I was so excited to learn that a woman I used to work with was going to have a baby.  The bedding she chose for the baby’s room was a toile pattern with off-white background and light blue and taupe accents.  I searched around and decided this pattern named “Mint” for Friends by Brooke Shellflower in Leisure Arts Our Best Knit Baby Afghans would coordinate with toile.  I made a toile tote to use as a gift bag.

So how many of these have I made? Well there is this one, and this one, and this one. This is just a very easy but elegant pattern. It is published as a full sized afghan made with two strands of worsted weight, but I usually make it for a baby blanket with fewer stitches and one strand of a bulky thread.  This one is in Red Heart Baby Clouds.  The much loved pattern is Repose by Carol Prior in Leisure Arts Big Book of Quick Knit Afghans.

In my three and a half decades of stitchery, I have managed to accumulate way too much yarn, and I really need to reduce the stash. A friend of mine has volunteered with a local hospice to supply hand stitched lap blankets, shawls and preemie blanket and hat sets.  She delivers items quarterly.  These are the items I donated to her September batch.

This began as a baby blanket I wasn’t going to finish, so I finished it as a lap blanket.  The pattern is Afghan #1 by Rachel J. Terrill in Leisure Arts #2687, Knit One For Baby.

This is a lap blanket in the Navajo style my grandmother used for so many afghans.

I had begun this to be a rectangular wrap that I was never going to finish, so I finished it as a lap blanket.  The stitch pattern is Candle Flames from A Treasury of Knitting Patterns by Barbara G. Walker.

This preemie blanket and hat set is made in the stitch pattern English Lace from A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns by Barbara G. Walker.

This was an easy, quick and fun way to use up a couple of skeins of a print yarn. The pattern is Lyn’s Round Ripple Baby Afghan which I have used as a lap blanket.

This lap blanket is made in the stitch pattern Flemish Block Lace from A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns by Barbara G. Walker.

This lap blanket is made in the stitch pattern Shadow Triangles from the Reader’s Digest The Ultimate Sourcebook of Knitting and Crochet Stitches.

The preemie blanket and hat set is based on the stitch pattern Feather Lace from Knitting on the Edge by Nicky Epstein.

This is a lap blanket sized version of Stashaholic’s Brain Dead Afghan.

This is a twist on the old standard Feather and Fan.  Slipped stitches provide the strands that are later picked up to form the sides of the windows.

The afghan can be made with most yarns and appropriate needles for yarn.  The example is made with Caron Simply Soft yarn and size 8 (5mm) needles.

Example is a 37 inch square lap blanket, but pattern can be easily modified to make any size.

In the example I used about 7 oz of Black and around 3.5 oz each of Red, Iris, Berry Blue and Limelight.

Any corrections I have discussed in the comments have been incorporated in the pattern.

Techniques:

Slipped stitches – hold yarn in front or back of work as indicated.  Slip the indicated number of stitches by inserting needle to the front, as you would to purl.  It is very important to leave adequate slack in this trailed yarn before working the next stitches.  Accomplish this by fully extending the work in section of dropped stitches.

Picking up trailing yarn strands – on row with stitches indicated pick up the trailing yarn strands by first inserting needle under the trailing strands then through stitch to knit.  Pull knit loop through back below the strands.  The strands will be behind the completed stitch.  Do this for 5 stitches.  The strands will be on the wrong side for the length of these five stitches.

Color:

The effect of the pattern is most striking when using at least two colors.  A primary color forms the frames for the little stained glass pieces.  The sections worked in a secondary color can all be worked in a single color, in a repeat of several colors, or even in different colors  for each section, perhaps from scrap yarn.

Pattern:

Multiple of 18 plus 5.  Change number cast on to change width.

Cast on 167 with primary color.

Rows 1 and 2:  Knit.

Row 3: K3, p2, *with yarn in front, slip 13 purlwise, p5* repeat between * to last 5 stitches, p2, k3.

Row4: K5 *with yarn in back, slip 13 purlwise, k5* repeat between * across.

Row 5: Change to secondary color. K3 *(yo, k1) twice, yo, k2tog three times, k1, k2tog three times, (yo, k1) three times* repeat between * across to last 2 stitches, k2.

Row 6: K3, purl across to last three stitches, k3.

Row 7: Knit.

Row 8: Repeat row 6.

Rows 9 and 10: Repeat rows 5 and 6.

Row 11: Change to primary color. *K9, k5 by inserting needle under the two loose strands before into stitch to knit, k4* across to last 5 stitches, k5.

Row 12: Knit.

Rows 13 and 14: Repeat rows 3 and 4.

Repeat rows 5 to 14 until afghan is desired length.  On last repeat do not work rows 13 and 14.  Cast off while knitting an additional row.

This pattern gives the impression of carnival tents. The example is a 32 inch square lapghan, but instructions for given for five sizes, and the pattern can be easily adjusted to make any size desired. Row is a multiple of 18 plus 3 stitches.

This example was made using Caron Simply Soft yarn, an acrylic worsted weight, and size 8 (5mm) needles.

Size: The blanket can be made any size you like. Five sizes are given in the directions.

Gauge: 18 stitches and 24 rows = 4 inches in stockinette

Materials:
Worsted weight yarn, see chart above for amounts.
Size 8 (5mm) knitting needles

Abbreviations:
k = knit
p = purl
k2tog = knit two together
ssk = slip one knitwise, slip one knitwise, insert left needle into front of both slipped stitches and knit.
S2KP2 – slip2 (together, knitwise), k1, pass 2 slipped stitches over

Instructions:

The number of cast on stitches should be a multiple of 18 plus 3.

Cast on these number of stitches for these widths:
32″ = 147
36″ = 165
39.75″ = 183
43.75″ = 201
47.75″ = 219

Row 1: k3, * yo, k6, S2KP2, k6, yo, k3, repeat from *

Row 2: k3, p1, (p1, k1) 6 times, * p6, (p1, k1) 6 times, repeat from * to last 5 stitches, p2, k3

Row 3: k4, yo, k5, S2KP2, k5, yo, * k5, yo, k5, S2KP2, k5, yo, repeat from * to last 4 stitches, k4

Row 4: k3, p2, (p1, k1) 2 times, p3, (k1, p1) 2 times, * p7, (p1, k1) 2 times, p3, (k1, p1) 2 times, repeat from * to last 5 stitches, p2, k3

Row 5: k3, p2, yo, k4, S2KP2, k4, yo, * p7, yo, k4, S2KP2, k4, yo, repeat from * to last 5 stitches, p2, k3

Row 6: k6,  (p1, k1) 4 times, p1, * k9, (p1, k1) 4 times, p1,  repeat from * to last 6 stitches, k6

Row 7: k3, p3, yo, k3, S2KP2, k3, yo,* p9, yo, k3, S2KP2, k3, yo, repeat from * to last 6 stitches, p3, k3

Row 8: k3, p5, k1, p3, k1, * p13, k1, p3, k1, repeat from * to last 8 stitches, p5, k3

Row 9: k7, yo, k2, S2KP2, k2, yo,* k11, yo, k2, S2KP2, k2, yo, repeat from * to last 7 stitches, k7

Row 10: k3, p6, k1, p1, k1, * p15, k1, p1, k1, repeat from * to last 9 stitches, p6, k3

Row 11: k8, yo, k1, S2KP2, k1, yo,* k13, yo, k1, S2KP2, k1, yo, repeat from * to last 8 stitches, k8

Row 12: k9, p3, * k15, p3 repeat from * to last 9 stitches, k9

Row 13: k3, p6, yo, S2KP2, yo, * p15, yo, S2KP2, yo, repeat from * to last 9 stitches,  p6, k3

Row 14: knit

Continue by repeating these 14 rows until desired length is reached.  Pattern can be made in a single color or color changes can be made between repeats if desired.

On the last repeat, work the 13th row as follows:

Row 13: k9, yo, S2KP2, yo, * k15, yo, S2KP2, yo, repeat from * to last 9 stitches,  k9

Cast off while working row 14.

The traditional crocheted Navajo afghan is crocheted across with each row having the beginning and ending yarn as fringe. To avoid having fringe on a lap blanket, this is designed to be crocheted in the round so that the affect of having the crochet stitches all facing the same side are preserved without having to start and stop for each row.

This pattern is written using four colors, but the blanket can be done in any number of colors and numbers of rows per color.

SC – single crochet – all single crochets are worked in the back loop.

DC* – double crochet – in this blanket all double crochets are worked in the front loop of stitch two rows down.

CC – corner cluster – SC, chain, SC in corner chain

REC – round end corner – SC in corner chain, chain, slip stitch in first SC of round, chain one, SC in previous chain.

CEC – color end corner – SC in corner chain, chain, slip stitch in first SC, finish off. With next color SC in previous chain.

Example and measurements are based on worsted weight acrylic yarn and size I crochet hook, but other weight yarns can be used with appropriate size hook.  Finished blanket measures 30 inches.

With color A ch 2

Round 1 – in second chain from hook, (SC , ch  1) four times, slip stitch in first SC of round, chain one, SC in previous chain

Round 2 – (SC in next SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next SC, REC

Round 3 – (SC in next 3 SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 3 SC, REC

Round 4 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, SC in next 2 SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, SC in next 2 SC, CEC from color A to color B

Round 5 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 6 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 3SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 3SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 7 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 5SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 5SC, DC*, 2SC, CEC from color B to color C

Round 8 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 7SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 7SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 9 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 9SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 9SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 10 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 11SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 11SC, DC*, 2SC, CEC from color C to color D

Round 11 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 13SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 13SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 12 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 15SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 15SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 13 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 17SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 17SC, DC*, 2SC, CEC from color D to color A

Round 14 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 19SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 19SC, DC*, 2SC, CEC from color A to color D

Round 15 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, SC, DC*, 17SC, DC*, SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, SC, DC*, 17SC, DC*, SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 16 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 3SC, DC*, 15SC, DC*, 3SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 3SC, DC*, 15SC, DC*, 3SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 17 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 5SC, DC*, 13SC, DC*, 5SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 5SC, DC*, 13SC, DC*, 5SC, DC*, 2SC, CEC from color D to color C

Round 18 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 7SC, DC*, 11SC, DC*, 7SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 7SC, DC*, 11SC, DC*, 7SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 19 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 9SC] 3 times, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 9SC] 3 times, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 20 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 11SC, DC*, 7SC, DC*, 11SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 11SC, DC*, 7SC, DC*, 11SC, DC*, 2SC, CEC from color C to color B

Round 21 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 13SC, DC*, 5SC, DC*, 13SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 13SC, DC*, 5SC, DC*, 13SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 22 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 15SC, DC*, 3SC, DC*, 15SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 15SC, DC*, 3SC, DC*, 15SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 23 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 17SC, DC*, SC, DC*, 17SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 17SC, DC*, SC, DC*, 17SC, DC*, 2SC, CEC from color B to color A

Round 24 – (SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 19SC, DC*, 19SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, DC*, 19SC, DC*, 19SC, DC*, 2SC, CEC from color A to color B

Round 25 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, SC, DC*, 17SC] twice, DC*, SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, SC, DC*, 17SC] twice, DC*, SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 26 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 3SC, DC*, 15SC] twice, DC*, 3SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 3SC, DC*, 15SC] twice, DC*, 3SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 27 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 5SC, DC*, 13SC] twice, DC*, 5SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 5SC, DC*, 13SC] twice, DC*, 5SC, DC*, 2SC, CEC from color B to color C

Round 28 – (SC in next 2 SC,[ DC*, 7SC, DC*, 11SC] twice, DC*, 7SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 7SC, DC*, 11SC] twice, DC*, 7SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 29 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 9SC] 5 times, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 9SC] 5 times, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 30 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 11SC, DC*, 7SC] twice, DC*, 11SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 11SC, DC*, 7SC] twice, DC*, 11SC, DC*, 2SC, CEC from color C to color D

Round 31 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 13SC, DC*, 5SC] twice, DC*, 13SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 13SC, DC*, 5SC] twice, DC*, 13SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 32 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 15SC, DC*, 3SC] twice, DC*, 15SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 15SC, DC*, 3SC] twice, DC*, 15SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 33 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 17SC, DC*, SC] twice, DC*, 17SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 17SC, DC*, SC] twice, DC*, 17SC, DC*, 2SC, CEC from color D to color A

Round 34 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 19SC] 3 times, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 19SC] 3 times, DC*, 2SC, CEC from color A to color D

Round 35 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, SC, DC*,17SC] 3 times, DC*, SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, SC, DC*, 17SC] 3 times, DC*, SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 36 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 3SC, DC*,15SC] 3 times, DC*, 3SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 3SC, DC*, 15SC] 3 times, DC*, 3SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 37 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 5SC, DC*, 13SC] 3 times, DC*, 5SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 5SC, DC*, 13SC] 3 times, DC*, 5SC, DC*, 2SC, CEC from color D to color C

Round 38 – (SC in next 2 SC,[ DC*, 7SC, DC*, 11SC] 3 times, DC*, 7SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 7SC, DC*, 11SC] 3 times, DC*, 7SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 39 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 9SC] 7 times, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 9SC] 7 times, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 40 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 11SC, DC*, 7SC] 3 times, DC*, 11SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 11SC, DC*, 7SC] 3 times, DC*, 11SC, DC*, 2SC, CEC from color C to color B

Round 41 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 13SC, DC*, 5SC] 3 times, DC*, 13SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 13SC, DC*, 5SC] 3 times, DC*, 13SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 42 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 15SC, DC*, 3SC] 3 times, DC*, 15SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 15SC, DC*, 3SC] 3 times, DC*, 15SC, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 43 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 17SC, DC*, SC] 3 times, DC*, 17SC, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 17SC, DC*, SC] 3 times, DC*, 17SC, DC*, 2SC, CEC from color B to color A

Round 44 – (SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 19SC] 9 times, DC*, 2SC, CC) 3 times, SC in next 2 SC, [DC*, 19SC] 9 times, DC*, 2SC, REC

Round 45 – (SC in each SC of the side, CC) 3 times, SC in each SC of the side, REC

Round 46 – (SC in each SC of the side, CC) 3 times, SC in each SC of the side, SC in corner chain, chain one, slip stitch in first SC of round.  Finish off and weave in end.

I had to double time to get this queen-sized afghan ready for Justin and Denise’s shower.  It is made with Caron Simply Soft Bone.

I use this pattern a lot, but it just makes a great baby blanket.

This is a simple afghan from Lion’s Brand Homespun. It features cables on one side and an eyelet pattern on the other.

After making so many baby gifts for so many other babies, I can finally make things for my own! Here is the first blanket for baby to come.