Blankets Blankets Blankets!

Crocheting or knitting blankets can often be a first project for a lot of crafters. The straightforward nature of the shape and the fact that gauge isn't as important make blankets fantastic starter projects. From simple to complex and from baby to king size. Blankets can take you from beginner to advanced in your craft. 

In this blog post I'm going to share some of my favourite blanket patterns in both crochet and knitting. Blankets are perfect for using yarn you receive in club subscriptions or for odds and ends you may have stuffed in a basket somewhere. But a curated blanket can be a stunning addition to your home, carefully selecting colours and creating a unique statement piece.

*A quick note that all pattern links will take you to Ravelry. I appreciate that Ravelry isn't accessible to everyone, so if you have trouble accessing the links, please contact me at nicola@botanicalyarn.com and I will do my best to assist you. Pictures have also been downloaded from Ravelry* 

Baby Blankets

Baby blankets are a great introduction to blankets. Their smaller size makes the project feel more manageable. But smaller doesn't have to mean boring! 

How about this stunning Blended Brioche Baby Blanket by Lavanya Patricella ? The possibilities are endless. A curated fade would make a striking blanket as would a two colour, high contrast blanket. Alternatively, randomly selecting mini skeins that compliment one another would create a beautiful scrappy blanket that is sure to be loved for years. 

The Blended Brioche Baby Blanket

You'll be hard pressed to find a blog post about knitting patterns that doesn't mention Stephen West at some point, he is a prolific pattern writer who creates modern and truly stunning designs. Here, he has turned the popular Vertices Unit Shawl into a baby blanket. I actually knit one of these myself for a friend's upcoming arrival and it was truly so satisfying, the small sections were achievable and kept motivation really high. I used mini skeins in mine, picking two contrast colours for each section. On some of the larger sections I striped four colours to ensure I had enough yarn for the section. The overall effect was really lovely and the garter stitch is super squishy, perfect for wrapping up a new squishy baby. 

The Vertices Unite Baby Blanket I knit.

As I do predominately knit these days it is easy for me to forget about my first love, crochet! But I actually crocheted one of these blankets for my daughter when I was pregnant, over 5 years ago now! The Leaping Stripes and Blocks Blanket is an effective geometric pattern. Another pattern that would work great with curated colours picked specifically for the project or grab several of your mini skein packs you've been collecting and get started! 

Leaping Blocks & Stripes Baby Blanket 

Soothing Blankets

A simple meditative blanket pattern can be the perfect project to keep on the go for when you want the mindless crafting in front of the evening telly. 

This Purl Soho Colorblock Bias Blanket has so many possibilities. Thin stripes or chunky or you could even keep it all one colour. Check out the over 1000 projects on Ravelry for inspiration too, my favourite is the faded version that goes from light to dark and back to light. Bonus, its a free pattern!

Purl Soho Colour Block Blanket

We all know and love Lucy of Attic 24's wonderful (and also free) crochet blanket patterns. The Woodland Ripple Blanket is a twist on the usual Attic 24 neat ripple, but the repeat is still easily memorisable and easy to read, so no worries if you put your project down mid row! My tip would be to weigh your yarn after one lace repeat and then you know exactly how much you need, allowing you to maximise every metre of your precious mini skeins. 

The Woodland Ripple Blanket 

Pieced Blankets

Sewing up all the pieces of a blanket can feel like a daunting task. But for some, the weight of turning a blanket once it becomes large can be a nuisance and a physical pain on the wrists. So pieced blankets are the perfect solution. A small bag with the essentials is all you need to tote round to continue working on the blanket while out and about. Then, once you have all your pieces made you can lay them out and get to sewing. The sewing process can be tedious to some but others find it meditative in itself. The number one piece of advice with pieced blankets is to WEAVE IN YOUR ENDS AS YOU GO!!! 

This style of blanket is more commonly associated with crochet (hello granny square!) but there are plenty of beautiful knit patterns available now that take advantage of this construction technique. The Moonflower Mosaic Blanket is a sweet take on a floral design. Knit each flower with 6 petals and then join them all together. Would you opt for all similar colour petals? Or span the rainbow to create a field of wildflowers that you can snuggle under?

The Moonflower Mosaic Blanket

The Pinwheel Scrap Blanket by Knitting Expat Designs is another great take on the pieced blanket style. With blankets like this, gauge is even less important than usual as you can continue to make pieces until the project is as big as you'd like. So why not try playing around with different yarn weights and textures. Holding some sections double with mohair with create little fluffy pops throughout. 

The Pinwheel Scrap Blanket

If you prefer crochet, how about this Rainbow of Stars blanket. How great would it look with a dark main colour surrounding the stars, especially if you used some vibrant neon shades to create the stars. The options for playing with colour here are limitless. I also think golden stars with a navy surround would look fantastic, mimicking a starry night sky. 

The Rainbow of Stars Blanket

It is hard to pick just one because Skeinanigans' has so many wonderful blanket ideas. Most of these designs don't actually require sewing together but rather picking up stitches along the edge of a completed column. So it creates the pieced together look without having to sew. Some of the most well known Skeinanigans patterns include the Northeasterly and Safe Space. 

The Safe Space Blanket

Intricate Blankets

If you are looking to create a work of art that is also a functional blanket, maybe one of these patterns is for you. 

Crocheted in pieces and meticulously seamed together, this Buzzing Beehive Blanket is a true labour or love but the end result is a fantastic mural that will bring a smile to the face of anyone who sees it. You are sure to be met with disbelief when you explain that, yes, you did in fact make this yourself! 

The Buzzing Beehive Blanket

Maybe you love the look of large detailed quilts but lack the precision and skill to sew one, this pattern is for you! Quinn's Quilt pattern is deceivingly knit in garter stitch but from a distance looks like a piece quilt. 

Quinn’s Quilt Blanket Pattern

 

To me, the beauty in a knit or crochet blanket is the flexibility. You can play with texture, gauge and size to create a truly unique blanket. If you have lots of small scraps, tie all the yarn together to create a giant magic ball and just start working, not caring where the colour changes occur. Or if you prefer a more planned approach, lay out your minis in a colour order that is pleasing to you and carefully weigh yarn after each row or segment to ensure continuity across the whole blanket. If you have any questions about how to adapt a pattern to the yarn you have to hand, send me an email and I'll be happy to help if I can! 

 

Nicola xx