Dune Blanket - P184

Dune Blanket - P184 by OGE Knitwear Designs

What is Being Made

The Dune Blanket is a knitted throw blanket designed as an intermediate-level project. Upon completion and blocking, the finished blanket measures approximately 109 cm (43 inches) in length and 94 cm (37 inches) in width, making it a substantial blanket suitable for layering on furniture or use as a decorative throw.

Craft and Construction Method

This project is created using the knitting technique, which involves interlocking loops of yarn with needles to form fabric. The Dune Blanket employs a structured approach with color work, utilizing both a main color and a contrast color to create visual interest and depth in the finished piece.

Stitches and Techniques Used

The pattern incorporates several fundamental and intermediate knitting stitches and techniques:

• Knit stitch (k) – the basic stitch that forms the foundation of the fabric
• Purl stitch (p) – the reverse of the knit stitch, used to create texture and pattern variation
• Knit front and back (kf&b) – an increase technique that creates an additional stitch by knitting into both the front and back of the same stitch
• Purl 2 together (p2tog) – a decrease technique that reduces stitch count
• Cable stitches (C5B, C4F) – worked over 9 stitches, these create twisted, rope-like textures characteristic of cable knit patterns
• Marker placement (pm) – used to denote pattern sections and help track progress through the design

Yarn and Materials

The Dune Blanket requires DK weight yarn, also known as Light #3 Double Knit or Light Worsted. The total yarn requirements are:

• Main Colour: 395 grams, equivalent to 1008 meters or 1102 yards (approximately four 100-gram balls at 250 meters/273 yards per ball)
• Contrast Colour: 55 grams, equivalent to 182 meters or 199 yards

Needles Required

The pattern calls for two different needle sizes to accommodate gauge changes and stitch requirements:

• 4 mm [US 6 : UK 8] circular needles measuring 80 to 100 cm (32 to 40 inches) in length, or extra long straight needles as an alternative
• 4.5 mm [US 7 : UK 7] circular needles measuring 80 to 100 cm (32 to 40 inches) in length, or extra long straight needles as an alternative

The use of circular needles or extra long straight needles accommodates the blanket's substantial width and allows for comfortable knitting of this larger project.

Difficulty Level

This project is rated as intermediate difficulty, making it suitable for knitters who have mastered basic stitches and are ready to tackle more complex stitch patterns, color work, and cable techniques.