I couldn’t resist creating this sweater for my guinea pig… not that he really needs one!

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Lots of folks have asked me if I would post the pattern for the Feather and Fan Blanket, and I would love to be able to do that. But (there’s always a but), I didn’t make the pattern myself. It came from a great “perpetual calendar” called 365 Knitting Stitches a Year.  This “perpetual calendar” is a lot like a standard desk calendar but doesn’t include year numbers or day names. That way, you can use the same calendar year after year! It’s really a great tool for learning new stitches. I highly recommend it!

To make my blanket, I used the Feather and Fan stitch on the February 9 pattern. I cast on 110 stitches (the pattern says to use a multiple of 18 + 2). Each white or blue block is one skein of Lion Brand Chenille. Between them, I did 4 rows of red.  You should get approximately 20 rows out of each skein.  Be sure to change colors when working on the right side of the blanket. I also used a size 13 needle.

Working 2-3 hours per day, the project took me about a week. If I had to do it over again, I’d have used a different, chunky-weight yarn. I’ve found that the Lion Brand Chenille isn’t as durable as I would like and doesn’t wear very nicely.

This was loved by many people, but the lucky people that finally got this blanket were my aunt and uncle for Christmas.  Their whole house is decorated in red, white, and blue.  I can’t wait to see how it looks on their couch.

This easy, ribbed scarf only takes one skein of yarn! (more…)