Nursery to Toddler

ABC Organic Sweater Knit Blanket $28.49 This organic cotton sweater knit blanket is perfect to wrap baby or mom on a cold night. Knit squares give this blanket an upscale, handmade look. Measures 30" x 40".

Pickles 100% Bamboo Garden Stripe Knit Baby Blanket Maroon $34.99 Go green with a Pickles “Farm Fresh” garden stripe knit baby blanket. It’s good for the baby and the Earth! The knitted bamboo is cool to the touch and amazingly soft on the skin.

Pickles 100% Bamboo Garden Stripe Knit Baby Blanket Pink $34.99 Go green with a Pickles “Farm Fresh” garden stripe knit baby blanket. It’s good for the baby and the Earth! The knitted bamboo is cool to the touch and amazingly soft on the skin.

Pickles 100% Bamboo Garden Stripe Knit Baby Blanket Blue $34.99 Go green with a Pickles “Farm Fresh” garden stripe knit baby blanket. It’s good for the baby and the Earth! The knitted bamboo is cool to the touch and amazingly soft on the skin.

Pickles 100% Bamboo Garden Stripe Knit Baby Blanket Oatmeal $34.99 Go green with a Pickles “Farm Fresh” garden stripe knit baby blanket. It’s good for the baby and the Earth! The knitted bamboo is cool to the touch and amazingly soft on the skin.

Cable Knit Carriage Liner and Blanket $110 Beautiful and Plush Comfort Add that luxurious look to your babys stroller with this beautiful Cable Knit Carriage Liner and Blanket setThis exquisite set includes a stunning softly cushioned liner decorated with cable design and mini bows and a gorgeous large size matching blanket with a ruffle trim Aside from the elegance and beauty this practical set will attach securely to your stroller with its five point harness and ties What a perfect way to keep your baby comfortable and warm Makes a Perfect gift 100 Cotton Includes Carriage Liner and Blanket Accommodates most strollers Attaches securely to carriage – The top of backing has an overlapping fabric and ties on both sides Opening for 5 point harness Comes in a convenient storage bag Machine Washable

Argyle Knit Carriage Liner and Blanket $120 On the Go – In Style Transform your babys stroller into a luxurious stroller with this stunning Argyle Knit Carriage Liner and Blanket set This exquisite set includes a beautiful softly cushioned liner designed with an argyle pattern and a gorgeous large size matching blanket with a ruffle trim This elegant set can be secured to your stroller with its five point harness and ties So keep your baby comfortable and warm while not giving up on the luxurious look Makes a perfect gift 100 Cotton Includes Carriage Liner and Blanket Accommodates most strollers Attaches securely to carriage – The top of backing has an overlapping fabric and ties on both sides Opening for 5 point harness Machine Washable Comes in a convenient storage bag

Too Good by Jenny McCarthy Dreamtime 2-Ply Organic Knit Baby Blanket $19.99 Colorful stars highlighted by pastel shades will lull your little one to sleep. This organic cotton 2-ply blanket is nontoxic with no vinyl or polyester appliqués and uses carefully tested dyes for baby’s health and safety.

Too Good by Jenny McCarthy Zoo Zoo 2-Ply Organic Knit Baby Blanket $19.99 Create a cheery nursery with the fun zoo animals and colorful patterns of the Too Good by Jenny McCarthy Zoo Zoo 2-Ply Organic Knit Baby Blanket. This organic cotton 2-ply blanket is nontoxic with no vinyl or polyester appliqués and uses carefully tested dyes for baby’s health and safety.

Too Good by Jenny McCarthy Pretty in Pink 2-Ply Organic Knit Baby Blanket $19.99 Flowers on a sweet pink palette make any little girl’s room beautiful. This organic cotton 2-ply baby blanket is nontoxic with no vinyl or polyester appliqués and uses carefully tested dyes for baby’s health and safety.

diagonal knit baby blanket

Beyond the Square Crochet Motifs: 144 circles, hexagons, triangles, squares, and other unexpected shapes $11.39 Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. 100% Money Back Guarantee….

Knit Noro: 30 Designs in Living Color $14.79 Japanese designer Eisaku Noro creates some of the world’s most magnificent yarns-made from exquisite natural materials and color-blended into stunning hues, they’re prized by knitters everywhere. This lush, beautifully styled book offers needleworkers of all skill levels a collection of patterns that make the most of Noro’s breathtaking creations. The projects, which range from an Entrelac Scarf a…

Herrschner’s Blue-Ribbon Afghans (Crochet Treasury) $9.63 Crochet patterns for afghans….

Diagonal Square

Earning Your Knitting Stripes

Knitting is a natural when it comes to creating stripes. A stripe is defined as “a line or long narrow section differing in color or texture from parts adjoining”. The needles act as the guardians of the straight line, that crossover point where changes in color or texture can be made. It is up for grabs how to fill in those rows that make up a stripe. The ever-popular  horizontal line and color changes are just a start in choosing how to stripe a sweater.  

It is quite simple to incorporate stripes of color into an uncomplicated knitting pattern. The more difficult choice is what colors to choose. Once yarns that are compatible in gauge and fiber content are assembled, the next step is to see how the chosen colors will relate to one another when placed in a striped pattern. General rules will apply such as dark lines on pure color will have the tendency to deepen the entire look of the garment. Light areas will appear larger than dark areas. Warm colors will pop out to the eye much more than cool colors.   

Woven rugs and fabrics can offer up varied inspiration particularly if they embody a balance of color and stripe thickness to result in an eye-pleasing combination. An hour or two spent flipping through upholstery fabric swatches or wallpaper sample books may result in obtaining a dynamite sequence of striped color.   

Stripes can vary by size from the bold stripes of a rugby shirt, which may have three or four large bands of color, to pinstripes and all sizes between. The stripes need not be uniform in size throughout the garment. Increasing or decreasing the size of the stripe by one or two rows and repeating the same sequence of those smaller and larger stripes will definitely add interest.    

Stripes can also be distinguished by texture. Rows of garter stitch or seed stitch alternating with plain knitting create an understated stripe when only one color of yarn is used. A few rows of bobbles or of simple lace can create a stripe of interesting effect. Paying careful attention so that the gauge is the same for each chosen stitch pattern will avoid creating an unevenness in the finished measurement. Simple stitches to knit for subtle changes can be found in knitting dictionaries and stitch guides.  

The placement of the stripes can also add further appeal. Use vertical or horizontal striping in the ribbing of bands and cuffs. Try a striped collar or pocket to stand alone on a plain-colored background. Begin to work stripes at the start of the garment piece and narrow the stripes to fade into a one-color finish. Stripe one sleeve and leave the other plain. Stripes do not have to remain horizontal. A little trickier to knit, vertical or diagonal stripes add their own flourish. Yarn bobbins will be needed and careful twisting of the yarns at color changeover points will keep your stripes in line.  

  So to earn your knitting stripes, incorporate several rows or more in your next project. Choose a simple pattern that will easily accept a change of stitch pattern and welcome a color change every few rows. It will all make for a very unique sweater, not to mention the release from guilt knowing that those leftover balls of yarn are being put to such good use.   

About the Author

Maddy Cranley is a professional knitwear designer, who has created exclusive designs for knitting and craft magazines, authored and published three books on the subject of creating felt garments and projects from handknitting, and produces an ever-expanding line of maddy laine handknitting patterns. For additional information, see http://www.maddycraft.com