Diagonal Baby Blanket in Plymouth Yarn Hot Cakes - F827 - Downloadable PDF

Diagonal Baby Blanket in Plymouth Yarn Hot Cakes – Pattern F827

This free downloadable knitting pattern from Plymouth Yarn produces a charming diagonal baby blanket measuring approximately 33 inches square — a generous, wrap-ready size perfect for newborns, nursery décor, or a thoughtful handmade gift. The design is rated beginner-friendly, making it an ideal first blanket project for newer knitters while still delivering a polished, professional-looking result that experienced crafters will enjoy for its meditative simplicity.

What Is Being Made

The finished object is a square baby blanket knitted on the diagonal, meaning construction begins at one corner, expands outward to the center, and then tapers back down to the opposite corner. This approach creates a subtle, visually interesting bias orientation in the fabric — the rows run at a 45-degree angle to the finished edges — giving the blanket a classic, timeless look without requiring complex colorwork or stitch patterns.

Techniques Used

• Diagonal (bias) construction: The blanket is worked from corner to corner. Stitches are increased on every row during the first half of the project, then decreased on every row during the second half, producing the characteristic diamond-shaped growth and reduction of the fabric.
• Increasing: A yarn over (yo) is used as the increase method on every row of the growth phase, adding one stitch per row while simultaneously creating a subtle decorative eyelet detail along the increase edge.
• Decreasing: The decrease phase employs k2tog (knit two stitches together) in combination with a yarn over to maintain the decorative edge detail while reducing the stitch count back toward four stitches.
• Yarn-quantity shaping: Rather than counting rows to a fixed number, the pattern cleverly instructs the knitter to increase until one cake has almost been used up — approximately 170 stitches — making the most efficient use of the yarn and naturally sizing the blanket to the available yardage.
• Circular needle use for flat knitting: A circular needle is used to accommodate the large number of stitches at the blanket's widest point, though the piece is worked flat (back and forth in rows), not in the round.

Stitches Used

• Garter stitch: The entire blanket is worked in garter stitch — knitting every stitch on every row. This produces a squishy, reversible fabric with horizontal ridges on both sides, ideal for baby items because it lies flat without curling and requires no purling.
• Yarn over (yo): Used as both an increase and a subtle decorative element along the shaping edges.
• K2tog (knit two together): A simple right-leaning decrease used during the second half of the blanket to reduce stitches back to the starting count.

Materials

• Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Hot Cakes — 2 cakes of 200g each, shown in color 2. Hot Cakes is a worsted weight yarn wound in large, convenient cake format, eliminating the need to wind yarn before knitting. The generous 200g cake size is well-suited to large, continuous projects like blankets.
• Needles: US Size 9 circular needle, either 24-inch or 32-inch cord length. The longer cord is recommended to comfortably hold the approximately 170 stitches at the blanket's widest point.
• Gauge: 16 stitches = 4 inches in garter stitch on US Size 9 needles.

Finishing

Once the final four stitches are reached at the concluding corner, the work is bound off and all ends are woven in. Because garter stitch is naturally reversible and the shaping is symmetrical, no blocking or seaming is required — the blanket is complete and ready to use straight off the needles.

Pattern Details

• Brand: Plymouth Yarn Company
• Pattern Number: F827
• Format: Downloadable PDF, free of charge
• Craft: Knitting