The Teatime Blanket

The Teatime Blanket by Anne B Hanssen

Project Overview

The Teatime Blanket is a knitted throw designed to serve multiple purposes as a decorative home accessory, baby blanket, or cozy wrap. This intermediate-level knitting project combines elegant cable work with integrated side borders, creating a finished piece measuring 96cm by 120cm (38 inches by 47 inches). The blanket works up over time but delivers a sophisticated finished result suitable for draping over sofas, armchairs, or beds.

What Is Being Made

This is a rectangular knitted blanket featuring cable pattern work throughout. The design incorporates integrated side borders that frame the main pattern, eliminating the need for separate border construction. The blanket is worked flat on circular needles, starting from one short side and progressing lengthwise to create a cohesive, professionally finished throw.

Knitting Techniques Used

• Flat knitting on circular needles (working back and forth rather than in the round)
• Cable pattern work with a 16-row repeat
• Integrated border construction worked simultaneously with the main pattern
• Gauge-based sizing to achieve proper finished dimensions

Stitches and Pattern Details

The blanket employs fundamental knitting stitches including knit and purl stitches, which form the foundation of the cable pattern. The cable pattern repeats every 16 rows, creating a rhythmic, textured design throughout the blanket. The pattern stitch gauge is 24 stitches over 10 by 10 centimeters (4 by 4 inches) when worked with the specified needles and yarn.

Materials Required

Yarn: 13 balls of Sandnes Mini Alpaca, with each ball weighing 50 grams (1.76 ounces) and containing 150 metres (164 yards). This yardage totals approximately 1,950 metres of 4-ply weight yarn, providing a luxurious alpaca fiber for the finished blanket.

Needles: One circular needle in 3.5mm/US 2 size, measuring at least 100cm (40 inches) in cable length to accommodate the blanket width. A 3.5mm cable needle is also required for manipulating stitches during cable pattern work.

Difficulty Level

Rated as intermediate, this blanket is accessible to knitters with foundational skills but requires comfort with cable techniques and the ability to maintain consistent tension over an extended project. The primary challenge is the time commitment rather than technical complexity, as blankets naturally require substantial yardage and row count to complete.