Aunt Tilly's baby blanket

When I visited my first grandchild as a baby, she was often wrapped in a very interesting blanket. It had been knit for my son-in-law by a family friend, whom they fondly referred to as Aunt Tilly. I spent the next few years searching for the pattern to this circular blanket.

I knew it was not Elizabeth Zimmermann's Pi Shawl because it was NOT knit in the round, but in rows. You may think that you would never knit a circular shawl in rows but there is a reason to at least consider this pattern. If the blanket is knit in rows, it can be entirely knit in garter stitch - no purling! Personally, I don't care for a blanket or afghan pattern that has a "wrong" side. Knitting a blanket in garter stitch takes care of that problem.

When the coming of the second grandchild was announced I went into overdrive trying to find Aunt Tilly's pattern but finally had to take the original blanket of my son-in-law's and stitch by stitch write down the instructions:

Aunt Tilly’s Vintage Round Baby Blanket

Size 7

5 skeins Plymouth Yarn Dream Baby DK (50 grams each)

Cast on 8 stitches

Row 1: *K1, Yo, *repeat to last st of row, k1 (15 stitches)

Row 2: Knit

Row 3: K1,*place marker yo, k2 *repeat to end

Row 4: Knit

Row 5: K1,*slip marker yo, knit stitches to marker* repeat to end        of row

Continue rows 4 and 5 until there are 43 sts between markers. End with a row 4 (dropping markers as you go on the last row)

Eyelet section:

Row 1: K1,*yo, k2tog *repeat across to last 1 st then: yo, k1

Rows 2 - 8 (Next 5 rows): Knit 

Row 7: K3, *yo, k1, yo, k2, k2tog, k2, *repeat to last 4 sts then: yo, k1, yo, k2

Row 8 Knit

Row 9: K2, K2tog, *yo k3, yo, k2tog, k1, k2tog * repeat to last 2 sts then: yo, k2

Row10: Knit

Row 11: K4, *yo, k3tog, yo, k5 * repeat to the last 6sts then: yo, k3 tog, yo, k3

Row 12 - 16 (next 5 rows): Knit
Row 17: K1, *yo, k2tog * repeat across row to last stitch, yo k1
Rows 18 - 20(next 3 rows): Knit

Row 21: K1, *yo, k2tog, *repeat across to end of row

Rows 22 – 26 (next 5 rows): Knit

Row 27: K3, *yo, k1, yo, k2, k2tog, k2 *repeat to the last st then: yo, k1,

Row 28: Knit

Row 29: K1, k2tog, *yo,k3,yo, k2tog, k1, k2tog * to last  6 sts then: yo, k3, yo, k2tog, k1

Row 30: Knit

Row 31: K3, yo, k3tog, yo, k5 to last 3 sts then: k

Rows 32 – 36 (next 5 rows): Knit

(Please note that rows 27- 36 are the same as 7- 16)

Row 37: K1, *yo, k2tog *to the end

Rows 38 – 40 (next 3 rows): Knit

Row 41: K1, *yo, k2tog* to the end

Rows 42 – 44 (next 3 rows): Knit

Row 45: K1, *yo, k2tog * to the end

Row 46 - 50 (next 5 rows): knit

Row 51: K3, *yo, k1, yo, k2, k2tog, k2 * repeat to the last 3 sts then: yo, k1, yo
Row 52: Knit

Row 53: K1, k2tog * yo, k3, yo, k2tog, k1, k2tog *to last 2 sts then: k

Row 54: Knit

Row 55: K3, *yo, k3tog, yo, k5 * to last 3 sts then: K

Rows 56 - 59 (next 5 rows): Knit

(Please note that rows 51 – 59 are the same as rows 27 – 36 and 7 – 16)

Row 60: K1, *yo, k2tog * to the end of row

Rows 61 – 63 (next 3 rows): Knit

Row 64: K1, *yo, k2tog * to the end of row

Rows 65 – 67 (next 3 rows): Knit

Row 68: K1, *yo, k2tog * to end of row

Rows 69 – 71 (next 3 rows): Knit

Row 72: K1, *yo, k2tog * to end of row

Rows 73 – 85: Knit

Bind off as follows:

*Cast off 2 sts, knit 5 into the next st, cast off 5  * repeat to end of row

Sew seam together.

I have made six of these blankets and will admit that at the ends of the "flower" eyelet section I often end with a number of stitches that are not stated on that particular row but they can be easily manipulated. I'm not sure why and would welcome some discussion!

Recently, my daughter told me that her sister-in-law is expecting. I have been planning on knitting Aunt Tilly's baby blanket whenever this announcement came and now I carefully weighed what would be the lesser of two evils: 1) Did I want to purl every other row? or 2) Did I want to sew one seam when the blanket is completed? And in the end I decided to do a quick seam - sorry EZ. 

With the finished blanket done, it will soon be finding its way back to England.  I hope Aunt Tilly would approve!