The Perfect Baby Shower Gift {A Tutorial}

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I think the best gifts are those made by hand.  As popular as knitting is, it is still a talent that very few possess.  Case in point: baby showers.  These are the best times to give new moms something personal, something handmade and maybe even something knitted.  So far, baby bibs and blankets have been my go-to gifts.

Below is a picture of the pink blanket that I knitted for the baby girl of my best friend Coral.  

*A quick tutorial:

This pattern is incredibly simple.  It is a basket weave pattern with garter stitch edging.  Simply cast on the desired number of stitches for the size blanket you would like to make - gauge is not nearly as critical in a blanket as it would be for a sweater - but you want the squares to be close to 2 inches each with a 2 inch border.  Most of my blankets have been around 120 stitches.

Cast on your desired number of stitches and work in garter stitch for two inches.  At the two inch point, the pattern begins: knit 10 (your two inch border),  {purl 10, knit 10 repeating this until 10 stitches remain}, knit the final 10 (your two inch border on the other side).

Continue in this way until your squares are approximately 2 inches and then flip your basket weave pattern: knit 10 (your 2 inch border), {knit 10, purl 10 repeating this until 10 stitches remain}, knit the final 10 (your two inch border on the other side).

Continue altering the basket weave pattern until the blanket is 2 inches short of the desired length.  Garter stitch the top 2 inch border and bind off.

Simple but effective!  Variegated yarn looks very pretty but I have to say that the solid color looks the best.  It really allows for the basket weave pattern to stand out.  Let me know if you try this and feel free to share any pictures!

Bridal Shower Gifts

Whenever I give a gift, I love to make it personal.  One of the best ways to accomplish this is to knit the gift.  In two weeks the Armstrongs (my second family without really being related) will be giving me a bridal shower.  I'm not sure how to describe just how excited I am.

First, I have to say that I'm thrilled to be getting married.  My career has been the driver in my life for the last few years.  While I've always wanted to get married, I was never the girl that dreamt about a big wedding and a huge ball gown.  Now to have it come true for me, to have a personal life that trumps my professional one, well, it's fantastic and still sometimes surprising.

Coral and her mom, Mrs. Armstrong, know how to throw a party.  These ladies know details and the importance of wine (and Miller Lite!).  I'm excited for my friends to get to experience one of their soirees!  As a thank you to Coral and Mrs. Armstrong, part of my present to them is a knitted gift.

The completed pair.  I used a pattern from Debbie Bliss's book :: The Knitter's Year.  So that the flowers last forever and can be changed depending on the season, I used fake flowers.   

Don't they make cute desk companions! 

A close up of my knitting.