This simple knitted blanket uses straightforward stitches to make textural stripes. It's a great project for some easy TV/social knitting or if you're a beginner knitter looking to improve your yarn placement and reading your knitting.
I used Stylecraft Impressions Aran to make ours. It's a 100% acrylic yarn, super soft and easy to care for. It comes in a range of colours inspired by Impressionist paintings so they have a dappled colour effect - subtle enough to show of the textural stripes of the stitch patterns.
To achieve the textured stripes I used - garter stitch, moss stitch, mistake rib (2x2), and a slip stitch pattern. All inspired from projects I made at the end of last year.
(Yes I did start this blanket in October 2023 and no it does not take a year to knit. I am just easily distracted)
A large part of the design is based on our Simple Blanket - slip stitch edges which give a neat finish, garter stitch and mistake rib.
I also loved the combo of moss stitch and garter stitch on our Stylecraft Recreate Chunky Tank Top.
And I've done a lot of slip stitch patterns this past year including a Bumble hat by Tin Can Knits.
My only hesitation with a slip stitch pattern is that it can change the width of the blanket... some people work a slip stitch tighter than other stitch patterns. I've noted that in the pattern. If you find the blanket pulls in at these sections you should use a larger needle for those bits.
All these stitch patterns are great for improving your yarn placement and how to read your knitting. One of the biggest stumbling blocks for beginner knitters is having your yarn in the correct position to work the next stitch. When you progress from knit every stitch to a pattern combining knits and purls like rib or moss stitch you can quickly add more and more stitches to your needles because you've forgotten to take the yarn to the back before working a knit stitch or you've forgotten to take the yarn to the front before working a purl stitch.
Practice makes better and this pattern will give you lots of practice in moving your yarn to the correct position.
It'll also help you learn to read your knitting. For example, moss stitch is a worked using K1 and P1. You knit the purl stitch and purl the knit stitch, from the row before. Creating a nubbly texture. If you don't do that you'll likely end up with a rib - where you've knitted the knit stitches and purled the purl stitches. Learning what a knit stitch and a purl stitch looks like will help you enormously.
Or if you don't need practice its a good pattern for TV/social knitting - nothing too taxing but more interesting that knit every stitch.
This is also a versatile pattern as you can easily change the stripe sequence, the stripe heights and even do the stitch patterns in different colours.
The finished size of this blanket is 65cm tall and 60cm wide. But you can easily knit it longer (just add more sections) or knit it wider (cast on more stitches).
If you do add more stitches make sure the number you add is divisible by 4. That way the stitch patterns will still work without any further mods.
The same applies if you want to subtract stitches. Make sure that number is divisible by 4.
As a ready reckoner adding or subtracting 16 or 20 stitches will change the width by approximately 10cm.
Obviously you can also knit this pattern using a thicker yarn. Just change the needle size to get a fabric you like and one that will make the textured stitches pop. For example, 3.75mm for DK or 6mm for Chunky.
Remember the blanket will be smaller or larger if you don’t also change the number of stitches you cast on.
You can use this idea of blocks of textured stitches for other home accessories like cushion covers.
Or use it to make a scarf or cowl (knit a long rectangle and sew up the cast on and cast off edges to make a loop).
And we love a scrappy project so you could use up odd balls of aran-weight yarn and knit a multicoloured blanket. Changing the colour with every stitch section.
I do think these textural stripes will look great in a cowl or a sock. I'm going to rewrite the stitch patterns for knitting in the round and make a new cowl pattern. Although given it took me a year to knit and write this pattern I may be a while. 😆
Textured Blanket by The Woolly Brew
You can download the pattern here.
Measures - approx. 65cm long and 60cm wide.
Yarn - 500m of aran-weight yarn our version used 3 x Stylecraft Aran Impressions in shade 5404.
Needles - 4.5mm circular needle at least 80cm long. You may also need a 5mm for the slip stitch sections.
Other - wool needle for weaving in ends and a tape measure or ruler
Techniques - cast on, work flat, knit, purl, slipping stitches, cast off.
