The Azalea Baby Blanket

    I love making things in general, and making things for my babies is even more rewarding.  It is my goal to make something special for every baby we have; it's my little way of showing them my love.
   So this is our little #2's blanket. The pattern is original (aka, I'm too cheap to buy a pattern) so bare with me as I try to write it out for you.

Right, here goes nothing..

 Don't mind the toys in the background, #1 was playing

The Azalea Baby Blanket

   First, I feel like I should say that the name of the pattern comes from our azalea bush in the back yard, the one I see every day (more like every few hours) when I do the dishes.  I bought the yarn-Red Heart's with Love, medium weight yarn in boysenberry- and right afterwards the bush bloomed and incidentally, was the same color.  Also note that I do not use any abbreviations in this pattern, aside from ssk, mainly because I have a terrible time understanding the abbreviations much less writing them   Anyways, back to the pattern.

Materials
Medium weight yarn
9 US knitting needles (I used a round for this project)
An extra needle to hold your cable.. or the actual special needle.. I have no idea what it's called..

Bottom Border
Cast on 132 stitches
Knit 1, purl 1 etc. to the end of the row (you should end on purl)
Now purl 1, knit 1 etc. (so knit on top of knit and purl on top of purl, aka a moss stitch)
Continue this until you have knitted about 2 inches.

Body of the Blanket
1.Right side- Moss stitch for 8 stitches, then knit 2 (this is your side border)
Purl 4, knit 2, repeat 17 times
Purl 4, knit 2, moss stitch to the end (8 stiches)
Wrong side- Moss stitch for 8 stitches, then purl 2
Knit 4, purl 2, repeat 17 times
Knit 4, purl 2, moss stitch to the end

It should start to look like you have 18 nice little cables popping out.  Keep this up for 8 rows, ending on the wrong side. Now for the fun part.

2a. Right side- Moss stitch 8, knit 2
Purl 4, pick up 1 purl side *, knit 1, ssk (slip slip knit), purl 2, knit 2 together, knit 1
Pick up 1, purl 4, pick up 1, knit 1, ssk, purl 2, knit 2 together, knit 1
Repeat the previous line (this one ^) 7 times
Pick up 1, purl 4, knit 2, moss stitch to the end
Wrong side- Moss stitch 8, purl 2
Knit 5, purl 2, knit 2, purl 2
Knit 6, purl 2, knit 2, purl 2
Repeat previous line 7 times
Knit 5, purl 2, moss stitch to the end

2b. Right side- Moss stitch 8, knit 2
Purl 5, pick up 1, knit 1, ssk, knit 2 together, knit 1
Pick up 1, purl 6, pick up 1, knit 1, ssk, knit 2 together, knit 1
Repeat previous line 7 times
Pick up one, purl 5, knit 2, moss stitch to the end

Now your cables should be paired together.

Wrong side- Moss stitch 8, purl 2
Knit 6, place 2 stitches on another needle letting it hag on your side of the project (meaning that the first cable will pass behind the second), purl 2, go back to stitches on the other needle and purl (2)
Knit 8, 2 stitches on needle, purl 2, purl stitches on other needle
Repeat previous line 7 times
Knit 6, purl 2, moss stitch to the end

So if you can read my gobbligook your cables should now be crossed with the first cable in each pair passing behind the second.

3a. Right side- Moss stitch 8, knit 2
Purl 5, knit 2 together, knit 1, pick up 2, knit one, ssk
Purl 6, knit 2 together, knit 1, pick up 2, knit one, ssk
Repeat last line 8 times
Purl 5, knit 2, moss stitch to the end
Wrong side- Moss stitch 8, purl 2
Knit 5, purl 2, knit 2, purl 2
Knit 6, purl 2, knit 2, purl 2
Repeat previous line 7 times
Knit 5, purl 2, moss stitch to the end

3b. Right side- Moss stitch 8, knit 2
Purl 4, knit 2 together, knit 1, pick up one, purl 2, pick up one, knit 1, ssk
Repeat last line 8 times
Purl 4, knit 2, moss stitch to the end.
Wrong side- Moss stich 8, purl 2
Purl 4, knit 2
Repeat previous line 17 times
Purl 4, knit 2, moss stitch to the end

Now work sequence 1 for 4 rows instead of 8

4a. Right side- Moss stitch 8, knit 2, purl 4, knit 2
Purl 4, pick up 1, knit 1, ssk, purl 2, knit 2 together, knit 1, pick up 1, purl 4
Repeat previous line 7 times
Knit 2, purl 4, knit 2, moss stitch to the end
Wrong side- Moss stitch 8, purl 2
Knit 4, purl 2
Knit 5, purl 2, knit 2, purl 2
Knit 6, purl 2, knit 2, purl 2
Repeat previous line 7 times
Knit 5, purl 2, knit 4, purl 2, moss stitch to the end

4b. Right side- Moss stitch 8, knit 2, purl 4, knit 2
Purl 5, pick up 1, knit 1, ssk, knit 2 together, knit 1, pick up 1
Purl 6, pick up 1, knit 1, ssk, knit 2 together, knit 1, pick up 1
Repeat previous line 6 times
Purl 5, knit 2, purl 4, knit 2, moss stitch to the end
Wrong side- Moss stitch 8, purl 2, knit 4, purl 2
Knit 6, place 2 stitches on extra needle this time hanging on the other side (so now the first cable will pass in front of the second), purl 2, purl stitches on extra needle
Knit 8, 2 stitches on needle, purl 2, purl stitches on other needle
Repeat previous line 6 times
Knit 6, purl 2, knit 4, purl 2, moss stitch to the end.

5a. Right side- Moss stitch 8, knit 2, purl 4, knit 2
Purl 5, knit 2 together, knit 1, pick up 2, knit 1, ssk
Purl 6, knit 2 together, knit 1, pick up 2, knit 1, ssk
Repeat last line 6 times
Purl 5, knit 2, purl 4, knit 2, moss stitch to the end
Wrong side-Moss stitch 8, purl 2, knit 4, purl 2
Knit 5, purl 2, knit 2, purl 2
Knit 6, purl 2, knit 2, purl 2
Repeat previous line 6 times
Knit 5, purl 2, knit 4, purl 2, moss stitch to the end

6a. Right side- Moss stitch 8, knit 2, purl 4, knit 2
Purl 4, knit 2 together, knit 1, pick up 1, purl 2, pick up 1, knit 1, ssk
Repeat previous line 8 times
Purl 4, knit 2, purl 4, knit 2, moss stitch to the end
Wrong side- Moss stitch 8, purl 2
Knit 4, purl 2
Repeat previous line 17 times
Knit 4, purl 2, moss stitch to the end

   So now you need to repeat sequences 1-6a until the blanket is roughly as long as it is wide minus 2 inches for the border (ex. my blanket turned out to be roughly 34"x34" so I worked the cabling until I reached 32") Make sure you end on sequence 6a and then work sequence 1 for 8 rows just like the beginning.  Finish out with 2" worth of the moss stitch, cast off and there you have it!

*Pick up one purl side- basically anytime I say to pick up 1 you need to pick up the stitch the same way you would purl


   Ending note: I've read and re-read this for mistakes and I think I caught it all, please let me know if there is something I missed or that you don't understand. I will be happy to help! And reviews are much appreciated, this is the first time I have ever tried to put my stitches in writing and I would like to get better at it.