Hand-Knit 4-Square Baby Blanket Pattern with Eco Alpaca Yarn and Multiple Stitch Designs by Solene

I designed this 4-square blanket for my baby boy, who is still hiding in my huge belly, but should be born next month. It is 100 % baby alpaca. I wanted to knit something original. The only problem was that I had 2 skeins of cream (=Eco Alpaca), 2 of Sphere (light blue), and 3 of Azure (deep blue), and I wanted to see all three colors equally in this blanket. I couldn't find a pattern which would truly show them, so I went ahead and picked 6 different patterns : 1 for each square in the blanket, 1 for the border, and garter stitch for the edging. For this blanket, you will need : 2 skeins Cascade Yarns Eco Alpaca (= 2 x 100 g, 440 yds) 2 skeins Cascade Yarns Pure Alpaca 3031 (Sphere), same swatch 3 skeins Cascade Yarns Pure Alpaca 3027 (Azure), same swatch 3.5 mm / 4 US needles, straight + circular for the edging (the longer your circular needle, the better...there will be up to 5o0 stitches on it) Eco Alpaca and Pure Alpaca are exactly the same yarn, except Eco Alpaca hasn't been dyed. I1 really recommend this yarn, as it is unbelievably soft and perfect for a baby blanket, but you can knit this pattern with any yarn you would like. Just buy 2 + 2 + 3 skeins of any given yarn, that should do the trick ! As all patterns are different from one another, I didn't really know how they would look together, and if my blanket would be a square or a rectangle... It ended up to be about 100 cm x 90 (r40 in x 35 in) big, and I had a little Azure yarn left. But the tension should be different for every knitter, especially if you choose to use“stretchier" yarn. I found most of the patterns in a French book, 400 Points de tricot ilustrés et expliqués (400 Patterns explained and illustrated), Editions Marie-Claire. I'm not sure whether this book was published in English or not. The "Trellis and Small flowers" pattern is from The Knitter's stitch collection, by Lesley Stanfield & MelodyGriffiths. The patterns I used are : "Point de manne" (Hamper stitch) for the border = M "Treillis et fleurettes" (Trellis and small flowers) = T A variation of "Glands" (Acorn) = G "Semailles"(Seed-time)= S "Point de Fougeres" (Ferns) on a jersey pane = F Garter stitch for the edging = GS

Construction : Left-side panel : Using provisional cast-on, then Azure yarn, cast on 92 st. Knit 1 row in provisional cast-on. Then, with Azure yarn, knit : 1 border st, 1 x M chart starting at st 2, 14 x M, k2. Knit 5 x M in height, and knit 2 more rows for symmetry =38 rows. With Sphere yarn, knit 1, S pattern x 15, knit 1. Repeat the chart as many times as possible in height, until you near the end of the skein. I had 17 S = 136 rows. Change to Undyed yarn, knit 1, I chart x 9, knit 1. Warning : increase 3 stitches anywhere you want in this row = 95 st. Repeat the chart as many times as possible in height, until you near the end of the skein. I had 6 T =120 rows. With Azure yarn , decrease 3 st anywhere you like in the foll. row, while knitting : 1 border st, 1x M chart starting at st 2, 14 x M, k2. Knit 5 x M in height, and 2 more rows for symmetry = 38 rows. Keep all 92 st on a spare needle.

Right-side panel :

Using provisional cast-on, then Azure yarn, cast on 92 st. Knit 1 row in provisional cast-on, Then, with Azure yarn, knit : 1 border st, 1 x M chart starting at st 2, 14 x M, k2. Knit 5 x M in height, and knit 2 more rows for symmetry=38rows. With Undyed yarn, knit 1, 1 xF, knit 1. Repeat the chart as many times as possible in height, until you near the end of the skein. I had 12 F = 120 rows. (You can also repeat 2 or 3 B fern patterns on the 92 st, with fewer jersey st on each side). Change to Sphere yarn, knit 1, increase 1 st (= 93 st), follow G (Acorn) pattern, k2. Repeat the chart as many times as possible in height, until you near the end of the skein. I had 14.5 G = 116 rows. With Azure yarn , decrease 1 st anywhere you like in the foll. row, while knitting : 1 border st, 1 x M chart starting at st 2, 14 x M, k2. Knit 5 x M in height, and 2 more rows for symmetry = 38 rows. Keep all 92 st on a spare needle. Both panels are done. You should have 2 Azure skeins left, more or less. The remaining border and edging will all be knitted with Azure yarn.

Border :

Using a (long !) circular needle, undo the provisional cast-on and pick up \~166 st on the left side of the left panel. This number will differ depending on your tension and how many rows you've managed to knit with each skein. Just make sure to adjust to M pattern + 2 border stitches, if possible. If you can't, you might to knit any symmetrical pattern you like. Knit 5 x M plus 2 rows for symmetry. Leave all stitches on a spare needle. Knit the border the same way on the right-side panel : undo the provisional cast-on and pick up stitches on the right side of the panel. I had about 160 st on this one, but the difference can't really be seen once the blanket is finished. You might even have the same number of stitches on both panels, which would be great ! Once both borders are complete, sew both panels together using invisible sewing.

Edging :

Pick up all stitches on all four sides on one circular needle (it doesn't matter on which corner you start). That's about 500 stitches. Place a marker before the first stitch. Knit 6 circular rows in garter stitch, that is knit on right-side rows and purl on wrong-side rows. On each corner : On right-side rows, do a yarnover before and after each corner stitch (= 2 increases on each corner). Always purl the corner stitch, even on right-side rows. On the following row, purl all yarnovers like all other stitches. On row number 6 (="purling" row), purl and bind off all stitches very loosely. I only knitted 6 rows for the edging. I'm pretty sure I could have knitted 8 with the yarn I had left, but I liked the way the blanket looked with only 6 rows.

All charts are on the attached sheet.

(I deeply apologize for any awkward translation. I'm French) Solene Hamper pattern (M chart)

Seed-time pattern (S chart)

Repeat st 1 to 6 only, finish the row with st 7. slip 1 st purlwise (wrong-side or right-side rows) slip 2 st on a cable needle at the back, k1, k the 2 st 7 left ? slip 1 st on a cable needle at the front, k2, k the st left

Acorn (G) chart, my pattern

Fern pattern = knit A, B, C, B, A on each row (F chart)

knit on right-side rows, purl on wrong-side rows p purl on right-side rows, knit on wrong-side rows yarnover A sk2tog (slip 1, k2 together, bind off the previous st on the other two)

Trellis and flowers (F chart)

knit on right-side rows, purl on wrong-side rows yarnover X sk1 = slip 1, knit 1, bind off the first stitch k2tog = knit 2 together A sk2tog (slip 1, k2 together, bind off the previous st on the other two)