Azure Diamonds is a lace blanket with rounded edges. Featuring clusters of bobble-like structures nestled in the center of lace blocks; this turquoise baby blanket is the perfect way to brighten up a nursery.
Skill Level: Intermediate
Size: 48” X 48”, relaxed after blocking
Gauge: 14 sts & 23 rows = 4” in Pseudo Lily of the Valley Pattern, relaxed after blocking
Materials
Yarn:
Lion Brand Pound of Love (100% acrylic; 1020 yards [932 meters]/454 grams): Turquoise (2 balls)
Please note that the blanket used around 1200 yards of above mentioned yarn. You may need more if you work seed stitch border before binding off all the stitches
Needles: US size 7 (4.5 mm) 32” and 40” circular needles
Notions: Stitch markers, tapestry needle for weaving in ends & blocking material (blocking mat, wires, rust-proof T-pins, etc.)
Abbreviations
SSK: Slip two stitches one by one as if to knit, put left needle through front loops of these slipped stitches and knit them together.
Sl1-K2tog-PSSO: Slip one stitch as if to knit, knit next two stitches together, pass the slipped stitch over the knit stitch.
NUPP: (K1, yo, k1, yo, k1, yo, k1) in the same stitch on right side making seven stitches out of one stitch. On subsequent wrong side row, purl all these seven stitches together, decreasing the seven stitches to one stitch.
Special Stitches
Seed Stitch
Worked over even number of sts.
Row 1: *K1, p1; rep from *.
Row 2: *P1, k1; rep from *.
Rep rows 1 & 2.
Pseudo Lily of the Valley
Row 1 (RS): K1, *k2tog, yo, k1, yo, k5, ssk, k2tog, k5, yo, k1, yo, ssk; rep from *, end k1.
Row 2: (WS & all other wrong side rows) Except the NUPP sts, purl the purls and yarn overs. For working NUPPS on wrong side rows, see the stitch key section.
Row 3: K1, *k2tog, (k1, yo) x 2 times, k4, ssk, k2tog, k4, (yo, k1) x 2 times, ssk; rep from *, end k1.
Row 5: K1, *k2tog, k2, yo, k1, yo, k3, ssk, k2tog, k3, yo, k1, yo, k2, ssk; rep from *, end k1.
Row 7: K1, *k2tog, k3, yo, k1, yo, k2, ssk, k2tog, k2, yo, k1, yo, k3, ssk; rep from *, end k1.
Row 9: K1, *k2tog, k4, (yo, k1) x 2 times, ssk, k2tog, (k1, yo) x 2 times, k4, ssk; rep from *, end k1.
Row 11: K1, *k2tog, k5, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, k5, ssk; rep from *, end k1.
Row 13: K1, *NUPP, k8, yo, ssk, k8, NUPP; rep from *, end k1.
Row 15: K1, *k1, NUPP, k7, k2tog, yo, k7, NUPP, k1; rep from *, end k1.
Row 17: K1, *k1, NUPP, k7, yo, ssk, k7, NUPP, k1; rep from *, end k1.
Row 19: K1, *NUPP, k8, k2tog, yo, k8, NUPP; rep from *, end k1.
Row 21: K1, *k2tog, k5, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, k5, ssk; rep from *, end k1.
Row 23: K1, *k2tog, k4, (yo, k1) x 2 times, ssk, k2tog, k1, yo, k4, ssk; rep from *, end k1.
Row 25: K1, *k2tog, k3, yo, k1, yo, k2, ssk, k2tog, k2, yo, k1, yo, k3, ssk; rep from *, end k1.
Row 27: K1, *k2tog, k2, yo, k1, yo, k3, ssk, k2tog, k3, yo, k1, yo, k2, ssk; rep from *, end k1.
Row 29: K1, *k2tog, (k1, yo) x 2 times, k4, ssk, k2tog, k4, (yo, k1) x 2 times, ssk; rep from *, end k1.
Row 31: K1, *k2tog, yo, k1, yo, k5, ssk, k2tog, k5, yo, k1, yo, ssk; rep from *, end k1.
Row 33: Yo, *ssk, k8, (NUPP) x 2 times, k8, yo; rep from *, end ssk.
Row 35: K2tog, *yo, k7, NUPP, k2, NUPP, k7, k2tog; rep from *, end yo.
Row 37: Yo, *ssk, k7, NUPP, k2, NUPP, k7, yo; rep from *, end ssk.
Row 39: K2tog, *yo, k8, (NUPP) x 2 times, k8, k2tog; rep from *, end yo.
Rep rows 1 to 40.
Heart Motif
Row 1: K4, yo, ssk, k4, yo, ssk, k3, k2tog, yo, k2, *k1-b, k2, yo, ssk, k4, yo, ssk, k3, k2tog, yo, k2; rep from *, end last repeat k5.
Row 2 & all even rows: Knit all stitches including yarn overs.
Row 3: K2, *k2tog, yo, k1-b, yo, ssk, k1; rep from * end last repeat k3.
Row 5: K1, k2tog, *yo, k3, yo, k3tog, (yo, k3, yo, sl1-k2tog-psso) x 2 times; rep from *, end last repeat ssk, k2 instead of sl1-k2tog-psso.
Row 7: K1, *yo, ssk, k3, k2tog, yo, k5, yo, ssk, k4; rep from *, end last repeat k3, k2tog, yo, k2 instead of k4.
Row 9: K2, *yo, ssk, k3, k1-b, k2, yo, ssk, k1, k1-b, k3, k2tog, yo, k1-b; rep from *, end last repeat k3 instead of k1-b.
Row 11: K3, *yo, ssk, k3, k2tog, yo, k1-b, yo, ssk, k3, k2tog, yo, k3; rep from *, end last repeat k4 instead of k3.
Row 13: K4, *yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k5; rep from *.
Row 15: K5, *yo, ssk, k2, yo, sl1-k2tog-psso, yo, k2, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k2; rep from *, end yo, ssk, k2, yo, sl1-k2tog-psso, yo, k2, k2tog, yo, k6.
Row 17: K6, * yo, ssk, k2, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k2, k2tog, yo, k1-b, yo, ssk, k2; rep from *, end yo, ssk, k2, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k7.
Row 19: K7, *yo, ssk, k1, k1-b, k1, k2tog, yo, k2, k2tog, yo, k3, yo ,ssk , k2; rep from *, end yo, ssk, k1, k1-b, k1, k2tog, yo, k8.
Row 21: K8, *yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k5, yo, sl1-k2tog-psso, yo, k5; rep from *, end yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k9.
Row 23: K9, *yo, sl1-k2tog-psso, yo, k7, yo, ssk, k6; rep from *, end yo, sl1-k2tog-psso, yo, k10.
Row 25: K10, yo, ssk, k3, k2tog, yo, k2, *k1-b, k2, yo, ssk, k4, yo, ssk, k3, k2tog, yo, k2; rep from *, end k1-b, k2, yo, ssk, k3, k2tog, yo, k11.
Row 27: K10, *k1-b, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo; rep from * to last 12 sts, k1-b, k11.
Row 29: K12, *yo, sl1-k2tog-psso, yo, k3; rep from * to last 13 sts, k13.
Pattern Notes
Required number of stitches are cast on using provisional cast on method. Blanket body is worked flat, back & forth, in Pseudo Lily of the Valley Pattern. Stitches are picked up from the remaining three sides and joined to work the border in round. One repeat of Heart Motif pattern is worked in round to form the border before all the stitches are bound off.
While working on the center square in pseudo lily of the valley pattern, the stitch count remains same on all the rows.
Heart Motif pattern forming the lace border is worked in round. While working the border, stitch count is increased by 8 on every alternate row through yarn overs. Each row of Heart Motif pattern is worked four times alternating with increase stitches.
Keep the stitches loose on RS while making the NUPP, so that it becomes easier to purl them together on wrong side.
Row by row instructions or charts can be used for pseudo lily of the valley pattern & Heart Motif pattern while working the Blanket instructions.
Blanket needs severe blocking to open up the lace and set the pattern. Read the yarn label carefully to follow washing instructions before wet blocking this blanket.
Pattern
Cast on 114 sts using crochet provisional cast on. Purl one row.
Work 8 rows in Seed st pattern.
Keeping the first and last 6 stitches in Seed st pattern, work 40 row repeat of Pseudo lily of the valley pattern over remaining 102 sts 3 times. Next, work rows 1 to 32 of of Pseudo lily of the valley pattern once.
Work 8 rows in Seed st pattern. Do not cut the yarn.
Put the 114 cast on stitches on a wire by discarding the waste yarn used for provisional cast on and carefully transferring the live stitches to the wire.
Next row (RS): Keeping the right side of the blanket up, PM, K114, turn the work 90 degrees, PM, pick up and knit 112 sts from the sides, PM, Pick up and knit 114 stitches from the cast on edge, PM, Pick and up and knit 112 stitches from the other side. Join to work in round. (452 sts)
Knit one row plain.
Work the Heart Motif pattern for border as given below:
{SM, yo, k1, yo, PM, work row 1 of Heart Motif Pattern over 112 stitches} x 4 times.
Next row, knit all the stitches.
Next row, {SM, yo, k to marker, yo, SM, work row 3 of Heart Motif Pattern over 112 stitches} x 4 times. Knit all the stitches for the next round. Please note that one row of Heart Motif Pattern is worked four times along with the yarn over increases to make one round and all stitches are knit for the subsequent round. Work all 24 rows of Heart Motif Pattern in this fashion by working one pattern row four times along with the row increases within markers and knitting all the stitches in next row.
Working yarn overs at the beginning and end of the stitches between the markers makes the edges round.
Bind off all the stitches loosely.
Alternately, to prevent curling of the sides, work 10 rows of Seed St pattern while continuing to increase stitch count by 8 on every alternate row before binding off all the stitches loosely.
Weave in ends and block well. 