Crib Blanket Sizes: Something to Think About

This isn't exciting reading, but since I'd already started out a previous post about my beautiful finished Traveling Double Diamonds Tree of Life Baby Throw with all this mumble jumble I figured I'd at least go ahead and post it.

Finally available is my latest version of the smaller version of the beautiful Tree of Life Afghan by Nicky Epstein. I can say that I absolutely LOVE it!

At 24"w x 29"h (61cm x 73.7cm), I've debated if my blanket is big enough for a crib blanket, and have come up with some interesting reading that for all I know is common knowledge already, but I'm going to share it anyway :)

The CSPC recognizes two types of cribs: full-size and non-full size (they spent a lot of tax dollars coming up with that). Any product with mesh/net/screen siding, non-rigidly constructed cribs, cradles, car beds, baby baskets, or bassinets are excluded from both full-size and non-full size classification. With the final ruling, the CSPC estimates that 81% of cribs are full size. Furthermore it has been determined that a full-size crib mattress must have an interior dimensions of 28 ± 5⁄8 inches (71 ± 1.6 centimeters) in width by 52 3⁄8 ± 5⁄8 inches (133 ± 1.6 centimeters) in length.

Our friends in the CSPC has also written some very useful and easy to read Crib Safety Tips which has some plain English useful information. Like others who maintain that "bare is better" when it comes to crib bedding the agency's initial recommendation is also not using a baby blanket at all but further say "If you do use a blanket, place baby with feet to foot of the crib. Tuck a thin blanket around the crib mattress, covering baby only as high as his/her chest." Livestrong.com says, "If you must cover your baby with a blanket, place your baby so her feet reach the end of the crib. Then pull the blanket up to her chest level and tightly tuck the blanket under the mattress so it will stay firmly in place throughout the night."

While my blanket is as adorable as heck and I'm feeling good about the length based on all the gibberish I just read, I'm a little concerned that it isn't wide enough to be able to tuck. It stretches to about 34" in width which of course distorts the pattern as would happen to any hand knit item that is stretched to its limit. I'm a bit torn on this and after logically considering possible pattern alterations I've decided that I'd rather increase the border size rather than creating more side space between the border and the trees and diamonds.So my not-so-final decision based on reading about crib sizes and blanket use, could quite possibly get me to increase my border width to maybe 14 sts and 22 rows. Stay tuned...

To help anyone with border size dilemmas, I created this neat Excel sheet that you can pop your gauge into to help you figure out how many side border stitches match how many border rows. You should be able to use it right from Google Docs without downloading it; or just download and keep it in your ever expanding file of knitting tools you've downloaded to your computer for fear that some day the link won't work anymore - oh, come on, I can't possibly be the only that hoards those things! :)  Click on the link below to check it out.

BORDER CALCULATOR