A blanket of concentric squishy squares, Like A Honeycomb is simple, homey, and versatile. Inspired in part by the mitered shaping in Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket, I knit it as a baby blanket, but of course now that it's done, it looks good everywhere, and will in all likelihood spend just as much time on various household laps as wrapped around a baby.
It has a comforting but surprisingly modern feel, and knits up very quickly. Worked in stockinette, garter stitch, and an hourglass-looking honeycomb stitch, it changes just often enough to keep things interesting.Materials:
10 skeins Knitpicks Alpaca Silk (or approximately 1000 yards of something more practical, if you prefer).
Size US 9 dpns
Size US 9 circular needles, ranging increasingly length from 20-in to 50-in. (I got by with a set of Denise interchangeables).
5 stitch markers
Gauge:
16 stitches and 24 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
Notes:
The blanket is worked entirely in the round, increasing at four points outward to form a giant square.
C2F: Knit into front of second stitch on needle, knit into first stitch, slip both stitches off the needle.
C2B: Knit into back of second stitch on needle, knit into first stitch, slip both stitches off the needle.
Pattern:
Set up:
The first step is the hardest; it's all downhill from here. Using dpns, CO 4 sts. Divide onto 4 needles. Join in the round, (k1, yo, k1) into all sts. Place end of round marker.
Purl around.
(k1, place marker, m1, k1, m1, k1) around.
Garter Section:
*Purl around.
(k to marker, m1, slip marker, k1, m1) 4x, knit to end of round.
Repeat from * until there are 116 stitches on the needles, changing to a circular needle when you're ready.
Stockinette Section:
*Knit around.
(k to marker, m1, slip marker, k1, m1) 4x, knit to end of round.
Repeat from * until there are 212 stitches on the needles.
Honeycomb Section:
*(C2F, C2B) around.
(k to marker, m1, slip marker, k1, m1) 4x, knit to end of round.
IN THIS SECTION, MAKE DOUBLY SURE TO KEEP THE MARKERS IN PLACE, AND DO NOT WORK THE FIRST STITCH AFTER THE MARKER INTO THE CABLE PATTERN. WORK THAT STITCH IN STOCKINETTE, AND WORK INCREASED STITCHES IN STOCKINETTE UNTIL YOU HAVE ENOUGH TO INCORPORATE THEM INTO THE CABLE PATTERN.
Repeat from * until there are 281 stitches on the needles.
Work stockinette section until there are 340 stitches on the needles.
Work garter section until there are 380 stitches on the needles.
Work stockinette section until there are 412 stitches on the needles.
Work honeycomb section until there are 444 stitches on the needles.
Work stockinette section until there are 452 stitches on the needles.
Work garter section until there are 548 stitches on the needles.
Bind off very loosely (you may want to switch to a larger size needle if you have one handy) in purl. Weave in ends.
Finishing:
Dunk the blanket in a sink full of lukewarm water, and lay it flat to dry, pulling the corners out to form a square, and making sure that each concentric square is suitably squarish. Don't stretch it out too far--there's no need to force it to be huge (unless you want to), and you don't want to distort the honeycomb pattern. Finished blanket is approximately 3.5 ft X 3.5 ft.
Notes:
The blanket is worked entirely in the round, increasing at four points outward to form a giant square.
C2F: Knit into front of second stitch on needle, knit into first stitch, slip both stitches off the needle.
C2B: Knit into back of second stitch on needle, knit into first stitch, slip both stitches off the needle.
Pattern:
Set up:
The first step is the hardest; it's all downhill from here. Using dpns, CO 4 sts. Divide onto 4 needles. Join in the round, (k1, yo, k1) into all sts. Place end of round marker.
Purl around.
(k1, place marker, m1, k1, m1, k1) around.
Garter Section:
*Purl around.
(k to marker, m1, slip marker, k1, m1) 4x, knit to end of round.
Repeat from * until there are 116 stitches on the needles, changing to a circular needle when you're ready.
Stockinette Section:
*Knit around.
(k to marker, m1, slip marker, k1, m1) 4x, knit to end of round.
Repeat from * until there are 212 stitches on the needles.
Honeycomb Section:
*(C2F, C2B) around.
(k to marker, m1, slip marker, k1, m1) 4x, knit to end of round.
IN THIS SECTION, MAKE DOUBLY SURE TO KEEP THE MARKERS IN PLACE, AND DO NOT WORK THE FIRST STITCH AFTER THE MARKER INTO THE CABLE PATTERN. WORK THAT STITCH IN STOCKINETTE, AND WORK INCREASED STITCHES IN STOCKINETTE UNTIL YOU HAVE ENOUGH TO INCORPORATE THEM INTO THE CABLE PATTERN.
Repeat from * until there are 281 stitches on the needles.
Work stockinette section until there are 340 stitches on the needles.
Work garter section until there are 380 stitches on the needles.
Work stockinette section until there are 412 stitches on the needles.
Work honeycomb section until there are 444 stitches on the needles.
Work stockinette section until there are 452 stitches on the needles.
Work garter section until there are 548 stitches on the needles.
Bind off very loosely (you may want to switch to a larger size needle if you have one handy) in purl. Weave in ends.
Finishing:
Dunk the blanket in a sink full of lukewarm water, and lay it flat to dry, pulling the corners out to form a square, and making sure that each concentric square is suitably squarish. Don't stretch it out too far--there's no need to force it to be huge (unless you want to), and you don't want to distort the honeycomb pattern. Finished blanket is approximately 3.5 ft X 3.5 ft.
19 comments:
This looks fabulous!
I am drooling.
Oh, I love that! That's beautiful!
That blanket looks perfect for curling up under.
Andrea
I was wondering if you could knit this it flat instead of in the round.
I'm new to the knitting world, and I've really only done scarves. What does the m1 stand for? is it move 1 instead of slip 1?
Hi Mari,
It means "make one"--you pick up the bar between stitches and create a new stitch...there are good instructions online, I'm sorry, I'm not able to explain it well.
--Nikki
No that's great! I know what you mean I guess I just forgot what the m was for :-) Thank you! I think my son will love this blankie :-)
Hi Nikki,
I noticed the Alpaca Silk is DK weight. Did you double knit this? My gauge is all messed up, not sure what the problem is.
I love the looks of this blanket, but I just can't do the dpn's. Is there a way to use a circular needle or some other way to start?
Absolutely! If you're familiar with either knitting with two needles, or with magic loop (though I think two needles would be easiest) then that will work just fine. The dpns are a pain in the neck.
Que significa T1 y M1
Hi,
This looks great and I'm eager to start. However I'm having a bit of trouble with the honeycomb part when I've practiced...is there a closeup photo I could see to check how it is supposed to look? Or a video link to the technique? I can't find anything online...
I too don't do dpns, so will be attempting the Magic Loop technique....
Many thanks!
I'm also a little stuck on the honeycomb portion.
The first row of it works at c2f c2b repeated all the way across. The next row, of course, as to deal with the increased stitches.
Does it become, essentially, "k1, (c2f c2b), k1"? Or "(c2f c2b) k2"?
And the pattern row following that, if it's the first version, would it be "c2b, (c2f c2b), c2f" or "(c2f c2b)" such that the pairs that had previously been c2f are now c2b, and vice versa?
I hope I'm making sense...
Hi Kendra,
It's much less complicated than that. Just work the honeycomb as written until you get to the last stitch before your increase marker--after your first increase round, there should be one stitch too many. Just work this stitch in stockinette, as well as the one on the other side of the stitch you've been increasing around (so cable cable cable, k1, slip marker, k2, cable cable cable etc.)
The next round you just work cables all the way up to the marker. And repeat from there!
ok, so it's option 1 (keeping the c2b in line with c2b and c2f in line with c2f) after the first increase round, then the subsequent increase round will result in alternating cable layout (i.e. what had been c2b will be c2f, etc, with fresh c2f at beginning of section and fresh c2b at end).
Just trying to picture it in my head, and 'simplifying it' was doing more to confuse me than to help. ;)
I may try to work up a chart to triple-check my understanding...
HI! I am going to make this beautiful blanket but am wondering what your gauge is. I've looked up the yarn on Knit Picks and can not find it. What weight of yarn did you use and what sort of gauge did you have? Thanks for a great pattern.
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