Cervelli Baby Blanket

My brother is fortunate to have a very close friend who has been wonderfully supportive of him for many years. My family was overjoyed when the news came that this friend and his wife were expecting a baby. Given how important he’s been in my brother’s life, I wanted to design something very special for his child. This blanket - inspired by textiles derived from the baby’s Italian heritage - is the result. The new parents loved the blanket, and I hope you will, too!

Skills and techniques required

• Long-tail cast-on
• Working small circumferences in the round (DPNs, 2-circulars, or magic loop)
• Knitting and purling
• Increasing and decreasing
• Stranded knitting
• Chart reading
• Mattress stitch

Yarn requirements

• Main colour: approximately 395 yards
• Contrast colour: approximately 400 yards

Other equipment needed

• 5mm 60" circular needle
• (optional) 5mm DPNs
• (optional) Additional 5mm circular needles of varying lengths
• 4 stitch markers: 1 round marker and 3 repeat markers
• (optional) 1 set of double-pointed needles and circular needles of varying lengths, since you need to accommodate a minimum of 8 stitches and a maximum of 576; alternatively, you could use a single 60” circular throughout by using magic loop
• Tapestry needle, for weaving in ends and sewing border closed

Gauge

20 sts and 20 rows to 4" in stranded pattern on 5mm needles after blocking.

Exact gauge is not essential, as this is a blanket, but if your gauge is different from that given here, you may need to adjust your yarn yardage requirements accordingly.