Knit an Old Fashioned "Peggy " Squares blanket

When my grandson was born seven years ago he had not only both sets of grandparents alive but also both sets of Great Grands. His arrival was hugely celebrated, welcome presents aplenty. Two of his still favourite presents were baby blankets knitted for him by the Great Grandmothers. One was knitted out of self spun wool and the other was a Peggy Squares blanket. This is the one he tucks around himself when feeling tired and in need of comfort. It's made of a soft wool, in pastel shades.

Recently he came up with a request that we knit another one, this time in bright colours, so off we went to choose four colours. On our return home he started knitting Square Number One. [ He's good at knitting and his tension is very much like mine.] That's as far as he got! Lego and other exciting high activity holiday pursuits took over, however he extracted a promise from me to keep knitting so under his watchful eye, I did!

Keep a straight edge

The blanket is made up of twenty three full size squares and four half size [ ie rectangular] ones. These rectangular ones are used, one at each end of rows two and four to give a brick wall effect. See picture of finished blanket below. 

For each square, I cast on thirty [30] stitches and knitted fifty [50] rows in garter stitch, ie every row a knit row.  For the half size rectangular pieces I cast on fifteen [15] stitches instead of thirty.

To keep a straight edge I knitted into the back of the last stitch and on the next row I slipped that stitch without knitting it.

It's a bit boring knitting so many solid colour squares so I decided to mix the colours up a bit and made two squares using all four colours. To do that I cast on fifteen stitches with colour A then fifteen with colour B. When changing to the next colour it is necessary take the second colour under the first colour, so that the knitting is without any holes. After 26 rows I changed to the other two colours.

Wrong side showing change of colours

Right side

I decided to knit some two colour squares, ie two rows of colour A, then two rows of colour B and repeat.

With all the pieces completed it was time to think about how to sew them together without a bulky seam. I turned to youtube for some ideas!

Sewing squares together to achieve a flat join

To join two pieces together lay them side by side, right sides up. Then draw your sewing needle through one stitch at the corner of one side, along the side [ where the slipped stitch is if you did that edging.] Then put your needle through two stitches on the other side and gently pull the thread. It will disappear into the middle of the two pieces. Then go to the other piece and again push your sewing needle through two stitches, gently pull the thread. Continue in this way to complete the join.

Squares joined, right side

 Once all the pieces in each row are joined, do the same procedure to join all five rows.

Crochet edge of sewn up blanket

It's then time to do a crochet edging around all sides of your blanket. Start at the corner and insert the crochet hook into the corner stitch. Make one double crochet, then 2 chain stitches, put the hook into the third stitch along, double crochet, 2 chain stitches and so on all the way around the blanket.

Finished blanket, note the rectangular pieces on rows 2 and 4

I used acrylic double knitting [ 8ply] yarn on 4mm knitting needles.

My finished blanket measured 68cm by 80cm [ 261/2 inches by 32 inches] - just the right size for a travel blanket.

Now that it is finished we have decided that it will be a welcome present for a new cousin who will be born in a cold climate in Autumn.