Pink and Lilac Round Knitted Blanket

THE KNITTING:
Can you guess from this post title if the recipient of this blanket is a boy or a girl? No brainer, right? It is for the fourth child for my son and his wife, their third girl. In a FaceTime call, her two older sisters, ages 6½ and 4½ asked me, "Grandma, can we pick the color for the blanket you make for our new baby sister?" I had already bought the yarn but I asked them what they wanted. "Pink and purple," they chimed in unison. Fortunately, good guessing, more so than luck on my part, had resulted in my buying variegated yarn that ran from pink to white to shades of lilac. I showed them the yarn and they smiled and nodded their approval. Then they asked, "What's lilac?" and I told them it is a pale shade of purple. I could almost see the spongelike brains of theirs soaking in the new vocabulary word. I explained how it would be a surprise which color showed up next.

 

The yarn I'd bought was all the same dye lot but the skeins sure looked different from each other. Since I knit the blanket with two strands of yarn, the sequence in which the color combinations appeared would be a surprise to me as well. After the first two wedges of twelve, and the start of the third wedge, here is how the color combinations showed up: lilac and pink, pink and white, then white and lilac. 

The following photos show closeups of the first wedge (lilac and pink), the second wedge (pink and white) and the third wedge (white and lilac in a darker tone).

Then the pattern tended to repeat itself. Since the color repeat frequency was not in phase with the size of each wedge, a unique pattern emerged. I was careful to pull each skein from the center so the emergence order of the colors was the same, and chose which two skeins to combine such that the colors did stagger. I was a bit worried in the final two skeins since they seemed so different but they blended in after all.

The completion of twelve wedges made a pinwheel pattern. I counted rows and matched them to stitches to make sure the two sides of the final joining seam were evenly distributed.

I was pleased with the final effect, both in color distribution and drape-ability. It measures 48"-50" in diameter.

ACCOMPANYING POEM:
I usually write a poem to go with each blanket. For this pink and lilac blanket I composed several verses of limericks.

BLANKET TRADITION
for January 2021

What color blanket shall I knit

For girl number three? This is it!

Must be purple and pink

Her big sisters think.

An alternate hue would not fit.

Each week they'd ask me, "Are you done?"

They checked with me often, 'twas fun.

Other blankets had plans

But none had such fans

As these cheerleaders, once I'd begun.

So as I formed every stitch,

I knew this new babe would be rich

With the love and the care

From her sisterly pair.

In her family, she'd found a firm niche.

And yes, this babe has a brother.

I'm sure when she's here, he will love her.

He'll protect her I'm sure,

And her cries he'll endure.

They will love and enjoy one another.

Per the public announcement by my daughter-in-law on her Instagram November 10th, the baby is due in two months and one day.  As of this post, her delivery is less than two months away. The blanket has not been gifted yet but in the past I have not waited for the baby's arrival to publish a post or send the blanket.

THE HISTORY:
I have knitted this same garter stitch circular blanket pattern, my own design, for all of my grandchildren, six in total. Two have been for boys and this is the fourth one for a baby girl. I even knitted one slightly larger for myself with a ribbed variation along with the garter stitch. Posts for previous blankets with color callouts, some with back stories and some with poems, are at these links:

Vivian 12/26/13 a-blankie-for-christmas
Lillian 3/21/16 circling-blanket-tradition 
Isaiah 12/17/16 going-in-circles-again 
William 12/20/17 round-blue-blanket-for-baby-boy
Autumn 8/29/18 autumns-pink-blanket.html
Mine 1/9/19 knit-round-adult-snuggle.html

PAST POEMS:
These three were for one older brother and two older sisters. I have repeated them here in this post for nostalgia.

‘TWAS THE BLANKET

Christmas 2017 for April 2018 

It’s packed and it’s wrapped and tucked under the tree,

A round blanket knitted for Chambers child number three. 

The colors I’ve chosen are two aqua tones, 

For this yet-to-be-babe is a boy, name unknown. 

Nacho Boy, least for now, is his working name

At YMCA camp, Dan his dad had been called near the same

Boys are so different most onlookers advise

With two older sisters, ‘twill seem true we surmise.

Snips and snails and puppy dog tails, so the old adage goes

Will Nacho Boy meet the challenge? I wonder. Who knows? 

With each click of the needle and each loop of the yarn

I don’t doubt this babe will have Chambers’ charm

April 9th is when Nacho Boy is expected.

If he should appear in March, that is also accepted

Whatever he chooses as the month to be born

There’ll be cheering and clapping and the blowing of horns.

But when the ruckus for this little guy goes into a lull

And nap time approaches, as it eventually will

I hope he will snuggle beneath this soft wrap

Can’t hardly wait to hold him in my lap. 

BLANKET OF MUSINGS

Spring 2016

As I sit here and knit you a blanket so round,

My thoughts also spiral around and around.

I hope you will use it, for sleep and for play.

I hope it gets tattered from lovin' all day.

Will you tug it and hug it, all out of shape?

Will you drag it around, pretend it's a cape?

Perhaps you'll ignore it and that's OK, too. 

I can't wait to see who is you, shining through.

Will you be a tomboy? Or coy little lady?

Will you wail all the night? Or sleep like a baby?

Adore your big sister? Or will you compete?

Be chock full of mischief? Or maybe real sweet?

What will your name be, mysterious one?

I don't have a clue; the surprise will be fun.

I do know however as I'm sitting here knitting.

Hugs and kisses from Grandma are oh, so befitting.

Que sera, sera. 

Purl and knit. Knit and purl.

Whatever will be, will be. 

Know my love, little girl.

INSTRUCTIONS:
I use 10½ knitting needles and a double strand of Snuggly Wuggly™ Yarn by Loops & Threads® from Michael's. The blanket uses slightly under 30 ounces of yarn (15 ounces each strand)  and finishes approximately 48"-50" in diameter. The following pattern is fun to do; since it is made in twelve wedges, it avoids the typical tedium of circular items requiring longer and even longer rounds as they get bigger. 

• Cast on 70.
• Knit 2 (toward center), TURN, knit back over those 2 (toward outer edge).
• Knit 4 (toward center), TURN, knit back over those 4 (toward outer edge).
• Knit 6(toward center), TURN, knit back over those 6 (toward outer edge).
• Can you see a wedge developing?
• Continue this way. Two short rows of 8, then 10, then 12, then 14, etc. up to 70.
• Once you've knitted across 70 stitches, turned, and knitted back you've finished the first wedge.
• Do 12 wedges and you have finished your blanket. Just sew your last row to your first cast on row.