Blanket

This cozy blanket is a wonderful thing to curl up in on a chilly Sunday morning. The lace and cable pattern is complicated enough to remain interesting over the many many repeats, but simple enough to memorize. It made for good conversation knitting – something I could work on while hanging out with family friends at my parents’ house over the holidays last year. It’s not good subway knitting, since it’s too large to carry around, so I worked on it simultaneously with other smaller projects. It took a while to knit, but near the end I could snuggle up under it while I knit, which was quite cozy.

I made this last winter, but by the time I finished writing up the pattern the weather was too warm to think about wool blankets, much less photograph one. But with autumn here I’ve been taking the blanket out again, and perhaps someone else will want the pattern.

Size: 4′ x 6′
Gauge: 15 stitches in 4 inches
32 rows in 4 inches of garter stitch
18 rows in 4 inches of lace and cable pattern
Yardage: 1200-1400 yards
Yarn: worsted weight alpaca/wool chainette
Needles: US9 / 5.5mm

If you need to adjust to a different size or gauge, there are 36 stitches for the edge and first lace section and 18 stitches in the repeating lace and cable pattern. If “r” is the number of full repeats you want, cast on 18r+36 stitches.

Cast on 180 stitches.

Work 24 rows in garter stitch (knit all stitches on both sides).

The body of the blanket has a 12 stitch garter stitch border on each side, and alternating lace and cable across the center, beginning and ending with the lace.

To set up, knit 12 stitches, place marker, work only the portion of row 1 in the blue box one time, work the full row 1 8 times, place marker, knit 12 stitches.

On the following row, knit 12 stitches, work row 2 of the chart 8 times, work only the portion of row 2 in the blue box one more time, knit 12 stitches.

Continue in this pattern, working 12 stitches of garter stitch on either edge, separated by eight full lace and cable repeats plus one lace only repeat. After you complete row 6 of the chart, go back to row 1.

When the blanket is three inches shorter than your desired length, work 24 rows in garter stitch. Bind off.