K140-Hot Cocoa Throw

K140 – Hot Cocoa Throw by Nazanin Fard

Project Overview

The K140 – Hot Cocoa Throw is an intermediate-level knitted blanket designed by Nazanin Fard. This downloadable PDF pattern creates a cozy throw blanket using worsted weight yarn, perfect for adding warmth and texture to any living space. The project showcases cable knitting techniques combined with strategic increases and decreases to create a structured, professional-looking finished piece.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a throw blanket featuring a prominent cable panel as the focal design element. The throw is constructed to be a substantial, comfortable size suitable for draping over furniture or wrapping around yourself. The design incorporates thoughtful shaping techniques to prevent edge flaring and maintain clean, finished edges throughout the cable panel.

Materials Required

• Yarn: 1100 yards (1005 meters) of medium worsted weight superwash wool. The sample project uses Wool of the Andes Superwash, which is 100% Peruvian Highland Wool with a yardage of 110 yards per 50-gram ball (10 balls total in Almond #26338)
• Needles: US size 7 (4.5 mm) knitting needles
• Additional Tools: Cable needle (CN) for managing cable stitches, yarn needle for weaving in ends, and crochet hook size F (3.75 mm)

Knitting Techniques

The K140 – Hot Cocoa Throw employs several intermediate-level knitting techniques to create its distinctive appearance. Cable knitting forms the foundation of the design, requiring the use of a cable needle to cross stitches over one another and create the characteristic twisted rope-like texture. The pattern demonstrates advanced edge management by strategically casting on fewer stitches and increasing to the full pattern width, then decreasing back before binding off. This technique prevents the common problem of edge flaring that can occur in cable panels.

The throw incorporates both increases and decreases worked into the pattern itself, demonstrating how shaping can be integrated seamlessly into textured stitch patterns. The use of superwash wool provides practical benefits, as this fiber type is machine-washable and durable for a frequently-used blanket.

Stitches and Stitch Pattern Details

The pattern utilizes specialized cable stitches and decorative techniques:

• 2/2/2 RPC (Right Purl Cross): Slip 4 stitches onto cable needle and hold in back, knit 2, slip the 2 purl stitches to left-hand needle, purl 2, then knit 2 from cable needle. This creates a right-leaning cable with purl stitches integrated into the twist.
• 2/2/2 LPC (Left Purl Cross): Slip 4 stitches onto cable needle and hold in front, knit 2, slip the 2 purl stitches to left-hand needle, purl 2, then knit 2 from cable needle. This creates a left-leaning cable with purl stitches integrated into the twist.
• K5tog (Knit 5 Together): A decrease technique that combines multiple stitches into one. Slip 3 stitches purlwise, knit 2 together, then pass the slipped stitches over the new stitch. This creates a decorative, centered decrease.
• M1 (Make 1): An invisible increase created by picking up the strand of yarn between the last stitch worked and the next stitch, then knitting into the back of that strand.
• M3 (Make 3): A decorative increase that creates three stitches from one by knitting 1, purling 1, and knitting 1 into the same stitch.

Gauge and Pattern Specifications

The stitch gauge for this pattern is 18 stitches and 21 rows over 3 inches when worked in the cable pattern using US size 7 (4.5 mm) needles. Achieving the correct gauge is essential for the throw to reach its intended finished dimensions and drape properly.

Construction Notes

The cable panel construction demonstrates professional pattern design. The pattern begins by casting on 16 stitches, then increases to 18 stitches to establish the full cable pattern width. Before finishing and binding off, the stitches are decreased back to 16 stitches. This deliberate approach to