Sweet Shop Blanket by Laura Penrose

Sweet Shop Blanket

Knitting
September 2023
yarn held together
Fingering
+ Fingering
= DK (11 wpi) ?
23 stitches and 40 rows = 4 inches
in garter stitch
US 6 - 4.0 mm
2078 - 8661 yards (1900 - 7920 m)
baby/pet, lap, throw, bedspread
Flag of English English
This pattern is available for £6.00 GBP buy it now

Gauge: 23 sts x 40 rows = 10 x 10cm / 4 x 4” Garter Stitch worked flat, blocked
Yarn: Dk weight yarn or Fingering held double or any weight yarn preferred
Needles: 4mm straight or circular needle, or needle required to meet gauge
Accessories: embroidery needle, scissors, weighing scales

Baby / Pet - 24 squares = 56 x 84cm / 22 x 33”, 240g each of MC/CC
Lap Square - 49 squares = 98 x 98cm / 38.5 x 38.5”, 490g each of MC/CC
Lap Rectangle - 48 squares = 84 x 112cm / 33 x 44”, 480g each of MC/CC
Throw - 99 squares = 125.5 x 153.5cm / 49.5 x 60.5”, 990g each of MC/CC

Difficulty
Intermediate. Though the blanket looks simple, it is not a beginner pattern. Experience with picking up stitches and short rows is advised though full instructions are given along with diagrams and schematics.

Construction
The Sweet Shop Blanket is constructed using 4 different types of square which are joined using short rows and picking up stitches. No seaming here!! You can add as many squares as you wish to make a square or rectangular blanket. A smooth and neat edging is worked as you make the blanket, or an icord edging can be worked afterwards. The size of the sample shown is Lap Square.

Gauge and yarn
The yarn and gauge suggested are those used for the sample blanket pictured, however you can work this pattern to any gauge and with any yarn you like! The sample shown has been designed to create squares that use exactly 20g of either DK or Fingering weight yarn held double, meaning each triangle you see is 10g. If using a different weight yarn than suggested, follow the pattern as written until your squares are the size you’d like, there is no right or wrong!

Using Advents
This blanket is a great way to use your precious advent mini skeins and there are a few ways you can use them.

By using only the advent skeins and no MC you can achieve a 6 x 6 square blanket that measures approx 33 x 33”. You can either use each colour for an entire square, or split your skeins in half and use a different colour for each half, using each colour twice throughout the blanket. This would make a lovely pram, crib or pet blanket.

Alternatively you can create an adult blanket by splitting each skein into 2 and adding in a MC (approx 500g DK or Fingering weight yarn held double) as shown in the sample. By using each colour twice you can achieve a blanket 6x8 rectangular blanket that measures 33 x 44”, or by adding in 1 more square, a 7 x 7 square blanket measuring 38.5 x 38.5” (as shown in the sample).

Using Scrap Yarn
The Sweet Shop Blanket was named after the feeling you get when choosing which yarn to use next from a delicious basket of scraps. Left overs from other projects, gifted mini skeins, impulse buys from your favourite dyer. Like a child in a sweet shop, or a kid in a candy store, depending on where you’re from.

There no reason why you can’t mix up your weights as well, make the most of your dk and fingering weight scraps by holding them double. Don’t quite have 10g of fingering weight? No worries! Use two different colours and marl them together, just make sure you have at least 5g of each strand. You can even lucky dip your yarns for maximum fun.