Sampler n. 1. A piece of needlework worked in various
stitches as a specimen of skill. 2. A representative collection or example of
something.
Making an afghan or knitted
blanket can be a daunting project. Too
many beginning knitters think, “I’ll do a blanket – no seams, no increases or
decreases – that’s a good place to start.”
And then reality sets in! You’ve
got 200+ stitches on your needles, only 7 inches done and you’re thinking,
“I’ll NEVER finish this.” Guess what ...
lots of experienced knitters have the same reaction!
A Sampler Blanket is the
perfect solution. It is also an
excellent learning project for beginners.
A Sampler Blanket involves knitting a number of 8” squares, then sewing
them together. You get to learn some
fun, interesting stitch patterns and you get some invaluable practice at
stitching knit pieces together.
A Sampler Blanket relies on
the stitch patterns to create the overall pattern and texture of the finished
piece. Choosing the right yarn to
showcase that is the key to a beautiful finished project.
Yarn Colour: Yarns NOT
to choose include variegated or multi-coloured yarns and dark colours. The pattern stitches will not show up in
either of these choices. A good yarn
choices for the Sampler Blanket are medium-to-light solid colours. You can make the entire blanket of one
colour, or vary colours from block to block.
Yarn Type: Acrylic?
Wool? Cotton? I have a preference for washable wool, sometimes
called “superwash” wool. Part of a
successful project is blocking. Acrylic
and other man-made fibres do not block as well as natural fibres, so they are
not on my preferred list. Plant fibres,
such as bamboo, corn, linen or silk are soft and luxurious, but don’t
necessarily wash easily. You want to be
able to wash your blanket. Cotton is
durable and natural, but it shrinks and compresses when washed. So that brings
us back to wool. “Superwash” wools are
made by most of the mainstream yarn manufacturers: Lionbrand, Bernat, Patons,
Berrocco, Cascade, Impeccable, etc. so they are easy to find.
Over the next 2 months, I’ll
be posting a new stitch pattern every other week. You’ll have two weeks to make four 8” squares
of that particular stitch pattern.
Materials for the project:
1800 yds of knitting worsted yarn
Size 9 knitting needles (or size needed to make each square 8"x8")
The first block will be done in the “Broken Rib” stitch.
Materials for the project:
1800 yds of knitting worsted yarn
Size 9 knitting needles (or size needed to make each square 8"x8")
The first block will be done in the “Broken Rib” stitch.
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Make 4.
Cast on 37 stitches.
Row 1: (RS) Knit.
Row 2: *K1, P1*, repeat from * to * to last stitch, K1.
Repeat these 2 rows until piece measures 8" long. (approximately 48 rows in total).
Not interested in making a blanket? All of the blocks I have chosen for the project will also make excellent dishcloths or facecloths.
Cast on 37 stitches.
Row 1: (RS) Knit.
Row 2: *K1, P1*, repeat from * to * to last stitch, K1.
Repeat these 2 rows until piece measures 8" long. (approximately 48 rows in total).
Not interested in making a blanket? All of the blocks I have chosen for the project will also make excellent dishcloths or facecloths.
