Log Cabin Blanket Ideas
I've mentioned on several occasions that I don't knit for babies. Babies are really too young to appreciate hand knit gifts. I do, on the other hand, knit for their mothers if they are special friends and I think they would appreciate it. Some people like hand made things, some do not. I try to match the gift with the friend.
I have a very special knitting friend who's baby is due in in April. I'd been trying to think of the right thing to do for her since I found out she was pregnant. Nothing really struck me until I saw Cara's finished Log Cabin Blanket. It seemed like a perfect idea. Stylish, handmade and something that I could try playing with color on. Made even better by the fact that I could make it out of machine washable yarn. It seems to me a bit of a cruel thing to give a new mom a hand-wash only baby blanket. So I took a trip out to the Fold to look for some good colors.
At the time, I didn't know the sex of the baby, and my friend hadn't started on the nursery, so I wanted to pick relatively gender neutral colors. When Toni pulled out that Stonewash (it is so much faded denimy goodness and the photo doesn't enitrely do it justice) I knew that was the color I wanted to start with. Somehow, the other two colors were the ones that I thought just needed to be part of the assembly.
Since then, I've been thinking about what kind of blanket pattern I want to construct. Cara's blanket is beautiful, but I wanted to use the opportunity to be come up with my own creative ideas. I looked around at the web a bit and even found a cool tool to help me experiment. But in the end, Excel turned out to be the best tool. Here are a few of the ideas I came up with:
Except the first one, they're all pretty much based on existing traditional patterns (the first one could be, too, for all I know... there's so little new under the sun when it comes to quilting). They would all end up being about the same size (about 3' x 4' or 3' x 3'), I'll just alter the starting sizes of the center square to get where I need to go. Since I only have 2 skeins of each color yarn, I wanted to be as color balanced as possible, which may mean that Design #2 is not entirely an option. The idea behind the images in Design 4 was to see a couple of different wave color permuatations and also to see what happened when it became a 3 block by 4 block blanket instead of a 3 block by 3 block blanket.
My current favorite is the first design, but I don't know if I will have the stamina for 20 blocks, and I am a bit worried that it is a little too abstract for a baby blanket. At any rate, you know this is the part where I open it up to get other opinions. Which one do you like best? If it was going to be for your baby's room, which one would you pick? Or should I consider going back to the drawing board altogether?
I think the motifs in the first design might be a little too large for a baby blanket, but that's just my taste. I like the Random Boxes one best. Lovely colors you picked!
I'm working on a knitted quilt look-a-like small blanket myself, using a pattern called 'Bear Claw Blanket' from Interweave Knits Spring 2005. I really enjoy knitting it and I love the way it is turning out (and I'm keeping it small - just one block). If you like to take a look: http://www.saartjeknits.nl/archives/2006/11/bear_claw_blank.html
I love the colors! I like version #3
Wow! Prompted by an earlier post, I decided to go through my existing STR. Lo and behold, there was Stonewash heavyweight. The color, really all the colors you've selected are wonderful.
Design-wise, #1 appeals to me. It is a signature piece (thus making it personal). I can also see ways to keep the core motif, but scale it back so that the overall size is manageable.
For me design 1 is too "straight" for a baby blanket, deign 2 is...too dark, design 4 seems to me a motif more for an adult than for a baby..So the perfect one is design 3 : it is simple, a bit naive and the colours are well distribute !
Another vote for #3.
Gorgeous colors. What keeps me from doing one of these is all the ends and the finishing. I hope you'll document all the gnarly details for us!
Definitely No. 1 ! Babies like high contrast before their eyes focus well, and that one seems to have the movement I think would be interesting to a baby. And I love its uniqueness!
I love the colours. I vote for #1 the best for the baby's room. It's like nothing I've ever seen before.
Great idea! I vote for #1 as well. I think it is more balanced and eye appealing to me. I would like to know how to make a log cabin blanket like you are doing adn the one that Cara did.
It is very appealing to me. Maybe you could let me know.
Good luck and I love the colors that you picked out the denimy one is great.
I like design 4 the best, and my favorite is the one with the purple on the edges.
I've made some pretty wild baby blankets from time to time. I think that so long as you like it, and the baby's mom likes it, it doesn't matter if it's not traditional in color or pattern. :-)
Have fun with it!
It's a close race between #1 and #2. I'm very impressed with the color progressions in #1, but it is complex. #2 is more restful, but there is that yarn thing. You could exchange a skein of one color, for another?
I like #2 for it's traditional log cabin design. But I'm sure whatever you decide it will be wonderful. The colors you selected are fantastic.
I like #1. strong geometric shapes are great for babies. they do see everything, (even as they don't know yet to appreciate it) and they might as well see something beautiful and colorful.
but I also like the random one- it will be more fun to make as you go. make it truly random- be wild.
:-)
I like #1. strong geometric shapes are great for babies. they do see everything, (even as they don't know yet to appreciate it) and they might as well see something beautiful and colorful.
but I also like the random one- it will be more fun to make as you go. make it truly random- be wild.
:-)
It that scrumptious yarn any one of them will be wonderful. If I had to choose, I'd pick #3 "Random Boxes". I'm looking forward to seeing the finished blanket.
Another vote for 3. The randomness, yet not randomness appeals to the knitter me and the mother me. My own children and I had a lot of fun at bedtime tracing paths and playing what's the same/what's different with their own random quilts. I can really picture snuggling & doing that with design 3. Great colors!
I like #3. But then again it's the easiest and I'm into not thinking. Those squares will go SUPER fast. Trust me. I love the colors you chose. You're going to have so much fun!
Sweetheart, knit the one that calls to your heart ! You have to knit it and need to derive pleasure from doing so. Design one would work well for a baby. High contrast and a strong design. Lovely colours you've chosen.
I vote for #1 it is wonderful and the colors you picked will look great in that design.
Can't wait to see your blanket in progress and the finished item.
I like 1 the best -- the colors are balanced and I've always liked abstract designs, even as a toddler.
I like the waves the best. The lack of a full repeat of the pattern in Keys turned me off that one. LOve the colors you picked.
if you really like the first design, i think you need to repeat the top half for the bottom half. quilts need symmetry, which that is lacking. Simply because the design "hangs off the edge" I do like the waves, but i really like it rectangular. somehow it is just more pleasing to my eye. Would you have enough yarn though?
#4, the rectangular version would be my choice.
Assymetrical patterns are so much more interesting. But then I like fraternal socks too. This blanket will be a keeper, long after babyhood. Gorgeous colors!
The first one was too "random", I didn't like the lack of repetition. Just my opinion.
My fave is the waves. I like the soothing quality of the waves in the blanket.
My 2nd choice would be design #3.
Can't wait to see what you end up doing.
Pretty! I like the 3rd version...traditional!
i'm drawn to 1 and 3
i'm drawn to 1 and 3
As a mother of 4 and also a knitter, I think the perfect blend of beauty and knitability is #3. The pattern is gorgeous but simple enough that the strong colors you chose will not look loud or busy. It is much fewer blocks to knit so will go quicker, as I look at it. Also, only two color changes per block! I think it is the perfect blend of baby friendly pattern with adult friendly colors. If I was the mom I'd treasure it always!
I vote for number 1. I've always liked non-traditional motifs for babies since I think they're more timeless and not as easily left behind as a child grows. Number one fits that bill for me - it's definitely a signature piece and one that will be appreciated forever.
I like number 1 best.
Hi, personally I love the random boxes, but if you love the T keyes, you should go with it, I think the kid (and more important the mom) will like it a lot. I do not believe that baby things need to have figures on it.
I love the first one, it simply struck me as "wow" as I scrolled down this morning. Good luck with it, no matter the choice of style its going to be cherished.
Having owned a quilt shop in a previous life, I actually like the last one. It has movement (a very quilting word) and will look very eye catching (quilting word again) when hung on the wall above the crib. The top one also has movement but I like how my eye travels down the blanket in the last one rather than jumping around in the first one. JMHO
I'm all about 1 and 3- either will be gorgeous. And those are just beautiful colors. Can't wait to see the finished product.
Another vote for #1. Your friend is going to be so touched by this special gift.
I like #3 and #4 best. #3 because it's whimsical for a baby and #4 because it looks a little softer than the other options.
I love the colors you picked. And I like design #3 the best. May be less labor intensive, I think. LOL
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Number one is great .. different !
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Hands down #1. I say if you're not sure about making one that big, scale down the squares so that you're making smaller squares to balance out the greater number of them.
I like #3, but I'm biased because it bears a certain resemblance to the one I just finished, with the diagonal pattern. Mine was about 3' by 3', and I think that's a good size.
I like # 1. Things with a design I have to follow bother me, and that's what the other require. How do you use Excel for design?
I like the simplicity of the random boxes (#3) and the waves (#4, any) best - it seems like there's so much going on with the colors, that they are complemented by a simpler design. I admire the design element in #1, but I agree with helen, in that something about the lack of vertical symmetry really bothers me.
I like and would choose #3 for a baby's room. It seems just busy enough, to me.
I like the first one the best - by far. I love the colors you picked, and as a new mom, I can tell you that my kid was covered by hand-made blankets which I just loved. I thought of the people who made them every time I wrapped her in them. Your friend will love it!
I like #3--random boxes--the best. Yummy STR.
I actually like the Waves best, but that's just (almost) me, apparently! I like #3, too.
I love version #1. It's the cat's meow!
I would go for 3 - the random boxes. 2 and 4 have such large areas of the same color that I think they would hide the design of the squares. 1 is nice, but I agree, very big.
Good luck!
Wow! I love those colors! And I like design #3 the best, although #4 grew on me the more I looked at it.
# 1, no doubt about it. :)
I like #1 the best, then #3. : ) What a good idea to work with Excel to draw up quilt designs! I'm going to have to try that. . .
I like #3
I love the idea of Design 1 - it's fascinating to me to see a pattern emerge from color blocks. It's definitely more blocks to complete though. My other favorite is the random design #3. The colors really pop in that one.
I like number one because the key motif is stunning and because baby blankets never stay in the flat position so you can just sit around admiring the deisgn. The key motif will lend itself well to arying states of rumpledness.
Delurking here... I like both the looks of #3 and #4. But #3 is probably the most portable design, since you're knitting the same color for a longer span of time.
I like # 1 in theory, but I agree with others who said that it runs off the bottom in a disturbing way. I would make the blocks small enough to find an ending point that doesn't do that.
I think that change will actually enhance the other aspect of the design that no one commented on, that the figure and field, positive/negative images alternate visually.
#4 waves rectangle!
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