The Baby Blanket is Complete!

Dec 05, 2024

This is the fourth installment in a series of articles about making a baby blanket for an expectant co-worker. You can read about my goals for this project here, get details about the yarn I chose here, and see the construction plan here.

When we last visited this project, I had completed three of the four squares. I was ready to pick up stitches for the final square and join it to the provisional cast-on edge of the first square. Since this is the point where the piece starts to feel like a blanket, it's a big moment! Let's dig in.

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Setting Up Square 4

Square 4 begins with picking up stitches along the side of the prior square, just as we did for Squares 2 and 3. But now we need access to the stitches along the cast-on edge of Square 1. Remove the waste yarn, catching each of those stitches on your needle as it is released. You want those needle tips to meet at what will be the center of your blanket, as shown in the drawing.

I made this blanket with a 32" long circular needle, so I used the other end of my needle to catch these stitches from the provisional cast-on. If traditional straight needles are your preference, just use your second needle. If you've worked with a provisional cast-on before, you know there is always a funky little twist at the end that has you asking, "is this is stitch, or isn't it?" In this instance, it is not a stitch—just pull the waste yarn out and ignore that oddball.

You should end up with 70 stitches picked up and knit along the side of Square 3 and 69 stitches recovered from the provisional cast-on. Your yarn is at the center of the blanket, where the needle tips meet.

Working Square 4

Turn the work so the wrong side is facing. Knit 1 stitch, place a stitch marker on the needle, then knit to the end of the row. You've made the first ridge of Square 4, the only ridge which will not be connected to one of your cast-on stitches.

For the right-side row, knit to the marker, slip the marker, then work an ssk (a left-leaning decrease—here is a quick video tutorial if you need a refresher.) With the ssk, you're joining the end of a row from Square 4 to a cast-on stitch from Square 1. Turn your work and knit back along the Square 4 stitches, slipping the marker when you come to it.

Keep going, joining the two squares together at the end of each right-side row, until you've completed 140 rows (70 garter stitch ridges) on Block 4 and there are no stitches remaining from the cast-on edge of Block 1.

Setting up the Border

I was negligent (lazy) about taking photos while I knit the border of this blanket. I hope my description of the steps is clear enough that you'll forgive the lack of illustrations.

You'll begin by getting stitches on your needle all the way around your blanket. With the border color, slip the first stitch of Square 4, then knit the remaining stitches at the top of Square 4, then pick up and knit 70 stitches along the side of Square 1. Place a marker on the needle. Knit the stitches from the holder at the top of Square 1, then pick up and knit 70 stitches along the side of Square 2. Place another marker. Keep going across the top of Square 2, side of Square 3 (place a marker), top of Square 3 and side of Square 4. Finally, place one more marker and knit that slipped stitch from the top of Square 4. You'll have 560 stitches on your circular needle. Break the yarn.

My interchangeable needle set comes with a cord that makes a needle 60" long, which was perfect for this job. If your interchangeable set doesn't have a super long cord, check to see if your set came with little metal cord connectors which let you join multiple cords together (they usually look like little metal tubes). If you don't use interchangeable needles, you can use four shorter circular needles, using a separate needle for each side of your blanket.

Use some waste yarn and a provisional cast-on to cast on 5 new stitches to the tip of your right-hand needle (this is the needle holding the stitches from the top of Square 4.)

Using the border color, knit these 5 stitches onto a spare needle (I use a double pointed needle as the spare needle, since it will never hold more than five stitches.) Turn to the wrong side and knit these 5 sts onto your circular needle.

Working the Border

For the right-side row, slip the first stitch purl wise with yarn in front, knit the next 3 stitches, then ssk the last border stitch with the next stitch from the edge of the blanket. Turn to the wrong side and knit to the end. Repeat these two rows until you reach the marker at the corner.

You’re working back and forth across just the 5 border stitches, joining the border to the edge of the blanket at the end of every right-side row.

Miter the Corner

I used wrap and turn short rows to neatly wrap the border around the corners of the blanket. There is no need to pick up or otherwise resolve the short-row wraps; they blend right in with the garter ridges. Here's how:

Row 1 (right side): Slip 1 stitch purl wise with yarn in front, knit the next 3 stitches, then wrap and turn (here's a quick video if you need a refresher on this technique.)
Row 2 (wrong side): Knit to end.
Row 3: Slip 1 stitch purl wise with yarn in front, knit the next 2 stitches, then wrap and turn.
Row 4: Repeat Row 2.
Row 5: Slip 1 stitch purl wise with yarn in front, knit the next 1 stitch, then wrap and turn.
Row 6: Repeat Row 2.
Row 7: Slip 1 stitch purl wise with yarn in front, knit the next 3 stitches, ssk (joining the border to the corner stitch of the blanket).
Row 8: Repeat Row 2.
Row 9: Repeat Row 5.
Row 10: Repeat Row 2.
Row 11: Repeat Row 3.
Row 12: Repeat Row 2.
Row 13: Repeat Row 1.
Row 14: Repeat Row 2.

Then continue across the next side of the blanket, joining the border to the blanket edge stitches at the end of every right-side row.

After you finish the short rows for the final corner, remove the waste yarn from the provisional cast-on and graft the ends of the border together (if you're new to grafting in garter stitch, here’s a link to a good tutorial).

Weave in any remaining ends, give the blanket a gentle wash, and you're done!

Some things that caught my eye…

It's the time of year when all the "best-of" lists are published. Here is The New York Times 10 Best Books of 2024. Five are fiction and five are non-fiction. I've read three of the fiction titles and I'm on the waiting list for the audio versions of the other two. I haven't read any of the non-fiction and, frankly, the synopses in the article didn't tempt me to seek any of them out.
And here is AudioFile's Best Audiobooks of 2024. I've only read five of the fifty books listed. How about you?
What have I been knitting since I finished the baby blanket? Leftover hats!

I'm using my free Warmest Regards pattern and yarn left over from recent projects. If you're looking for last-minute gift patterns, you might want to consider this one. The ribbing makes these hats fit well on a wide range of heads. The pattern includes instructions for fingering, DK, and worsted weight yarns. You can color block or stripe the hats as you please, making them a great way to use leftovers. With worsted weight yarn, you can complete a hat in just two or three evenings. The hats shown here will go to Knit the Rainbow, since my family doesn’t live in parts of the country where hats are required winter wear.

I hope you’ve enjoyed following along as I knit this baby blanket. I’m not sure I want to take the time to write this up as a formal pattern and publish it on Ravelry. After all, you really could replicate this blanket just using this series of four articles. What do you think? If you have an opinion, please share it in the comments.