Almost three months to the day since I started this project, it is finished!
I’m quite pleased with it.
I based the checkerboard design off several blankets I saw online, but the stripes were my own invention. The alternating sections of knit and purl are 12 stitches wide by 16 rows tall, plus a border of garter stitch 7 rows tall on the top and bottom and 7 stitches wide on the sides. I used size 6 circular needles and medium weight acrylic yarn.
It ended up being 44 inches by 37 inches (.9m x 1.1m), big enough to warm my lap.
I hope my friends’ baby girl will get some good use out of it.
Either way, I’d call my fourth knitting project a complete success.
All Kinds of Yarns 
Dude, that looks super cool!