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# Garter Stitch Striped Baby Blanket

## Introduction
Create a colourful, striped baby blanket perfect for beginners using garter stitch, which involves knitting every row. This blanket will bring a burst of colour into any nursery with its charming combination of pink, orange, purple, and mint stripes. The blanket size is standard for a baby: 76 cm x 91 cm (30 in x 36 in).

## Materials
- **Yarn:** Worsted weight yarn in four colours:
  - Colour A: Pink (approximately 200g or 440m/480yds)
  - Colour B: Orange (approximately 200g or 440m/480yds)
  - Colour C: Purple (approximately 200g or 440m/480yds)
  - Colour D: Mint (approximately 200g or 440m/480yds)
- **Needles:** 5 mm (US 8) circular needles, 80 cm or longer for working flat
- **Tapestry needle** for weaving in ends
- **Scissors**

## Tension (Gauge)
- **18 stitches and 36 rows** to 10 cm (4 in) over garter stitch, measured after blocking.

## Finished Size
- 76 cm x 91 cm (30 in x 36 in)

## Instructions

**Stripe Pattern:**
- Work 20 rows in each colour sequence as follows:

  1. Colour A (Pink)
  2. Colour B (Orange)
  3. Colour C (Purple)
  4. Colour D (Mint)

Repeat the entire colour sequence above, maintaining 20 rows per colour block, until the blanket reaches the desired length.

**Pattern:**

1. **Cast On:**
   - Using Colour A (Pink), cast on **144 stitches**.

2. **Body of Blanket:**
   - Knit every row to create a garter stitch texture.
   - Continue knitting in garter stitch for 20 rows with Colour A.
   - Switch to Colour B (Orange) and knit 20 rows.
   - Switch to Colour C (Purple) and knit 20 rows.
   - Switch to Colour D (Mint) and knit 20 rows.
   - Repeat this stripe sequence until the blanket measures 91 cm (36 in) long, ending with a complete stripe.

3. **Cast Off:**
   - Once you reach the final row of your last colour stripe, cast off all stitches loosely in the current colour to ensure the edge is not too tight.

## Finishing
- Weave in all loose ends with a tapestry needle.
- Block your blanket by soaking it in lukewarm water and gently pinning it out to the finished size to dry for a smooth finish.

## Notes
- If you wish to adjust the width of the blanket, ensure your cast-on number remains even to maintain the integrity of the garter stitch pattern.
- Ensure to switch colours at the beginning of a right-side row for a cleaner edge.

## Tips for Beginners
- Use stitch markers to track the number of rows if needed, especially when working with multiple stripes.
- To avoid holes at the colour change, make sure to twist the strands of yarn together when transitioning from one colour to the next.

Enjoy your colourful knitting journey as you bring this vibrant striped blanket to life!