Crochet Ideas and Patterns

Please help KNITTING BABY BLANKET?

Here is the blanket I want to knit: lionbrand.com/patterns/90078AD.html?noImages=0
But I am in Ireland and that is from an American site so can I substitue the yarn with this yarn?
thisisknit.ie/shop/index.php?cPath=56_253_1_26&osCsid=bdd30c153552f91d988e4fad1a951f0a
And can I use 3.25 needles for it? Really hope someone answers!!
thisisknit.ie/shop/index.php?cPath=56_253_1_26&osCsid=bdd30c153552f91d988e4fad1a951f0a
thisisknit.ie/shop/index.php?cPath=56_253_1_26&osCsid=bdd30c153552f91d988e4fad1a951f0a

This pattern is just a simple stockinette blanket with color changes every couple of rows. Ordinarily I’d advise you to carefully check the gauges of the pattern, the original yarn, and the substitute yarn and see how they stack up, but in this case the pattern’s gauge doesn’t matter (you’ll just keep casting-on stitches till the blanket’s as wide as you want it to be, and keep knitting rows till it’s as long as you want it to be, then cast-off), so let’s just look at the yarns.

Vanna’s Choice (original yarn) is:
16 sts and 22 rows = 10 cm

Baby Cashmerino (your substitute) is:
25 sts and 34 rows = 10 cm

From these numbers, I can see Baby Cash is a much finer yarn than Vanna’s Choice, as you need more sts and rows to make up the same amount of material.

So, you will need to cast-on more than the 70 sts recommended in the pattern (probably around 100 sts), and go for more rows than the pattern says, to get the full 71 x 76 cm dimensions. Your finished fabric will also be finer and more delicate than the original.

Also keep in mind that Vanna’s Choice is a 50/50 cotton-acrylic blend, whereas the Baby Cash is a more luxurious merino-cashmere yarn (yum!). Consequently, Vanna’s Choice is machine-washable whereas Baby Cash is hand wash or gentle cycle only. (Something to consider for a baby blanket.)

3.25 needles are equivalent to a US size 3, which is kind of small. (By comparison, the recommended needle size for Vanna’s Choice is US size 9 or 5.5 mm.) Since your Baby Cash is also fine gauge though, this might work. If I were you, I’d knit up a small swatch and see how I like the fabric. If it’s too tight, I’d go up a needle size. I don’t think it’ll be too loose, but if it is, go down a needle size.

The original pattern calls for two strands of yarn to be held together constantly, so if you’re going to do the same thing with the Baby Cash, I really think 3.5 mm is going to be too small / tight — you will definitely need to use something around 4.5 mm if you’re going to double-strand. If 3.5 mm are the only needles you have on hand, though, just knit the blanket single-stranded and it should work out. (Unfortunately you’ll lose out on the tweedy color changes like in the pattern if you knit single-stranded; the colors will change more abruptly since you’re changing the color of all of your yarn at once instead of only one of two strands. So the look will be more modern, defined color blocks instead of the smoother gradient in the picture, but otherwise it should look the same.)

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