Easy Blanket Knitting Patterns

Now that it’s officially winter in the Northern Hemisphere, it seems like the perfect time to start knitting a blanket. I have a couple of different blanket projects (one knit and one crochet) that come out of hibernation for the winter, so I can work on them while sitting under them. Hopefully one day they will be done and I can enjoy them all year. Here are some pretty (and pretty easy) blanket knitting patterns for you if you need something to work on/snuggle up to this season.

The Issy Blanket by Make Play Repeat on Etsy caught my eye because I happen to have some leftover Yarnicorn yarn from We are Knitters that I tried to use on a sweater I ended up not liking. This pretty blanket uses simple stitches and super bulky yarn to get lots of texture and warmth without a lot of work.

Or try an even easier texture with this basketweave variation on this afghan from Fifty Four Ten Studio on Etsy. It’s worked in bulky yarn and has an easy to learn pattern. It comes in six sizes, from a baby blanket to an extra large throw.

If you have a lot of leftover yarn you’re looking to use up, the Garter Squish from Stephen West (a free pattern on Ravelry) might be just the thing. It’s worked in garter stitch with two strands of worsted weight yarn held together to make a bulky weight. Or you can combine more strands of different weights — as long as the gauge is similar it won’t be a problem.

This one is maybe a little harder than some of the others because it uses more than one color, but mosaic is such an easy method of colorwork that I wanted to include this one, too. The Tweedle Doo blanket from Yarnspirations uses a solid color and a striped version of worsted weight yarn, and the pattern is all knits and slip stitches, so it’s actually really easy to do. You could also make your own stripes with leftovers from other projects if you wanted.

Another great way to use your stash, or coordinating yarn you buy for the purpose, is on a sampler blanket that uses several different colors of yarn and stitch patterns. Sharon’s Glamping Blanket from Casapinka is a great option in this genre. It comes in four sizes (for cats, babies, dogs or the back of the couch) and uses bulky yarn. You can get the pattern on Ravelry.

Or combine different stitch patterns but in a solid color (or add stripes as you like) with the Eris Blanket form Etsy seller PURE by Linda Whaley. All the patterns use just knit and purl stitches, so it’s a great way to learn some new pattern stitches if you’re a newer knitter. This one is worked in DK weight yarn.

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Not too long ago I was seeing a crochet pattern for a glasses holder shaped like a bear all over the Internet. It was super cute, and also useful as a place to put your glasses on your bedside table instead of just throwing them somewhere random.

This project stewed in my brain for a little while and I decided I needed to make a knit version, but I didn’t want to make a bear. If you know anything about me you might know that I’m a cat person, so of course my version had to be a cat.

The base is just a basic little basic worked from the center out to the desired size, then up the sides as long as you want them. Knit some ears and add embellishments to make it whatever kind of animal you want.

The way I figured out to work the base from the center out was to use a crochet cast on, which gives you an easier way to pick up stitches from the back of the cast on than if you worked a more traditional cast on for a knitting project. It’s kind of fun to do things in a different way from time to time.

This little project is adorable if I do say so myself, and even as a plain little basket not made into an animal it’s a cute way to keep your glasses or other little things in one place. I’m tempted to make one for my desk to hold pens or even little little scissors and sewing needles that are always on my desk but somehow always seem to get lost on my desk.

If you need a little holder for your glasses on your table, check out the pattern at Our Daily Craft.

[Photo: Our Daily Craft]

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