Pine Cone Baby Blanket in Loopy Mango Summer Cotton - Downloadable PDF

Pine Cone Baby Blanket by Loopy Mango – Knitting Pattern Summary

The Pine Cone Baby Blanket is a beautifully textured knitted blanket designed by Loopy Mango, sized at approximately 20 inches (51 cm) wide by 26 inches (66 cm) long — a perfect lap-sized wrap for a newborn or infant. The pattern is rated Intermediate in difficulty and is available as a downloadable PDF, making it easy to access and print at home. The finished blanket features a classic, repeating pine cone lace motif framed by tidy garter stitch borders, giving it a timeless handmade appeal that works equally well as a nursery accent or a thoughtful baby shower gift.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a single baby blanket in one size. The design centers on a repeating pine cone lace motif — a traditional stitch pattern in which yarn overs and paired decreases create the illusion of overlapping, cone-shaped leaves or scales. The motif is worked in two alternating directional phases across a 20-row repeat, giving the finished fabric a rich, dimensional texture. Solid garter stitch borders run along all four edges, keeping the blanket flat and providing a clean, polished frame for the lace interior.

Techniques Used

• Cast on and cast off: Standard methods are used to begin and finish the blanket cleanly.
• Garter stitch borders: The first six rows and final seven rows are worked entirely in garter stitch (knit every row), and a five-stitch garter border is maintained on each side throughout the body of the blanket to prevent curling and add structure.
• Lace knitting: The pine cone motif is achieved through a combination of yarn overs and directional decreases, creating an open, airy texture within the body of the blanket. The motif alternates direction across two phases of the 20-row repeat, producing the characteristic pine cone or leaf shape.
• Stockinette stitch body: Between lace rows, even-numbered rows are worked as knit-5, purl to last 5 stitches, knit-5, creating a smooth stockinette background that allows the lace pattern to stand out clearly.
• Pattern repeats: The 20-row lace sequence (Rows 7–26) is repeated until the blanket reaches the desired length of approximately 24–25 inches before the final garter border is added.
• Weaving in ends: Finishing involves weaving in yarn ends for a neat result.

Stitches Used

• K (Knit): The foundational knit stitch, used throughout garter borders and lace rows.
• P (Purl): Used on wrong-side rows within the blanket body to create the stockinette background.
• K2TOG (Knit Two Together): A right-slanting single decrease that pairs with yarn overs to form one side of the pine cone shape.
• Sl1-k1-psso (Slip 1, Knit 1, Pass Slipped Stitch Over): A left-slanting single decrease that mirrors the K2TOG, creating the opposing angle of the lace motif.
• YO (Yarn Over): Creates a decorative eyelet hole and compensates for each decrease, maintaining the stitch count while building the lace pattern.

Materials

• Yarn: 4 balls of Loopy Mango Summer Yarn — a chunky weight, 100% cotton yarn, with approximately 90 yards (82 m) per 100 g (3.5 oz) ball. The 100% cotton composition makes this yarn breathable, soft against delicate baby skin, and easy to care for — ideal for a baby blanket intended for everyday use.
• Needles: US Size 10 (6 mm) circular needles, 32 inches (80 cm) in length. Circular needles are used here for their ability to accommodate the full width of the blanket comfortably, even though the piece is worked flat (back and forth in rows rather than in the round).