Cable Sampler Baby Blocks

The free pattern today is such a fun project! If you like cables, you are in for a treat. Diane Zangl designed Cable Sampler Baby Blocks to make for babies and young children. I have it on good authority that toddlers love these blocks and play with them for hours. No one will care if the blocks go airborne occasionally as their soft nature makes them less than lethal.

If you are a cable novice, here is a wonderful opportunity to try your hand at six variations on that theme, and have a fun toy when you are finished! Any worsted weight yarn will work, but be sure to use a light and bright shade to showcase your cable skills and please the eye of the little recipient.

Design by Diane Zangl

Materials

Knit One Crochet Too Ty-Dy
(worsted weight; 100% cotton; 196 yds/100g per ball):
1 ball blueberry field #631 or pumpkin garden #541 or veranda #423
Size 7 (4.5mm) needles
Cable needle
Stitch markers
Polyester fiberfill

Click here

Skill Level

Intermediate

Finished Size

Approx 6-inch cube

Gauge

Specific gauge is not critical for this project; work at a fairly tight gauge so fiberfill does not show through sts.

Special Abbreviation

Place marker (pm): Place marker on needle to separate pats.

Blocks A, B & C

Cast on 106 sts.
Purl 1 row.
Set up pat (RS): K1, pm, work Row 1 of Chart A over next 34 sts, pm, k1, pm, work Row 1 of Chart B over next 34 sts, pm, k1, pm, work Row 1 of Chart C over 34 sts, pm, k1.
Working edge sts and marked sts in St st and rem sts in established pats, work even for 31 more rows. Bind off all sts kwise on RS.
Cut yarn.

Block D

With WS facing, pick up and purl 1 st in each of 36 center sts (Chart B sts and 2 St st side sts), going through purl 'bump' behind each bound-off st (see Fig. 1).

Next row (RS): K1, work Row 1 of Chart D over next 34 sts, k1.
Working edge sts in St st and rem sts in pat D, work even for 31 rows more. Bind off all sts kwise on RS. Do not cut yarn.

Block E

With WS facing, pick up and purl 1 st in each of 36 Block D sts.
Complete as for Block D, substituting Chart E for D.

Block F

With WS facing, pick up and purl 1 st in each of 36 Block E sts.
Complete as for Block D, substituting Chart F for D.

Assembly

Weave in ends. Block piece.
Sew seams, forming a box with an open lid.
Stuff with fiberfill. Sew rem seams.