them. The decrease on row one is to bring the total number of stitches back down to 131.
Row 1 (RS): Slip 1, (k1, p1) twice, k2tog, *p1, k1* to one stitch before the end, k1.
Row 2-5: Slip 1, *k1, p1* to two sts before end, k2.
Bind off loosely.
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.