Mets Cable Baby Blanket tutorial

Westport, CT

We’re big New York Mets fans. So when BF’s friend and fellow Mets fan announced he and his wife were going to have a baby, I decided to make a baby blanket for the newest Mets fan. You can make this blanket in any color. The pennants at the top and bottom edges are optional. The best thing about this blanket is that it can be used as an afghan or lap blanket as the baby grows. It’s not strictly a baby blanket. In fact, you could make it for any age. Perhaps you’d like to make it in your favorite team’s colors.

MATERIALS

• US size 4 circular needle – 40”
• 15 skeins Filatura di Crosa 501 in main color
• Optional – if you’re going to add pennants in a team color, you’ll want to pick up 1 skein per additional color for the pennant embellishments
• Optional – if you’re going to add pennants – you’ll also need US size 2 needles (any type will do, straight, dpns, circular. It doesn’t really matter here. I used circular needles, because they were handy.
• Scissors, crochet hook and tapestry needle for finishing

GAUGE

2x2 inches = 12x12 stitches in the cable pattern

FINISHED SIZES

Finished blanket (without the pennants measures approximately 30 inches wide by 36 inches tall

PATTERN

The cable pattern is a simple P2, K4 repeat. If you alter the pattern to fit your needs, the repeat is a 6 +2

DIRECTIONS

Make a swatch of the cable (done in any multiple of 6 +2 extra stitches). Test gauge.

Cast on 216 sts as follows - Cast on 8 (for the left garter stitch border) 200 (198 stitches for cable pattern + 2 for extra P stitches) and a final 8 (for the right garter stitch border = 216 stitches. If you like a fatter or skinnier blanket, you might want to adjust the 200 stitches by adding or decreases in multiples of 6. According to the Filatura di Crosa label 216 would give you about 33 inches across.

ROWS 1-10 - K across (repeat this row for about 10 rows to make a garter stitch bottom border

ROW 11 - K8, place stitch marker as a visual reminder that you are at the border, P2, *(K4, P2) - repeat to final 8 stitches. Place stitch marker as a visual reminder that you are at the border. K8

ROW 12 - K8, K2, *(P4, K2), repeat across to stitch marker. K8

ROW 13 - CABLE ROW – K8, *(P2, Sl 2 sts to cable needle and hold to back of work. K2, k2 from cn.) Repeat from * to stitch marker. K8

QUICK TIP QUICK CABLE WITHOUT A CABLE NEEDLE – For a 4-st cable, you can easily knit the cable without using a cable needle to speed up the knitting process. Simply knit the cable as follows: K the 3rd and 4th sts of the cable, then knit into the 1st and 2nd st to form the cable. Only when you have knit all four sts of the cable will you pass all 4 sts from the left needle to the right needle. After a bit of practice, this will definitely speed up your cable knitting.

ROW 14 - K8, K2, *(P4, K2), repeat across to stitch marker. K8

ROW 15 - K8, P2, *(K4, P2) – repeat across to stitch marker. K8

Repeat rows 12-15 until piece measures approximately 36-42 inches, depending on preferences. End on row 15.
Finish with 10 more rows of garter stitch border by repeating rows 1-10 once more.

OPTIONAL - PENNANTS

20 pennants are added individually to the top and the bottom of the blanket in an alternating pattern using the team’s favorite colors. This would also be nice in a pastel blanket with a variety of pastel pennants added at the bottom. The possibilities are endless!

ROW 1 - Using a US Size 2 needle, pick up 12 sts along the top border and knit across.

ROW 2-11 - Sl st, K1, psso, K across.

ROW 12 - Repeat last row until 1 st remains. Bind off.
Weave in loose ends.

FINISHING

Weave in loose ends.
Block blanket.