In her essay “The Baby Blue Blankie” in Knitting Yarns and Spinning Tales, Kay Dorn wrote of knitting lacy blankets for each of her grandchildren. She chose lace because she “knew how babies love to push their fingers through the holes when they rub the cuddly yarn under their noses.”
I had never thought of a lacy baby blanket before I read Ms. Dorn’s essay, but it makes perfect sense. Babies first learn about the world through touch, whether it’s the soft caress of Mother’s hands or the intriguing holes in a blanket.
I translated this idea into a group project—with a twist. We start from the classic group afghan: Everybody knits a square. Here’s the twist: To honor the new life that this blanket will wrap up, each knitter learns a new pattern—one with lots of texture for Baby’s amusement, of course. Lace, cables, bobbles, and entrelac are all appropriate. A novice might try out a seed or basket stitch. Of course, the ultimate “new skill” is learning to knit in the first place, so a garter-stitch square from someone who has never knit would be absolutely appropriate.