What's Up, Baby Blanket?

I. am. bloody. brilliant!

How's that for a Saturday morning affirmation, huh? Now, to put this all into context, I can also be completely clueless on some counts, especially where math is concerned, which is what makes this story such a sweet little victory.

Since my last post, the elusive chevron pattern needed for 'Ber's Baby Blanket has, well...eluded me. I knew what I was looking for...see? I even sketched it out:

...but I had been unable to find just the right pattern. Some of my online knit buds even tried helping out with suggestions, but they weren't quite right. In order to achieve the V-shape characteristic of the chevron, you need a combination of increases and corresponding decreases, so that when you increase your stitches, you form the top of the mountain and when you decrease, you get the valley. You always decrease by the same number you increased, thus always ending the with the same number of stitches you started with. The problem is that most of the patterns I had so far found involved the use of yarn-overs as the increase method, forming lacy eyelets which could cause a tangle hazard to little people under the age of one.

I wanted a more solid fabric, one without gaps for little hands and feet. I found one that was close:

...and so I sat down and started knitting up a swatch, partially to determine gauge, partially to experience how the pattern was constructed. Knitting and grammar are similar in my mind in the sense that they're only made up of components, replaceable, changeable components. A noun is a noun and you can always substitute one for another. Likewise, a double increase is a double increase...and if you don't like the way it looks, substitute one for another. Once you realize this, whether about grammar or knitting, that one component can always be substituted for another, similar component, creativity begins to really flow freely.


In the lower half of this swatch, you can see the original pattern, which due to the use of a k2tog-ssk combo as the double decrease, creates a vertical gap. For the double decrease: a pair of k1fb. Not bad, not bad...but not what I wanted, not quite. So...switch it up.

Instead of k1fb twice, I opt for k1m1 twice, picking up and twisting from in between stitches to make a new stitch. And, instead of the k2tog-ssk combo? Sl2 as if to k2tog, k1, p2sso. This put the middle stitch squarely on top, giving a nice defined ridge.

Eureka...almost. As I started knitting with this modified pattern, I realized my stitch count was off. Apparently, my improvised pattern didn't need as many stitches as the pattern I was bastardizing. So...this required some figuring, as you can see:

...but I finally got it. I finally fuckin' got it! A solid chevron fabric with no lacy eyelets and a single garter stitch ridge for accent.

...and this is why I. am. bloody. brilliant!

So, going back to the sketch. Remember the sketch? Yup...

...so, the idea is a white chevron field and every 5 or 10 rows, a garter stitch ridge of accent color, cycling between crimson, dusty rose and pink, according to the color scheme 'Ber had indicated. Badda-bing, badda-boom...ladies and gentlemen, I do believe we are ready for take off.