Free pattern for hand knitted baby pram blanket in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino aran yarn

I was asked by my niece to make a pram blanket or what in my day would have been called a carriage blanket, for her first baby. My niece loves brown in all its shades, particularly chocolate brown. Off to the Yarn store I went for the perfect Knitting wool

I am lucky enough to live near a John Lewis department store which stocks yarns by Debbie Bliss. I chose the cashmerino aran mainly because it was so soft but also gave me the colours in the range that I needed. Traditional baby wools do not tend to come in brown!

If you want to make a pram blanket that is attractive and uses different colours then please feel free to copy my free pattern. I have only knitted the pram blanket in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran Yarn so I could not comment on how other yarns would knit this pattern.

CASHMERINO ARAN

Cashmerino aran is made up of 55% merino wool 33% microfibre and 12% cashmere, which accounts for its softness, however I found that it easily kept its shape when working with it and put this down to whatever is in the microfiber. The yarn can be machine washed at 30 degree but not tumble dried.

Recommeded tension for the wool is using UK No 5 needles, 18 stitches and 24 rows to 10cm/ The wool was sold in 50grm balls so I bought 4 which is enough to create a modern day blanket. ( It would not have fitted my silver cross carriage pram that still sits in our loft) . As I wanted to make this blanket with a striped effect I bought four different colours choosing a deep chocolate brown as the border colour- well at least it wont show the dirt too quickly!

To make my pram blanket

I cast on 90 stitches using the chocolate brown wool and worked rib (1knit,1purl) for 6 rows, this gives a nice firm edge to the bottom of the blanket.

Next row (1knit,1purl) 3 times, change wool colour to 1st colour, intertwining the wool with the chocolate brown, knit to last 6 stitches (1knit,1purl) 3 times

Row two Rib first 6 stitches- purl to last six stitches, rib last 6 stitches.

Repeat these two rows twice- 6 in total.

Continue in this pattern changing the colour every 6 rows- when you change the colour it is important to try and intertwine the yarn as it will make for a firmer piece of work with less sewing up. When changing the yarn leave about 4 inches as an end to enable it to be sewn in firmly.

I kept the chocolate brown for the rib around the blanket so that I had 3 colour ways for the actual blanket. I managed to work 7 stripes of each colour and then switched back to the chocolate brown for the last stripe.

First row- knit to end ( this avoids a rather unsightly effect than if you immediately rib onto your work.

Row 3 to 7 rib to end.

The blanket is finished and looks lovely but at the front only. You now need to take care and sew over the ends of yarn as neatly as possible making sure that there are no holes between the rib and the main work. Cut the ends off once they are sewn in safely.

A very light press with a cool iron just helps to keep the corners straight and its ready for baby.