Baby Blanket Bonanza: A Selection of Baby Blanket Designs

Some months ago I got an email from a reader who asked me to recommend some baby blanket patterns for her. I was remiss in getting back to her, but my belated response is a post of selected baby blanket designs. This was a fun one to put together because Ravelry had 95 pages of English-language baby blanket listing goodness to choose from, and browsing through them all was a whole new experience in cute overload. However, I did manage to narrow it down to 30 patterns, and here they are. The photo above is of the Octopus Garden Blanket, designed by Georgia Vincent. The pattern is unfortunately no longer available, but it should be possible for a good knitter to recreate it using this photo. Try not to sing the eponymous Beatles song the entire time you're working on it.

This is the Olympic Forest Blanket, designed by Very Busy Monkey. The pattern is available for $4.50(USD). I love the "enchanted forest" feel of this one.

The ABC Baby Blanket, designed by Jenny Williams, is a nice simple, educational baby blanket. It's a free pattern.

If you've always admired the Duchess of Cambridge's taste for vintage baby wear and accoutrements, the very traditional Shetland lace-style The Entire Kingdom blanket, designed by Marianne Knorborg, may be for you. This pattern is available for free.

Then again, you might have a much more modern aesthetic, in which case I recommend the Fly Away baby blanket, designed by Tin Can Knits. The pattern is available for $5(USD).

The Dogwood Pattern, also by Tin Can Knits, is available individually for $5(USD) and was also published in 9 Months of Knitting: Exquisite Knits for Baby and Family.

The Dahlia Blanket, by Daniel Yuhas. I've knitted this one myself and am looking forward to making it again sometime. It's really a lovely piece of design and interesting to knit. The Dahlia pattern was published in Knitting from the Center Out: An Introduction to Revolutionary Knitting with 28 Modern Projects.

The Googly-Eyed Gator blanket, designed by Ashley Rao. For the tiny future herpetologist in your life! This pattern was published in 60 Quick Baby Blankets: Cute & Cuddly Knits in 220 Superwash® and 128 Superwash® from Cascade Yarns.

If you'd rather treat your child like royalty than like a future devotee of the science of reptiles, the Sleeping Baby's Castle Blanket, designed by Sally Dian Rainey, may be more to your liking. This pattern is available for $5(USD).

The Dreams of Granada Blanket, designed by Triona Murphy. This handsome design is one you might wind up knitting in a larger version for the couch or your own bed. The pattern is available for $5(USD).

The Pembroke Cottages Blanket, designed by Elanor King. I love this one's simple yet punchy graphic appeal. The colours used here really make it sing. This pattern is available for £3.00(GBP).

This is the simple and pretty Amore blanket, designed by Véronique Vieljeux and Nancy Waille. This pattern is available for €4.00(EUR).

If you aren't the kind of knitter who wants to fuss around with colour changes, the beautifully stitched Arrowroot blanket, by Sali Morris, might be for you. This pattern is available for £2.00(GBP).

The Beep Beep Blanket, designed by Lucinda Guy. This one really pops, visually. This pattern was published in Handknits for Kids: 25 Original Designs for Girls and Boys.

Here's another one for the traditionalists, the Dreamland Adventures Baby Blanket, designed by Mary Triplett. This pattern is available for $6(USD).

How cute is the Counting Sheep Blanket by Patons. This pattern is available for free.

The lovely and simple Tulips & Rosebuds Baby Blanket, by Eugen Beugler. This pattern is available for $6.95(USD).

For baby with a Harry Potter-themed nursery, the Professor McGonagall blanket, designed by Kristen Fanning, might hit the spot. This pattern is available for $3.50(USD).

Here's another contemporary style design, the Hip to Be Square blanket, by Stacey Gerbman. This pattern was published in 60 Quick Baby Blankets: Cute & Cuddly Knits in 220 Superwash® and 128 Superwash® from Cascade Yarns.

The Kittens and Butterflies Blanket, by Judy Lamb. My cat is never this sedate when he sees a butterfly. Fortunately despite all his leaping and pouncing, he's never been able to catch one. This is a free pattern.

The very snappy Picture-Perfect Plaid blanket, by Theresa Schabe. This pattern is another that appears in 60 Quick Baby Blankets: Cute & Cuddly Knits in 220 Superwash® and 128 Superwash® from Cascade Yarns.

The Rainbow Chain Carriage Blanket, by Erika Flory. This one could be a great way to use up some odds and ends of yarn. And it's a free pattern.

The Puzzle-Block Blanket, by Wilma Peers, looks like a another great way to use up some odd balls of yarn. This one appeared in the spring/summer 2014 issue of Knit Simple magazine, but if it isn't possible to track down a back issue of the magazine you can probably recreate the design from the picture.

The Norwegian Alphabet Blanket, by Jorid Linvik. This one must be the Cadillac of alphabet blankets. I mean.... holy cow is that a lot of work. The pattern is available for $10(USD).

This is the Such is the Quality of Bees blanket. For the Tolstoy reference-loving knitter! This pattern is available for $6.50(USD).

The Baby Dragon Blanket, designed by Sharon Winsauer. Perfect for the baby named George (or Georgette). This pattern is available for $7.50(USD).

For the knitter who's looking for an alphabet sampler pattern, but is simply not tackling the Norwegian Sampler Blanket listed above, this is the Debbie Bliss alphabet sampler blanket. This pattern was published in How to Knit: The Definitive Knitting Course Complete with Step-by-step Techniques, Stitch Libraries and Projects for Your Home and Family.

Here's a pattern that has both stitchwork and some simple colourwork. The Gingham Baby Blanket, by Hélène Rush, is available for $6.25(USD).

Very Owls in the Family, isn't it? The Owls Baby Blanket, by Simone Rees. This pattern is available for free.

And we wind up with The Giraffe Family baby blanket, designed by Vikki Bird as a reference to her very tall family. This pattern is available for $4.99(USD).