Elijah's Blanket

(Formerly known as Baby Blanket Number Two)

Elijah David Bunting is six weeks old now - how time has flown!  In every picture I've seen of my newest nephew, he is either smiling, sleeping, or rockin' and rollin' (that would be his dad's influence!).  Perhaps I am biased, but I think sweet Elijah is adorable and brilliant (that would be his mom's influence!).

I love my step brother and his wife, and wanted to make something special for their first child.  By the time I had chosen the pattern (the Cotton Ease Baby Blanket) and the yarn (Spud and Chloe Sweater), I knew I probably wouldn't finish in time for Elijah's big day, and indeed I have only just woven in the last end.

As always, I learned a thing or two knitting this project.  I learned how to pick up stitches for a no-seam blanket - if I had to seam sixty-four mitered squares Elijah might not have gotten his blanket until he graduated from high school!

I also learned how to do an i-cord edging, which I absolutely love.  Kelly Petkun of KnitPicks helped with her video tutorials.  I do wish the edging didn't roll in quite as much as it does, and wonder if knitting it more loosely would have helped.  I think I'll try it again on baby blanket number one.

Apparently stockinette mitered squares aren't really squares - they turn out to be some kind of rhombus-y thing.  That means they don't lay perfectly flat when they're knit together.  But washing and drying the blanket seemed to help with that.

Welcome to the world, Elijah!