Charette Blanket in Valley Yarns Haydenville Bulky - 963 - Downloadable PDF

Charette Blanket in Valley Yarns Haydenville Bulky – Pattern #963 by Julie Turjoman

The Charette Blanket is a beautifully textured knitted blanket designed by Julie Turjoman and part of WEBS' Heirloom Baby Blanket series. Published as a downloadable PDF (Pattern #963), this design is available in two sizes: a Baby Blanket measuring approximately 38" W × 45¼" L and a Large Throw measuring approximately 55¾" W × 71½" L. The baby blanket size makes a cherished, practical gift for newborns, while the larger throw size is described as a distinctive option for weddings or housewarmings. Both sizes are centered around an easily memorized cable pattern that gives the finished piece a classic, heirloom quality without becoming tedious to work.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a knitted blanket or throw with a richly cabled center panel framed by clean garter stitch borders. The design is part of a curated heirloom series, meaning it is intended to be a lasting, keepsake-quality piece. The cable motif runs consistently across the body of the blanket, creating a rhythmic, elegant texture that is visually striking yet approachable for an intermediate-level knitter.

Construction and Techniques

The blanket is worked flat (back and forth) from bottom up, meaning it is cast on at one edge and knitted row by row to the opposite edge. This straightforward construction avoids any seaming and keeps the project manageable on a long circular needle. Key construction techniques include:

• Long Tail Cast On: The blanket begins with a Long Tail cast-on method, which creates a neat, elastic foundation edge well suited to a blanket that will be handled and washed frequently.
• Garter Stitch Hem: Eight rows of garter stitch are worked at the cast-on edge to create a stable, non-curling border. A matching garter stitch border frames the left and right sides throughout, worked as a 2-stitch selvedge on each edge.
• Cable Set-Up Row: A dedicated set-up row on the wrong side uses pfb (purl into the front and back) increases to bring the stitch count from 125 (183) stitches to 133 (195) stitches, properly spacing the cable pattern before it begins.
• Stitch Markers: Markers are placed to separate the garter selvedge from the cable panel, keeping the border stitches clearly defined throughout the project.
• Cables: The central body of the blanket features a 12-row repeating cable pattern. The repeat is worked 15 times for the baby size and 24 times for the large throw, or until the piece reaches the target length.
• Worked Flat on Circular Needles: Although the blanket is knitted back and forth rather than in the round, a long circular needle is used to accommodate the large number of stitches comfortably.

Stitches Used

The Charette Blanket draws on a focused set of knitting stitches and techniques that combine to produce its signature look:

• Garter Stitch: Used for the top and bottom hems as well as the side selvedge borders, garter stitch (knitting every row) lies flat naturally and provides a tidy, reversible frame for the cabled center.
• Knit and Purl Stitches: The cable pattern incorporates both knit and purl stitches to define the raised cable columns against a background texture.
• Twisted Stitches (tbl): Stitches worked through the back loop (tbl) appear in the pattern, adding a subtle twist that tightens and defines individual stitches for a crisper, more polished appearance alongside the cables.
• 2/2 Right Cross (2/2 RC): Two stitches are placed on a cable needle and held to the back, the next two stitches are knitted, then the held stitches are knitted from the cable needle. This creates a right-leaning cable twist.
• 2/2 Left Cross (2/2 LC):