I am always jealous of quilters. All that colour and pattern... but I am useless with scissors and not much better with a sewing machine. So I designed this knitted version and I adore it. Making a quilt is a little more complicated than a traditionally knitted blanket, so be sure to read the notes before beginning.

Take a look at a larger image of the quilt.

Materials
• Laika by Bouton d'Or (100% wool; 50 g = 54 yds) 5 balls, 4 balls, 5 balls. Shown in Cream = 514 Reflet, Blue = 864 Arbuste, Grey = 503 Rocher.
• Size 10 (6 mm) needles or size to obtain gauge (1 square must be knit with circular or double pointed needles but the rest can be done with straights)
• Darning needle
• Fabric for backing and sewing materials (optional) -- see notes and assembly section
• Size J (6 mm) crochet hook

Gauge
15 sts and 16 rows per 4 inches in St st

Size
32 x 28 inches

To make
Always use the long-tail cast on for these pieces.
If you aren't going to back your quilt, you can knit it in strips instead of squares. This way, the only seams will be those between the strips. (Of course, you may want to do this even if you are going to back it.) Just work the patches according to the chart below, starting at the bottom.

Plain squares
Make 26 plain-coloured squares: 9 Grey, 9 Cream, and 8 Blue.

For each: CO 15 sts.
Work 16 rows in St st, starting with a P row.
BO purlwise on next row.

Speckle stitch squares
Make 10 speckle stitch squares: 4 squares using Cream as C1, Blue as C2, and Grey as C3; 3 squares using Blue as C1, Grey as C2 and Cream as C3; and 3 squares using Grey as C1, Cream as C2, and Blue as C3.

For each: With C3, CO 15 sts onto a double pointed or circular needle and P 1 row.
Row 1 (RS): With C1, K2, [Sl 1 with yarn in front, K1] 6 times, K1. Slide work back to other tip.
Row 2 (RS): With C2, K1, [Sl 1 wyif, K1] 7 times. Slide work back to other tip.
Row 3 (RS): With C3, K.
Row 4 (WS): With C1, P2, [Sl 1 wyib, P1] 6 times, P1. Slide work back to other tip.
Row 5 (WS): With C2, P1, [Sl 1 wyib, P1] 7 times. Slide work back to other tip.
Row 6 (WS): With C3, P.

Repeat these 6 rows 2 more times then repeat rows 1-3.
BO in purl on the WS with C3.

Polka dot stripes square
Make 7 polka dot stripes squares: 4 squares using Cream as C1 and Blue as C2; and 3 squares using Grey as C1 and Cream as C2.

For each: With C1, CO 15 sts. For first repeat, skip row 1.

Row 1 (RS): With C1, K.
Row 2 (WS): With C1, P.
Row 3: With C2, [K1, Sl 1 wyib] 7 times, K1.
Row 4: With C2, [K1, Sl 1 wyif] 7 times, K1.
Row 5: With C1, K.
Row 6: With C1, P.
Row 7: With C1, K.
Row 8: With C1, P.
Row 9: With C2, K2, [Sl 1 wyib, K1] 5 times, Sl 1 wyib, K2.
Row 10: K2, [Sl 1 wyif, K1] 5 times, Sl 1 wyif, K2.
Row 11: With C1, K.
Row 12: With C1, P.

Repeat rows 1-11 once more. BO in P.

Striped squares
Make 7 striped squares: 4 squares using Grey as C1 and Cream as C2; and 3 squares using Cream as C1 and Blue as C2.

For each: With C1, CO 15 sts.
Work in St st, starting with a P row (WS), for 5 rows.
Work 2 rows with C2 in St st.
Work 2 rows with C1 in St st.
Work 2 rows with C2 in St st.
Work 5 rows with C1 in St st.
BO.
 

Page 1 of 2  -- Find directions and diagrams to complete your patchwork quilt on page 2.

Star stitch squares
Make 6 star stitch squares: 3 with Blue as C1 and Cream as C2; and 3 with Grey as C1 and Cream as C2.

For each: With C1, CO 15 sts.
Row 1 (WS): With C1, P.
Row 2 (RS): With C1, K2, [YO, K3, pass the 1st of these 3 sts over the other 2] 4 times, K1.
Row 3 (WS): With C2, P.
Row 4 (RS): With C2, K1, [K3, pass the 1st of these 3 sts over the other 2, YO] 4 times, K2.

Repeat these 4 rows 3 more times, then repeat rows 1 and 2. BO in P on the WS.

Weave in ends.

Assembly
Lay out the squares according to the chart or in desired arrangement 7 blocks tall and 8 blocks wide.

Sew the squares into vertical strips using mattress stitch. Use common sense to guide you in choosing the right colour to seam two squares.

Once you have assembled your strips, seam them together vertically with mattress stitch. These seams won't show, so you can use the same length of yarn for the whole strip.

Single crochet with Grey around the edge of the blanket.

Notes
A knitted quilt is a bit different from a fabric quilt, because a fabric quilt is usually backed to hide the mechanics of sewing squares together. If you'd like to back your quilt, you have a couple of options.

Back it with fabric:
You will need the fabric, an iron and a sewing machine and/or needle and thread.

Cut fabric to dimensions of blanket with 1/2-inch seam allowance on all sides. Fold all edges at seam allowance and iron or sew into place. Then hand-stitch the fabric to the blanket, wrong side to wrong side. For more information on backing a blanket, check out any number of quilt or sewing books or ask advice at your local fabric store.

Back it with knitting:
Use a thinner, lighter yarn in a coordinating colour to knit a rectangle the same size as the finished blanket. Then single crochet the two pieces together.

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Excerpted from Baby Knits Kit: Instructions and Tools for 20 Snuggly Projects by Sara Lucas, with photographs by Julie Toy. Text copyright 2007 by Sara Lucas. Photographs copyright 2007 by Julie Toy. Excerpted with permission from Chronicle Books. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced except with permission in writing from the publisher.



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