This baby blanket (or shawl) begins with a classic flower motif and is worked in the round from the center out. After the first few center rounds, the pattern becomes much easier.

Lightweight double-pointed needles are a good choice for working the center of the dahlia since they don’t flop around as much as heavy needles. For the sample, I began with a set of five wooden 8-inch dpns. When I started running out of room on the dpns, I changed to a 16-inch interchangeable circular needle, then switched to 24-, 32-, and 40-inch cords as the project grew. Use your preferred method for circular knitting.