Personalize a knitted blanket by adding your initials or those of the lucky recipient. It only takes a few minutes to add a monogram. You could do this by knitting a thin cord and stitching that to your blanket in the shape of the initials you want to add, or you could use a machine to embroider your initials. In either case, the result is sure to be cherished.
Things You'll Need:
- To Machine Embroider:
- Tailor’S Chalk
- Embroidery Thread
- Sewing Needle
- Embroidery Hoop
- Scrap Yarn
- Pencil
- Yarn
- Double-Pointed Knitting Needles
- To Use Cording:
- Scarp Cloth Or Paper
- Knit Blanket
- Stabilizer Fabric
- Tapestry Needle
- Embroidery Adhesive
Machine Embroidery
Stabilize the fabric by attaching a non-fusible interfacing or cut-away stabilizing fabric to the wrong side of the blanket according to the manufacturer’s directions. Use a piece of stabilizing fabric that is larger than your embroidery hoop.
Insert your work in the embroidery hoop. Be careful not to stretch the knit fabric or the material could be marred permanently.
Baste (that is, sew a loose running stitch) around the outside of the embroidery hoop. This step is optional, but it really helps to stabilize the fabric.
Machine embroider your design. Different machines will have different procedures, but for the most part, you will set the embroidery design and stitch one color at a time. Just follow the manufacturer’s directions.
Cording
Cast three stitches onto double-pointed knitting needles using the embroidery yarn.
Knit two stitches. Slip the last stitch.
Pick up a stitch from the blanket. Pass the slipped stitch over the stitch you picked up. You are essentially knitting an i-cord and attaching it to the blanket at the same time. As such, you will pick up the stitches that fall along the line of the initials. You can do this freehand or draw the initials on the blanket using tailor’s chalk or a running stitch.
Repeat step 3 until you finish the initials.
Tip
Block your knitted blanket before embroidering it.
Draw or trace the initials on a piece of paper or scrap cloth to check placement.
Machine embroidery works best on fine gauge, dense blankets.
Use a crochet chain instead of i-cord, if you find that easier. The effect is about the same.
Knit the i-cord separately and stitch that down to the blanket using a matching yarn or thread.
Hand-embroider the initials if you prefer. You will have greater control over stitch placement and greater design options than if you use i-cord, but embroidering by hand is time-consuming.
Warnings:
- Use yarn or thread for your embroidery that works with the gauge of your knitted blanket. Thin thread can get lost in a bulky blanket. Blankets made with bulky yarn are not well suited to machine embroidery because the thick yarn tends to flatten out under the stitches and the design gets lost in the pile of the yarn.
References
Writer Bio
Renee O'Farrell is a freelance writer providing valuable tips and advice for people looking for ways to save money, as well as information on how to create, re-purpose and reinvent everyday items. Her articles offer money-saving tips and valuable insight on typically confusing topics. O'Farrell is a member of the National Press Club and holds advanced degrees in business, financial management, psychology and sociology.
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