A Baby Blanket

This is my only other work in progress at the moment and it's my first go at knitting. It started as a practice piece, but I sort of fell in love with it! I can't wait to finish i

t but it's slow going. The blanket is in a checker-board pattern. Unfortunately I used the inexpensive 'Red Heart' yarn (a reasonable choice considering the odds I would screw it up), so it

's scratchy and not soft at all. I'm hoping that maybe a run through the wash will soften it up, but I'm not sure if it will ever fulfill its purpose as a baby blanket. :(

I'd guess is almost half-way done. I have a specific length I'm going for.

P.S. Does anyone know how to keep the edges from curling? I'm not sure if I'm doing

something wrong or if I just need to trim it. Let me know your thoughts!