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.

Not too long ago I did a test knit for another designer that was for a cabled cardigan. It’s really cozy and nice but it just about broke me in a ton of different ways. I couldn’t get gauge, which I suppose is my own problem, but mainly I was somehow both bored and forced to pay attention at the same time.

Because it used the same cable all over, I always had to know what row I was on, but nine out of ten of those rows, nothing in particular was going on. So I couldn’t stop paying attention, but what I needed to attend to was boring.

It may have ruined me for knitting cabled sweaters, but maybe I just need something that’s more engaging. Like this Modern Aran Cardigan pattern from Lion Brand Yarn.

This is a reworking of an old pattern from their archives, and you can tell that form the classic look of the cables and the oversized feel (nothing cropped about this one!). It has allover cables, but like a classic Aran sweater it’s not the same cable, so you’ll have to pay attention to what row you’re on and what cable turns happen for which cables on that row.

Because of this, it’s considered an intermediate knitting pattern, but if you’re comfortable working from multiple charts at once it shouldn’t be a problem for you. There are three different charts and seven different cable moves.

Also because the pattern is so big and boxy there are only two sizes available, with a finished chest measurement of either 49 or 63 inches (that’s 124.5 or 160 cm). It’s up to you to decide how much ease you would like and whether that will work for your body.

The pattern uses worsted weight yarn (and calls for another classic, Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool). It calls for six buttons and includes pockets to make it extra cozy.

This one looks like a great winter project to make and to wear if you’re up for a bit of a challenge. You can grab the free pattern or buy a kit with the yarn needed direct from Lion Brand Yarn.

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]

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