Cabled Baby Afghan

Cabled Baby Afghan by Staci Perry

Project Overview

This is a knitted baby blanket designed by Staci Perry and available as a downloadable PDF pattern. The finished afghan measures 36 inches by 36 inches, making it an ideal size for a crib blanket or cozy wrap for infants and toddlers. This project is rated as beginner difficulty, making it accessible to knitters who are new to cable work while still offering the visual interest and texture that cable stitches provide.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern calls for Knit Picks Swish Bulky yarn in a chunky weight, requiring 6 hanks total. Chunky weight yarn works up quickly, allowing knitters to complete this project in a reasonable timeframe. The designer notes that superwash yarn, which is used in Knit Picks Swish, tends to stretch significantly once wet, making it essential to check gauge and properly block your swatch before beginning the full project.

You will need US Size 9 circular needles in 24-inch or 32-inch length to accommodate the width of the blanket. Additional materials include a cable needle for manipulating stitches during cable work and 17 stitch markers to help track pattern repeats and cable placements throughout the knitting process.

Gauge and Finishing

The pattern specifies a gauge of 3.5 stitches per 1 inch when worked in the stitch patterns used. Checking gauge is particularly important with this project due to the stretching properties of superwash yarn. The designer recommends blocking your gauge swatch to ensure accurate finished dimensions.

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

This afghan incorporates several key knitting techniques that create visual interest and texture:

• Cable stitches – The primary decorative element, created by crossing groups of stitches over each other using a cable needle to create twisted, rope-like patterns
• Moss stitch – A fundamental textured stitch created by alternating knit and purl stitches in a specific sequence to produce a bumpy, woven appearance
• Knit and purl stitches – The basic building blocks of knitting, used throughout the pattern to create contrast and structure

Cable Pattern Details

The afghan features three distinct cable charts that repeat throughout the design:

• Chart A – Moss Stitch (8 stitches): Creates a textured background using alternating knit and purl stitches across 4 rows. This stitch provides visual contrast between the cable sections.
• Chart B – Ladder (6 stitches): A simple vertical cable pattern worked over every right-side row, creating a ladder-like appearance by alternating knit stitches surrounded by purl stitches.
• Chart C – Puffy Cable (10 stitches): The most complex cable in the pattern, featuring a cable cross on Row 5 where 4 stitches are slipped to a cable needle, held in back, 4 stitches are knitted from the left needle, and then the 4 stitches from the cable needle are knitted. This creates a dimensional, puffy cable effect.

Pattern Format

This downloadable PDF pattern includes written instructions with abbreviations for common knitting terms (cast-on, knit, purl, right side, wrong side) and charted stitch patterns for visual reference. The pattern also includes video tutorials, with Part 1 demonstrating how to work Chart A, providing additional guidance for knitters who prefer visual instruction alongside written patterns.