by Cheryl Bach

"How full of the creative genius is the air in which these are generated! I should hardly admire more if real stars feel and lodged on my coat."
-Henry David Thoreau

Unlike most snowflakes, here's one that will warm you up if it lands on you. Inspired by close-up photos of real snowflakes, this intarsia afghan is just the thing to keep you cozy and warm as you hibernate all winter long, preferably with a good book and lots of knitting projects.

The blanket is knitted using intarsia, a method which involves using a separate small ball or bobbin of yarn for each separate color area (rather than stranding the colours across the back of the work). As you are working the pattern, make sure to pick up the new strand of color from underneath the old one, which will twist the yarn and eliminate holes in the work. For more tips on working intarsia, see this page.

SIZE
One

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
43.5 inches x 51.5 inches

MATERIALS
Yarn
Plymouth De Aire [100% fine merino wool;109 yds per 100g skein]; color:
[MC] 1662 Blue Mountain; 8 skeins
[CC] 100 Aspen; 4 skeins

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
40-inch US #13/9mm circular needle

Notions
Yarn needle

GAUGE

PATTERN NOTES
[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]

DIRECTIONS
With size US #13 (9mm) circular needles, and MC, cast on 104 sts.

K 22 rows in St st.

Work chart.

With MC, k 22 rows in St st.

Top and Bottom Border
Row 1 [RS]: Using MC, pick up and knit 104 sts.

Row 2 [WS]: Kfb first st, k all sts up to last st, kfb last st.

Change to CC.
Row 3 [RS]: K all sts.

Row 4 [WS]: Kfb first st, k all sts up to last st, kfb last st.

Row 5 [RS]: K all sts.

Row 6 [WS]: Kfb first st, k all sts up to last st, kfb last st.
Bind off all sts.

Side Borders
Row 1 [RS]: Using MC, pick up and knit 150 sts.

Row 2 [WS]: Kfb first st, k all sts up to last st, kfb last st.
Change to CC.
Row 3 [RS]: K all sts.

Row 4 [WS]: Kfb first st, k all sts up to last st, kfb last st.

Row 5 [RS]: K all sts.

Row 6 [WS]: Kfb first st, k all sts up to last st, kfb last st.
Bind off all sts.

Sew border edges together. Weave in all loose ends.

FINISHING
To do the French knot picot border, start at corner in bind off row with RS facing. You will work the border from right to left.

Pull working yarn up through "v" in the bind off (from bottom up to top). Twist yarn around needle twice to make a French knot. Re-insert yarn from top of next bind off "v" to bottom. It's helpful to give yourself plenty of yarn to work with so that you don't have ends to weave in.

Cheryl Bach is a mama bear, shutterbug, bookworm and night owl in Central Ohio. You can find her blogging here and on Ravelry as CBach.