I got it from FaveCrafts, which is one of my favorite free pattern sites. Here is the pattern, I hope you enjoy it too.

The staggered squares create a lacy detail effect for this knit baby blanket. This is a sporty and light comforter for baby.

Staggered Square Knit Blanket

MATERIALS

* Bernat® Baby Sport (Big Ball) Solids (350 g / 12.3 oz) OR Ombres (280 g / 9.8 oz)
o 1 ball of #21730 (Popsicle Blue).
* Circular Knitting Needle: size 4.5 mm (U.S. 7) 36 ins [90 cm] long or size needed to obtain gauge.

MEASUREMENT
Approx 35 ins [89 cm] square.

GAUGE
18 sts and 30 rows = 4 ins [10 cm] in pat.

INSTRUCTIONS
Cast on 133 sts. Working back and forth across needle in rows, proceed as follows:
Work 7 rows in garter st (knit every row), noting 1st row is WS and inc 8 sts evenly across last row. 141 sts.
1st row: (RS). K5. P1. *K4. K2tog. K3. yrn. P1. Rep from * to last 5 sts. K5.
2nd row: K6. *P5. K5. Rep from * to last 5 sts. K5.
3rd row: K5. P1. *K4. K2tog. K2. yfwd. K1. P1. Rep from * to last 5 sts. K5.
4th row: As 2nd row.
5th row: K5. P1. *K4. K2tog. K1. yfwd. K2. P1. Rep from * to last 5 sts. K5.
6th row: As 2nd row.
7th row: K5. P1. *K4. K2tog. yfwd. K3. P1. Rep from * to last 5 sts. K5.
8th row: As 2nd row.
9th row: K5. P1. *yon. K3. Sl1. K1. psso. K4. P1. Rep from * to last 5 sts. K5.
10th row: K10. *P5. K5. Rep from * to last 11 sts. P5. K6.
11th row: K5. *P1. K1. yfwd. K2. Sl1. K1. psso. K4. Rep from * to last 6 sts. P1. K5.
12th row: As 10th row.
13th row: K5. *P1. K2. yfwd. K1. Sl1. K1. psso. K4. Rep from * to last 6 sts. P1. K5.
14th row: As 10th row.
15th row: K5. *P1. K3. yfwd. Sl1. K1. psso. K4. Rep from * to last 6 sts. P1. K5.
16th row: As 10th row.
Rep last 16 rows for pat until work from beg measures approx 34 ins [86.5 cm], ending on a 16th row of pat.
Next row: Knit, dec 8 sts evenly across. 133 sts.
Work a further 6 rows in garter st. Cast off knitwise (WS).

   You know some people think if they are not knitting some complicated, cabled, multi colored, or pattern changing baby knitting pattern, they are failures.  Well let me tell you, simple knitting baby patterns certainly have a very special place in my knitting repertoire. And I’ll tell you why, they’re simple.                                              

Really, I’m serious. Can you knit a really complicated pattern if you want to spend time with your family, watching TV or a movie? If you are waiting in the doctor’s office and you are listening for your name to be called, can you pull out your terribly complicated baby knitting pattern and go for it? If you are taking a traveling vacation and you are riding passenger as you travel across the most beautiful scenery and you don’t really want to miss it but you want to knit also, is a pattern that you have to keep count and keep track of pattern changes, the best choice? Have you gotten my point yet?

In the above scenarios, a simple baby knitting pattern would fit the bill. You don’t have to worry about losing count or using more than your two needles and your not worry about the upcoming color change and you aren’t trying to keep track of your cable needles and when to do it next. It is just easy, simple and pleasant knitting.

I love mindless knitting, just me, gorgeous yarn and my two needles. A baby blanket, bath towel, wash cloths or bunting, it is simple straight forward wonderful simple baby knitting. Plus it is something that you will be able to complete in a reasonable amount of time. But what if you like those complicated patterns, I do.

You have to consider, how many doctor’s appointment, or movies or vacations will you have, watch or take. You can always work on your more complicated patterns when your life allows.

Maybe the moral to this story is, if you are serious about your knitting and you love it as much as I do, you will have all kinds of baby knitting patterns. Easy, simple, cables, pattern changing, color changing wonderful and always ongoing knitting patterns.

I have several projects in different stages of completion all the time. I think it is the true caliber of a fine knitter. And simple baby knitting patterns are among my most favorite. I hope yours too.

You may not want to get too involved in a complicated knitting pattern at this stage of the game. But you also don’t want to be left out in the cold. Everyone else is knitting all around you, why not you too?

The trick to this is to start out with very easy knitting patterns. Usually a baby blanket will do very nicely. And get this, you can make an entire blanket with one single stitch. If you can learn to “cast on” which means get the yarn on the needles ready to start, then you can make a baby knitted blanket. The first stitch every knitter learns is the “knit” stitch.

Hold the needles in your two hands, hold the needle with the cast on stitches in your left hand and the empty needle in your right, hold the dangling yarn from your ball of yarn  also loosely in your right hand. Next slip the tip of the right needle into the back of the first stitch on the left needle, take your right hand with the yarn and wrap it around the tip of the needle now in the back of the stitch. Now gently pull the wrapped yarn through the stitch and let it slide onto the right needle and let the stitch that was on the left needle now slide off the needle.

Read that a few times. It is not complicated. The idea is that you are working the stitches off one needle onto the other needle and then you turn the project over, so that the stitches being knitted are always on the left needle. You work left needle to right needle.

And when you do one row after another of knit stitches it is called the garter stitch. And it is beautiful. Very squishy and when you use really soft wonderful baby yarns it is superior, and makes the most wonderful easy knitting pattern.

So don’t let anything stand in your way of making your first baby knitting pattern. Just start with an easy knitting pattern. You will love it!

I will see a yarn and just have to have it. So because the project total cost is so reasonable, I never have to have any guilt. And as we said the projects are small so having many baby knitting patterns going at once is excellent.

There are literally so many baby knitting patterns that you would never come to the end of your choices, sweaters, booties, hats, mittens, blankets, it is endless. I know I like to have the opportunity to do a whole outfit for the baby, so I will have several going at once.

And with the choices of yarn types, baby knitting patterns would never become dull or boring for you. There would always be a new surprise. They have so many soft and fuzzy and utterly charming choices that it seems like a gift to yourself every time you pick up your needles. And the colors! Not just pink and blue, much more for your imagination to run wild with. 

Baby Knits for Beginners [Hardcover]
Amazon Price$15.61
Baby Knits for Beginners [Hardcover]

There are several special perks to this beginner knitting book. First of all it is beautiful and hardcover so will preserve your project instructions for years to come. The photos are gorgeous. Debbie Bliss is known for her beautiful patterns and clear instructions and this book is designed with the beginning knitter in mind. You will be knitting for baby in no time at all. Anything from baby booties to baby blankets. This book is also in a handy format that is another thoughtful gesture toward the knitter. It will tuck down neatly into your knitting bag. There are a total of 15 projects for your knitting pleasure.