DIY: Knit a baby blanket

Is it just me, or does Pinterest make you think you have crafting super powers? My recent Pinterest addiction is definitely to thank – or to blame – for making me think I can knit.

Look, here’s a picture that shows you how to cast on (aka start):

Here’s something to show you how to keep going once you’ve started:

And then a handy video to show you how to cast off (aka finish):

It’s simple, right? Somehow all of this lead to my conclusion: I’M GOING TO KNIT A BABY BLANKET.

So the general concept is that you knit a lot of plain squares in different colours and then sew them together. I am making mine for a friend who is just about to have a baby and her husband is on his deployment with the US army in Afghanistan. The idea of making an American flag baby blanket only really came about because I started off knitting in blue, and wanted to be able to sew something over the holes/wonky bits… hence the stars. But it’s actually working out quite well. I’m working on the last four white squares, and then it will be finished. (The stars are little bits of lace that I sewed on.)

Here are some things I have learnt about knitting over the past few months:

1. Don’t do it when you’re drunk. (Husband-to-be leans over and says helpfully, ‘I think you just missed a stitch… or few.’)

2. It might be easy once you’ve got the hang of it, but it takes much longer than you think it will.

3. Bamboo needles are better than metal ones. (Metal ones are cold and slippery.)

4. No matter how trendy knitting has become (was Emma Bunton to blame? I forget…), it will never be sexy. You will always look like a granny as soon as you get those knitting needles out, but who cares, right? Grannies are awesome.

5. Knitting on trains is a good way to pass the time, unless the train is crowded in which case don’t. You’ll end up elbowing everyone.

So: happy crafting, fellow Pinteresters! For all my complaining about how I’m not a natural knitter, I think it’s pretty cool that Pinterest is inspiring people to try new things outside their normal comfort zones, and put some extra time and effort into the details of life. The little things matter, after all.

UPDATE: I finished! Finally! After sewing together the last row of white squares, I sewed a panel of starry fabric onto the knitting as backing, and finished off the edges with blanket stitch (again, something I learnt from Pinterest). Hurrah!

About Sophie Caldecott

Writer | Founder of www.abetterplacejournal.com

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