Crochet Cables: my first attempt

As I mentioned before, baby blankets are my FAVORITE projects, hands down.  I love how quickly they work up, the soft & snuggly yarn selections, the sweet patterns... and, most of all, I love knowing a sweet little baby is going to be wrapped up in something I poured a piece of my own heart into :)

This latest blanket is no exception - one of my sorority sisters is expecting her first baby next month, and I'm just so excited for her & her wonderful husband!  DH & I were lucky enough to attend their wedding a couple summers ago, and even though her life as a military spouse has called her all over the country, she's such a sweet, supportive friend!  Oh, and to add an extra level to my excitement?  They're waiting for the birth to find out the baby's sex!  I love when couples do that (and I'm dying to hear the news!)

I started working on this blanket months ago, almost the same day I heard they were expecting, so I had more time than I usually have to work on it.  Because of that, I thought maybe this would be a good opportunity to have some fun & explore some techniques I've been too chicken to attempt - namely, cables.  I have approximately a guhzillion cable patterns pinned on my crochet boards, but I've always been too intimidated by them.  Like, seriously?  There's this one celtic knot border that is stunningly gorgeous... but I just know I don't have the patience to do... but I digress.

Seeing as this project is for a baby blanket, and I really don't want too much texture for little fingers to get stuck in, I decided to try my hand at stripes of simple, 2 strand cables.  I used my go-to favorite yarn, Red Heart Super Saver, and I picked camo printed variegated as a nod to the Daddy-to-be's army service (I was hesitant at first, because I didn't want to be hokey, or to seem like I was pigeonholing the baby, but they announced the pregnancy with an ADORABLE camo print onesie, so I figured they'd understand where I was coming from) and since we don't know of it's a boy or a girl :)

These stripes are simply made by making Front Post Double Crochets in a pair of stitches, but doing the second stitch first - thus crossing them over each other to make a braid-like pattern - and "pushing" them to stand out by doing Back Post Double Crochets on the wrong side rows.  It was simple to remember, easy to actually do, and a great introduction to cables!

• Ch 111.  Hdc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across.  Ch 2 and turn. (110)
• Hdc in first 6 st.  Sk 1 st, fpdc in next st, fpdc in skipped st.  *Hdc in next 10, sk 1 st, fpdc in next st, fpdc in skipped st*  Repeat from * 7 times.  Hdc in remaining 6 st. (110)
• Hdc in first 6 st.  Bpdc in the 2 cable stitches from previous row.  *Hdc in next 10, bpdc in the 2 cable stitches from previous row*  Repeat from * 7 times.  Hdc in remaining 6 st. (110)
• Repeat these 2 rows until blanket reach desired length.

Once I was done with the blanket, I went around the entire perimeter with the camo yarn, making a border of single crochets.  I followed that with a plain, cream yarn and made a wave border with a simple pattern of sc, hdc, dc, tc, dc, hdc, sc.  

I, of course, added my label on the back (which matches the color scheme this time!) then it was ready to mail to Colorado!  Made with love, indeed <3