This is it… the fastest baby afghan ever! Have you ever wanted a really easy-to-make and quick-to-finish afghan for a gift? Using my Brothers KX-350 knitting machine, I knit this little cutie in less than one hour from start to finish!
Discover the secrets of this treasure! Whether you hand knit it or take the speed route and machine knit it, you will find this pattern super easy and super quick. Make the fastest and easiest baby afghan you have ever made!
The first secret? PipSqueak by Bernat yarn. Made of 100% polyester, this luxurious yarn feels so soft and thick! The color selections vary from solids to variegated to stripes. Each color combination takes on its own delightful personality. What makes it simply ideal for an infant or child is that it is machine washable and dryable.
The second secret? Know that you need a knitting machine that does not have gatepegs. These include mid-gauge machines like the LK150 or Brothers KX350. The yarn actually snags on the gatepegs making knitting impossible on the Brother Bulky 230, 260 or 270.
The third secret? Simple machine knitting techniques to practically eliminate the finishing! Try these to speed your project!
- Cast on using the e-wrap technique leaving a yarn tail about 4-inches long. After knitting 2 rows, pull out the needles on the same end as the yarn tail and put the yarn over the first needle and under the second needle. Continue in this fashion until only an inch remains of the tail. Hold the end down with a clothespin and knit another row. Trim the yarn tails close to the knitting.
- Change colors on the side edge. Identify the ending yarn tail and the tail from the new ball of yarn. With the ending yarn tail, weave the yarn tail over and under the needles until an inch remains and knit one row. Then repeat the process for the remaining yarn tail and knit one row.
- Prepare for the bind-off row by measuring 4 widths of the knitting on the last skein (about 4 yards). Stop knitting on the right side when you reach this point.
- Then, use this loose bind-off to provide the stretch needed to match the cast on. This is a handy method whenever you need a loose bind-off but cannot increase the tension on the machine. Manually knit the stitch on the far most right loosely; * transfer 2nd stitch 1 needle to the right. You now have 2 stitches on the rightmost needle; manually knit through these stitches loosely and then transfer this stitch 1 needle to the left . Repeat from the * until 1 stitch remains. Pull the yarn through the last stitch and end off. Weave in the last yarn tail.
Download the pattern today! It’s free!
