Blue Bells Baby Blanket Knitting Pattern

Blue bells baby blanket knitting pattern

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I’m trying to get back into the swing of things since school is back in session, and one of the things I used to do regularly that I miss is Iron Craft at Just Crafty Enough.

This week’s challenge was to produce something that could be entered at a state fair. While I didn’t actually get anything made, I am working on a project that I actually did once enter in a state fair.Blue bells baby blanket knitting pattern

The Backstory

Back when I was in junior high and high school, I was in 4-H so I spent summers working on projects to enter at the county fair. The summer before my senior year in high school a friend of the family was about to have a baby so I decided to knit a baby blanket to give them and also to enter in the fair.

I often started projects during the week of the summer I spent with my grandmother in Iowa, so this pattern came from her stash (and the pastel variegated yarn from the local Ben Franklin). I don’t know why the pattern was called Blue Bells, but that’s what it says on the top of the typed page she typed out for me that I still have, her typewriter font almost as distinct as handwriting.Blue bells baby blanket knitting pattern

So I made the blanket, won the Grand Champion ribbon at the county fair and a red ribbon at the state fair. My mom thought I should keep it in case I ever had a child, and the girl used it a little before I accidentally ran a load of her clothes on the sanitize cycle and totally killed it.my grand champion ribbon

I still have the remains of the blanket (parts of it don’t look so bad), and I might try to edge it with fabric or something to be able to make is useful again.

The Blue Bells Baby Blanket

Fast forward a few years and my cousin had her first baby. I decided I wanted to give her a blanket using the same pattern, and after putting it in time out for the summer (because I kept messing up a row that I’d knit perfectly up until the last pattern repeat) I have about 10 rows to go before I can send it to her. I hope it will be done by the end of the week.Blue bells baby blanket knitting pattern

The original blanket was done in “baby” or lightweight yarn; I did the new one in worsted/medium. With the same number of stitches, it makes a much bigger blanket that’s great for playing on the floor or keeping a little one warm in the Wisconsin winters, which this one will need to.

I think I will have used two skeins each of two colors of Vanna’s Choice yarn when I am done, or about 680 yards total. I used a long circular needle, size 8 US.

Here’s the basic pattern.

Cast on 151 stitches. Work 4 rows in Garter Stitch, then, keeping the first 4 and last 4 stitches in Garter Stitch throughout, begin working Blue Bells pattern:

Row 1 (right side): K7, *P1, K7. Repeat from * across.

Row 2 and all wrong side rows: K the knits and P the purls as they face you (basically it’s the exact opposite of the previous row)

Row 3: *P1, K5, P1, K1. Repeat from * across, ending P1, K5, P1.

Row 5: K1, P1, *K3, P1. Repeat from * across, end K1.

Row 7: K2, P1, K1, P1, *K5, P1, K1, P1. Repeat from * across, end K3.

Row 9: K3, *P1, K7. Repeat from * across, end P1, K3.

Row 11: Repeat row 7.

Row 13: Repeat row 5.

Row 15: Repeat row 3.

Row 16: Repeat row 2.

For a two-color blanket, continue in pattern until your first color is as long as you like, then switch, work the same number of pattern rows, work 4 rows Garter Stitch and bind off.


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7 Comments

  1. I am so happy to find this pattern. I knitted this same blanket in 1983. I bought a book that had it in there. Made it for my new nephew. Now he is having his first child and wanted to knit it for her but couldn’t find the book. I did remember the BLUE BELLS part and found this page immediately. I’m thrilled to say the least. Thanks so much for posting this pattern. Now to start knitting.

  2. Hi Me again. I started to knit this blanket last night and knitted and tinked row 7 twice because the stitches did not fit. I was knitting from your written instructions because its easier to read but the stitch pattern didn’t really make sense I checked your grandmothers typed copy and you have written row 7 incorrectly. The pattern fit perfectly and you can see the pattern fitting as you knit. I just thought id mention it in case you want to edit row & in your part. Again, thrilled to find this old pattern Thanks for sharing.

  3. I am confused by this pattern. Do you always knit 4 stitches before you start the row. Like first row is knit 7. Do you knit 4 first and then knit 7. I really want to make this blanket. Please help.

  4. Lynne, the 4 stitch border is not part of the stitch pattern, So knit 4 and then knit 7 on the first row.

    And thank you Camille! So glad you enjoyed the pattern (and figured it out despite by poor typing skills).

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