After having a baby, I developed strong opinions about baby blankets. They should be beautiful, yes, but they should also be durable and washable. Baby blankets need to stand up to use, abuse, and many, many trips through the washer. Deanna Deeds’s Sweetheart Baby Blanket from the January/February 2019 issue of Handwoven is pretty much the ideal baby blanket. It is absolutely adorable, doesn’t have long floats to worry about snagging (thanks, diversified plain weave!), and can be washed without worry. Here’s what Deanna had to say about her design:
Deanna Deeds’s baby blanket is the perfect choice for keeping baby warm in the stroller during long, winter walks.
Designer Deanna Deeds’s Statement
It seems as if there is an endless stream of babies these days: If not your own, there are nieces, nephews, and grandchildren—and even children or grandchildren of friends or extended family. For each of these babies, a handwoven baby blanket is a wonderful way to welcome them.
Diversified plain weave is a sturdy fabric that works well for items such as baby blankets—there are no floats for tiny fingers to catch on, and it can withstand heavy use. Diversified plain weave uses 2 sizes of thread in both warp and weft, and that allows for patterning such as this blanket’s hearts-and-blocks motif.
For the thick warp and weft, I chose Brown Sheep Company Cotton Fleece, a blend of 80% cotton/20% wool that can be machine-washed, making the blanket that much easier to care for. For the thin thread, I chose 20/2 cotton from Brassard et Fils. The blanket is crib-sized, but it can easily be woven in a smaller size as a stroller blanket, for example, by reducing the number of threading and treadling repeats.
Happy Weaving! Christina
Project at a Glance
PROJECT TYPE: 8-shaft.
STRUCTURE: Diversified plain weave.
EQUIPMENT: 8-shaft loom, 46" weaving width; 8-dent reed; 2 shuttles and 2 bobbins.
YARNS: Cotton Fleece (80% cotton/20% merino wool; 980 yd/lb; Brown Sheep Company). 20/2 cotton (8,400 yd/lb; Brassard et Fils).