Thanks for joining our exploration of the rainbow for 2023. We had a blast in 2022, pairing a solid rainbow color with a variegated each month, but we are leaning into ease in 2023, so our Explore the Rainbow is a lot less intensive. We are featuring one color per month, working our way through the rainbow by showcasing a solid one month, and a bespeckled version of that solid the next. We are using our popular DK, and are giving you so many different options for making. Your kit should have led you to the page on my website that brought you here. You can use your skein to create a one-skein project, fast and fun. The projects are socks, and hats, and cowls, and mitts. But, if you’d like, you can incorporate all of the skeins for the year into a blanket that you can enjoy as 2023 rolls into 2024.
The blanket patterns are below. Each is fairly simple and straightforward. Each will measure approximately 60″ x 60″ wide when finished. The patterns below are still (as of 1/5/23) being finalized, but since each is fairly simple, the instructions are below. We’ll update this page with photos and more instructions as January goes on.
Textured Knit Blanket by our friend Pati
pbm – place border marker
pm – place marker
sbm – slip border marker
sm – slip marker
Gauge: 20 sts/32 rows = 4 inches in blanket pattern using a US6 needle (we like a long circular for this blanket, and recommend at least a 40″ cord)
You will need 21 markers – 2 of one type for marking border stitches and 19 of another type to mark the purl intervals. Markers only apply to Row 4, you can just slip them for the other rows. Markers will only be noted in Row 4.
PATTERN INSTRUCTIONS
Cast on 248 stitches using long-tail cast-on of your choice.
Row 1: slip first stitch with yarn in back, knit to end of row.
Repeat this row 9 more times.
Row 1: Slip first stitch, knit to end of row.
Row 2: Slip first stitch, k4, purl to last five stitches, k5.
Row 3: Slip first stitch, knit to end of row.
Row 4: Slip first stitch, k4, sbm, k10, (sm, p2, k10) to last 5 stitches, sbm, k5.
Repeat Rows 1-4 8 times with each color.
To make knitting Row 4 easier, I placed markers at the following positions while knitting Row 3 the first time: Slip 1, k4, pbm, (k12, pm) to last 15 stitches, k10, pbm, k5. You will have placed 19 regular markers and 2 border markers.
Garter Knit Blanket
For an easier knit (and using the same gauge and needle size as the Textured Blanket above), you can work a garter stitch blanket by casting on 250 sts and working garter stitch until you run out of yarn, using Russian Join or another method of your choice to add new colors.
Crochet Granny Stripe Blanket by our friend Kimberly
With a 5 mm hook, work 211 sts of foundation single crochet.
Switch to a 4.5 mm hook.
Ch 3. Turn.
Row 1: Work 1 dc into st at base of ch-3.
Skip 2 sts and work 3 dcs into next st, continuing in this pattern until 3 sts remain.
Skip 2 sts and work 2 dcs into last st.
Ch 3. Turn.
Row 2: Work 3 dcs into each space across row.
Work 1 dc into top of ch-3 from previous row.
Ch 3. Turn.
Row 3: Work 1 dc into first space.
Work 3 dcs into each space across row until 1 space remains.
Work 1 dc into final space.
Work 1 dc into top of ch-3 from previous row.
Ch 3. Turn.
Repeat rows 2 and 3 until you run out of yarn, changing colors as necessary.
Weave in ends, block, and cozy up under your new blanket!
Note: Row 2 has what looks like a single dc at each end, while Row 3 has what looks like 2 dcs at each end.
