Diamond Blanket

For a size reference, I'm 5'7.5"

Materials (what I used, anyway):

7 skeins Caron Simply Soft, Dark Country Blue

5 skeins Caron Simply Soft, Bone

Needles: US size 10 circ (29”)

Notes:

The diamond in the middle doesn't match up exactly with the Diagonal Garter Stitch pattern, because the garter stitches shift over 1 st every 2 rows, and the diamond increases or decreases 1 st every row.  If you want, you can finagle with the Upper and Lower Center patterns to make them match up.  Basically, you would knit so many sts in Blue, then come back and purl the same number of sts instead of increasing the number.  Each section would take 40 rows instead of 20.  The diamond might look a little bit blockier, but with this many sts to it, I doubt it would change the smoothness much. 

Also, the top edges of my diamond look a tad funky because I purled Bone into the stockinette Blue.  If you're feeling really fancy, for the Upper Center, when you get to the Bone st before the Blue (or after, on the other side), always knit, even if the pattern says to purl (which happens four times on my blanket).  

Bottom:

Cast on 320 sts in Dark Country Blue

I did 5 sts of garter stitch on each side instead of ribbing, and the rest is stockinette

Continue for 60 rows

(Keep knitting 5 sts garter, 53 sts stockinette in Blue on each side on the Diagonal Garter Stitch rows)

Lower Diagonal Garter Stitch:

in Bone

[helpful hint: mark the center of your row]

1 and all odd rows: K

2. P2 *(K3 P2), repeat from * until center; *(P2 K3), repeat from * until last 2 sts, P2

4. P1 *(K3 P2), repeat from * until 1 st from center, K1; K1 *(P2 K3), repeat from * until last st, P1

6. (*K3 P2), repeat from * until 2 sts from center, P2; P2 *(P2 K3), repeat from * until end

8. K2 *(P2 K3), repeat from * until center; *(K3 P2), repeat from * until last 2 sts, K2

10. K1 *(P2 K3), repeat from * until 1 st from center, P1; P1 *(K3 P2), repeat from * until last st, K1

Work pattern 10 times

Lower Center:

Keep knitting in Lower Diagonal Garter Stitch in Bone, but knit stockinette in Blue in the center

For the first row, work Lower Diagonal Garter Stitch until 1 st from center, K2 in Blue, keep working Lower Diagonal Garter Stitch (but count sts in the pattern so it matches the previous rows)

For the second row, do the same but stop 2 sts from the center, P2 in Blue, and continue

For the third row, stop 3 sts from center, K6 in Blue, and so on

Do this for 20 rows (you should end with P40 in Blue)

Upper Center:

Similar to Lower Center, but using Upper Diagonal Garter Stitch (written out below), and decreasing number of blue sts

For the first row, work Upper Diagonal Garter Stitch in Bone until you reach the Blue section, K40, keep working Upper Diagonal Garter Stitch (again, count the sts in the pattern so will match the new rows - it won’t match the old rows!)

Decrease number of Blue sts by knitting over them in Bone (in Upper Diagonal Garter Stitch), one st per row on each side of the center

Do this for 20 rows (you should end with P2 in Blue)

Upper Diagonal Garter Stitch:

all in Bone again

1 and all odd rows: K

2. *(P2 K3), repeat from * until 2 sts from center, P2; P2, *(K3 P2), repeat from * until end

4. K1, *(P2 K3), repeat from * until 1 st from center, P1; P1, *(K3 P2), repeat from * until last st, K1

6. K2, *(P2 K3), repeat from * until center; *(K3 P2), repeat from * until last 2 st, K2

8. *(K3 P2), repeat from * until 2 sts from center, K2; K2 *(P2 K3), repeat from * until end

10. P1 *(K3 P2), repeat from * until 1 st from center, K1; K1 *(P2 K3), repeat from * until last st, P1

Work pattern 10 times

Top:

Back to stockinette in Blue for 60 rows (with the 5 sts garter on the ends, of course)

Bind off

Congratulate yourself for a job well done!