Texture Panel Blanket

Texture Panel Blanket by Sian Brown

What is Being Made

The Texture Panel Blanket is a large knitted throw designed by Sian Brown, measuring approximately 131 cm wide by 110 cm deep. This intermediate-level knitting project creates a substantial blanket through the combination of multiple textured stitch patterns arranged in distinct panels, resulting in visual and tactile interest across the finished piece.

Techniques Used

This blanket employs a panel-based construction technique, combining different stitch patterns to create varied texture throughout the design. The project utilizes both flat knitting on straight needles and circular needle techniques to manage the large dimensions of the finished blanket. The use of multiple yarn colors—Lamb, Honey Gold, and Semolina—adds dimensional color variation to the textured panels.

Stitches Used

The blanket features two primary stitch patterns that create its distinctive texture:

• Elongated Chevron: A 16-row repeat stitch pattern based on a multiple of 18 plus 1 stitch. This stitch combines knit and purl stitches in alternating rows to create a chevron or zigzag visual effect. The pattern uses combinations of (k2, p2) ribbing and purl stitches to form the characteristic elongated chevron texture across multiple rows.
• Little Curls: A textured stitch pattern based on a multiple of 8 plus 1 stitch. This pattern incorporates knit rows on right-side rows with additional texture-building techniques on wrong-side rows to create small curled or bobbled effects across the blanket surface.

Materials and Specifications

Yarn: Cascade Pacific, a blend of 60% acrylic and 40% wool, provides durability and warmth suitable for a large blanket project. The yarn is worked at aran weight (approximately 195 meters per 100 gram ball). Three colorways are used: Yarn A in Lamb (116) requires 5 balls of 100 grams each, Yarn B in Honey Gold (109) requires 3 balls, and Yarn C in Semolina (117) requires 2 balls, totaling 10 balls of yarn for the complete project.

Needles: The project uses a pair of 5mm straight needles for the main fabric construction and a 4.5mm circular needle measuring 100 cm long, allowing the knitter to manage the large blanket dimensions comfortably.

Tension: The blanket is worked to a tension of 18 stitches and 23 rows over a 10 by 10 centimeter swatch on 5mm needles, which is essential for achieving the correct finished measurements.

Difficulty Level

Rated as intermediate, this blanket project requires familiarity with fundamental knitting techniques including knit and purl stitches, reading stitch patterns, and managing larger projects. The combination of multiple stitch patterns and color changes makes it suitable for knitters with some experience who are ready to tackle more complex texture work and larger-scale projects.