Side by Side Blanket

Blankets are my happy place, and for quite some time now I have been searching for the perfect combination of stitches and yarn to bring me to that zen blanket place. I believe I have found it in this design. Side by Side is knit using either a single strand of DK weight yarn or two strands of fingering weight yarn held together. It is knit corner to corner so you will have the maximum number of stitches on the needle for as short a time as possible. The pattern is simple, rhythmic, and easily memorizable, perfect for those times when you want to get lost in the feel and color of your yarn. This design is great for a single color of yarn (variegated, solid, or tonal) or using up all those mini skeins and scraps in your stash. The color and fading options are only limited by your imagination. The combination of comforting garter stitch interspersed with decorative lines keeps the flow of the blanket moving and makes the finished product totally reversible, beautiful on both sides. Finally, I had a hard time naming this pattern, but given the current state of the country, the lines reminded me of how we are all better together, side by side, supporting each other through the ups and downs of life. Like a single stitch in this blanket, we are just one individual if we are alone, but together, side by side, we can turn our world into something amazing and beautiful. The size for Side by Side is easily adjustable, but for the sake of the yardage recommended in this pattern, I have calculated for two sizes -- Baby Blanket (30x30 inches) and Throw Blanket (50x60 inches). These measurements are before blocking. Please note: the garter stitch nature of this design will result in a lot of growth after washing and blocking, especially if you are using super wash wool. Special notes re: gauge - *Although the recommended gauge is 17.5 stitches and 32 rows over 4 inches, you can easily adjust this pattern to fit any gauge or yarn weight. You will simply need to adjust your needle size and yarn requirements to match. Yarn requirements: -1,800-2,000(5,750-6,650) yards of fingering weight yarn OR -1,000 (3,325) yards of DK weight yarn