Gracie Stripes Easy Baby Blanket

Time: Week Project

Skill Level: Easy

Size: 36 inches x 36 inches

Gauge: 20 sts and 40 rows = 4” [10 cm] in Garter Stitch

Materials

Yarn: Paintbox Cotton DK (100% Cotton; 137 yards [125 meters]/50 grams): #403 Light Champagne (MC, 4 skeins), # 456 Vintage Pink (CC1, 2 skeins), #455 Peach Orange (CC2, 2 skeins), #461 Elephant Grey (CC3, 2 skeins), #466 Glorious Gold (CC4, 2 skeins), #436 Duck Egg Blue (CC5, 2 skeins)

Hook/Needles: US 4 (3.5mm) 24” circular needle, US size N (10mm) crochet hook (or similar size – for chain finish)

Notions: scissors, tapestry needle, tape measure

Pattern

Using CC1; cast on 3 sts.

Row 1: K1, kf&b, k1 (4 sts)

Rows 2-9: K1, kf&b, k to end of row (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 sts)

Row 10: K6, yo, k6 (13 sts)

Switch to MC, then continue:

Row 11 (Pattern Row): K5, yo, k to end of row (1 st increased)

Rows 12-16: Repeat Pattern Row. (15, 16, 17, 18, 19 sts)

Switch to CC2, then continue:

Rows 17-26: Repeat Pattern Row. (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 sts)

Switch to MC, then continue:

Rows 27-32: Repeat Pattern Row. (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 sts)

Switch to CC3, then continue:

Rows 33-42: Repeat Pattern Row. (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 sts)

Switch to MC, then continue:

Rows 43-48: Repeat Pattern Row. (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51 sts)

Switch to CC4, then continue:

Rows 49-58: Repeat Pattern Row. (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61 sts)

Switch to MC, then continue:

Rows 59-64: Repeat Pattern Row. (62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67 sts)

Switch to CC5, then continue:

Rows 65-74: Repeat Pattern Row. (68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77 sts)

Switch to MC, then continue:

Rows 75-80: Repeat Pattern Row. (78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83 sts)

Switch to CC1, then continue:

Rows 81-90: Repeat Pattern Row. (84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93 sts)

Switch to MC, then continue:

Rows 91-96: Repeat Pattern Row. (94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99 sts)

Switch to CC2, then continue:

Rows 97-106: Repeat Pattern Row. (100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109 sts)

Switch to MC, then continue:

Rows 107-112: Repeat Pattern Row. (110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115 sts)

Switch to CC3, then continue:

Rows 113-122: Repeat Pattern Row. (116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125 sts)

Switch to MC, then continue:

Rows 123-128: Repeat Pattern Row. (126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131 sts)

Switch to CC4, then continue:

Rows 129-138: Repeat Pattern Row. (132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141 sts)

Switch to MC, then continue:

Rows 139-144: Repeat Pattern Row. (142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147 sts)

Switch to CC5, then continue:

Rows 145-154: Repeat Pattern Row. (148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157 sts)

Switch to MC, then continue:

Rows 155-160: Repeat Pattern Row. (158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163 sts)

Switch to CC1, then continue:

Rows 161-170: Repeat Pattern Row. (164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173 sts)

Switch to MC, then continue:

Rows 171-176: Repeat Pattern Row. (174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179 sts)

Switch to CC2, then continue:

Rows 177-186: Repeat Pattern Row. (180, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188, 189 sts)

Switch to MC, then continue:

Rows 187-192: Repeat Pattern Row. (190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195 sts)

Switch to CC3, then continue:

Rows 193-202: Repeat Pattern Row. (196, 197, 198, 199, 200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 205 sts)

Switch to MC, then continue:

Rows 203-208: Repeat Pattern Row. (206, 207, 208, 209, 210, 211 sts)

Switch to CC4, then continue:

Rows 209-218: Repeat Pattern Row. (212, 213, 214, 215, 216, 217, 218, 219, 220, 221 sts)

Switch to MC, then continue:

Rows 219-224: Repeat Pattern Row. (222, 223, 224, 225, 226, 227 sts)

Switch to CC5, then continue:

Rows 225-234: Repeat Pattern Row. (228, 229, 230, 231, 231, 233 sts)

Switch to MC, then continue:

Rows 235-240: Repeat Pattern Row. (234, 235, 236, 237, 238, 239, 240, 241, 242, 243 sts)

Switch to CC1, then continue:

Row 241 (Decrease Row): K4, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k to end of row. (242 sts)

Rows 242-250: K4, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k to end of row. (241, 240, 239, 238, 237, 236, 235, 234, 233 sts)

Switch to MC, then continue:

Rows 251-256: Repeat Decrease Row. (232, 231, 230, 229, 228, 227 sts)

Switch to CC2, then continue:

Rows 257-266: Repeat Decrease Row. (226, 225, 224, 223, 222, 221, 220, 219, 218, 217 sts)

Switch to MC, then continue:

Rows 267-272: Repeat Decrease Row. (216, 215, 214, 213, 212, 211 sts)

Switch to CC3, then continue:

Rows 273-282: Repeat Decrease Row. (210, 209, 208, 207, 206, 205, 204, 203, 202, 201 sts)

Switch to MC, then continue:

Rows 283-288: Repeat Decrease Row. (200, 199, 198, 197, 196, 195 sts)

Switch to CC4, then continue:

Rows 289-298: Repeat Decrease Row. (194, 193, 192, 191, 190, 189, 188, 187, 186, 185 sts)

Switch to MC, then continue:

Rows 299-304: Repeat Decrease Row. (184, 183, 182, 181, 180, 179 sts)

Switch to CC5, then continue:

Rows 305-314: Repeat Decrease Row. (178, 177, 176, 175, 174, 173, 172, 171, 170, 169 sts)

Switch to MC, then continue:

Rows 315-320: Repeat Decrease Row. (168, 167, 166, 165, 164, 163 sts)

Switch to CC1, then continue:

Rows 321-330: Repeat Decrease Row. (162, 161, 160, 159, 158, 157, 156, 155, 154, 153 sts)

Switch to MC, then continue:

Rows 331-336: Repeat Decrease Row. (152, 151, 150, 149, 148, 147 sts)

Switch to CC2, then continue:

Rows 337-346: Repeat Decrease Row. (146, 145, 144, 143, 142, 141, 140, 139, 138, 137 sts)

Switch to MC, then continue:

Rows 347-352: Repeat Decrease Row. (136, 135, 134, 133, 132, 131 sts)

Switch to CC3, then continue:

Rows 353-362: Repeat Decrease Row. (130, 129, 128, 127, 126, 125, 124, 123, 122, 121 sts)

Switch to MC, then continue:

Rows 363-368: Repeat Decrease Row. (120, 119, 118, 117, 116, 115 sts)

Switch to CC4, then continue:

Rows 369-378: Repeat Decrease Row. (114, 113, 112, 111, 110, 109, 108, 107, 106, 105 sts)

Switch to MC, then continue:

Rows 379-384: Repeat Decrease Row. (104, 103, 102, 101, 100, 99, 98 sts)

Switch to CC5, then continue:

Rows 385-394: Repeat Decrease Row. (97, 96, 95, 94, 93, 92, 91, 91, 90, 89 sts)

Switch to MC, then continue:

Rows 395-400: Repeat Decrease Row. (88, 87, 86, 85, 84, 83 sts)

Switch to CC1, then continue:

Rows 401-410: Repeat Decrease Row. (82, 81, 80, 79, 78, 77, 76, 75, 74, 73 sts)

Switch to MC, then continue:

Rows 411-416: Repeat Decrease Row. (72, 71, 70, 69, 68, 67 sts)

Switch to CC2, then continue:

Rows 417-426: Repeat Decrease Row. (66, 65, 64, 63, 62, 61, 60, 59, 58, 57 sts)

Switch to MC, then continue:

Rows 427-432: Repeat Decrease Row. (56, 55, 54, 53, 52, 51 sts)

Switch to CC3, then continue:

Rows 433-442: Repeat Decrease Row. (50, 49, 48, 47, 46, 45, 44, 43, 42, 41 sts)

Switch to MC, then continue:

Rows 443-448: Repeat Decrease Row. (40, 39, 38, 37, 36, 35 sts)

Switch to CC4, then continue:

Rows 449-458: Repeat Decrease Row. (34, 33, 32, 31, 30, 29, 28, 27, 26, 25 sts)

Switch to MC, then continue:

Rows 459-464: Repeat Decrease Row. (24, 23, 22, 21, 20, 19 sts)

Switch to CC5, then continue:

Rows 465-469: Repeat Decrease Row. (18, 17, 16, 15, 14 sts)

Row 470: K5, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k5 (13 sts)

Rows 471-474: K1, k2tog, k to end of row (12, 11, 10, 9 sts)

Switch to MC, then continue:

Rows 475-480: K1, k2tog, k to end of row (8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 sts)

Row 481: Slip 1, k2tog, psso (1 st)

Cut yarn, leaving a short tail. Pull the tail through the last stitch and cinch to secure. Set the blanket aside.

Chain Edge

Using all the colors held together (6 strands) and a size N (10mm) crochet hook (or similar size) – make a 150-inch crochet chain. Cut all strands and secure the end.

Bow

Using all the colors held together (6 strands) and your knitting needle, cast on 5 stitches. Knit 10 rows in Stockinette Stitch, then cast off. The stitches will be dense on the small needles, but will create a firm fabric. Weave in yarn ends.

Finishing

Weave in all yarn ends on the blanket. Then weave in the crochet cord up and down through the eyelets around the border of the blanket, leaving about 4 inches of cord at the beginning. To weave in the cord; start at the cast on corner and go under 1 stitch, then over 4, until the end. When you return to the starting corner, unravel the two ends of the crochet chain, until they are just long enough for the chains to meet. Loop one end through the other to secure the two ends of the chain together. Then using the loose strands of yarn, tie the two sets (6 strands each) together into a very tight double knot on the top center of the corner of the blanket. Using the pictures as a guide; place your rectangular bow piece RS up on top of the two sets of yarn tails. Wrap the two sets of yarn around the top of the bow and tie them into a double knot as tight as possible, to cinch the center of the bow. Finally, wrap the sets of yarn around the center of the bow a couple times, to cover the knots and create a good wrap. Bring all the yarn ends to the back of the work and weave in. To make it secure, I recommend tying a tight double knot in the back of the work, before weaving in the ends.

Block completed blanket to measurements; 36” x 36”.