With Hubs being in and out of the hospital so
much, and with us using the hospital Bridge Program to pay for all the
hospitalization and doctor appointments, I felt that I should do something by
way of a payback – money is out of the question; if we had a million dollars,
we wouldn’t be using the hospital Bridge Program. While I was visiting Hubs one
day, a nurse saw me reading a novel covered by one of the book covers I had
crocheted for myself and asked if I had made it … I said, “Yes, I did – we were
doing the PNW Bazaar circuit before our lives took a sharp turn south”. And she
asked if I would be interested in using my talented skill to make dontable
items for the hospitals beneficiary program for patients that need handmade
things like hats and blankets. I said yes in quick reply. That IS something I
CAN DO … and I already have several of those items in my bazaar bin cache
already made and waiting for someplace to go ;-)
Last night I finished work on this baby blanket and just finished weaving in the ends a few minutes ago. A swaddling blanket is just a small baby
blanket; lightweight, soft, and warm. Generally about a square in dimensions
measuring 48”x48” sq. inches (blanket
shown is quite a bit smaller). Cost varies between $15 and $50 for
manufactured swaddling blankets that don’t look half as nice as something
homemade: MPO. I have no idea yet what it will cost me in materials to make my
blanket because though the yarn has never been used, it is not newly purchased
and the receipt has long been shredded with the other paper refuse I shred and
put in my garden beds.
I am
posting the original pattern below, from my ‘Jack
Frost’ vol. 47 pattern book, but I have made personalized changes to my
swaddling blanket while using the original pattern … as I always do, whatever I
make. I always like to put my own signature on everything I make ;-)
CARRIAGE COVER BLANKET (original pattern; Jack Frost design)
Materials: 1 pair #3 knitting
needles, 14’ Length; Jack Frost Pompadour (or Paradise) yarn, six count 3-3/4
oz. skiens
Size: 28’ x 28”
With
needles, cast on 164 sts. Knit 34 rows garter st. Then start pattern as
follows:
ROW 1: K 23, *K 6, P 2, repeat from * 13 times; K 29.
ROW 2: K 23, P 118, K 23.
ROW 3: Repeat row 1.
ROW 4: K.
Above 4
rows form Pattern. Repeat them until piece
above garter st rows measures 27 inches – finish by knitting 34 rows garter
st for edging. BO
pattern in progress
A very
simple pattern that looks very nice when completed :-D
