Lace Waves Baby Blanket in Caron Simply Soft - Downloadable PDF

Lace Waves Baby Blanket in Caron Simply Soft – Pattern Summary

The Lace Waves Baby Blanket is a beautifully striped, lace-patterned knitted blanket designed by Margret Willson and worked in Caron Simply Soft yarn. This free, downloadable PDF pattern is rated intermediate in difficulty and produces a finished blanket measuring 28"/71cm x 40"/101.5cm — a generous size ideal for newborns and infants. The design combines a flowing lace wave motif with a rhythmic three-color stripe sequence, creating a lightweight yet visually striking heirloom-quality piece.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a single rectangular baby blanket worked flat in rows on a circular needle. The finished dimensions of 28 x 40 inches make it suitable as a stroller blanket, crib blanket, or a thoughtful handmade gift. The interplay of lace texture and color stripes gives the blanket a sophisticated look that belies its straightforward construction once the wave repeat is understood.

Materials Used

• Yarn: Caron Simply Soft, an aran-weight yarn (170g / 6oz; 288m / 315 yds per skein)
• Main Color (MC): White (9701) — 2 skeins required
• Contrast A: Orchid (9717) — 1 skein required
• Contrast B: 1 skein required
• Needles: One circular US size 7 (4.5mm) knitting needle, 29"/73.5cm long — used to accommodate the large stitch count while still working back and forth in rows
• Notions: Yarn needle for finishing and weaving in ends

Gauge

The pattern calls for a gauge of 22 stitches and 24 rows = 4"/10cm in the stitch pattern. Achieving correct gauge is important for reaching the intended finished dimensions, so swatching before beginning is recommended.

Techniques Used

• Flat knitting on a circular needle: The blanket is worked back and forth in rows rather than in the round. The circular needle is used purely to accommodate the large number of cast-on stitches (173 sts) comfortably.
• Colorwork with carried yarn: Three colors are used in a repeating stripe sequence. Contrast colors A and B are cut after each use, while the Main Color is carried up the right edge of the work to minimize ends.
• Lace knitting: The Wave Pattern creates an elegant lace texture through the use of yarn overs paired with decreases, producing a rippling, wave-like visual effect across the fabric.
• Border construction: Garter stitch edges are worked at the cast-on and bind-off using Contrast B, and the first 2 and last 2 stitches of every row are kept in knit stitch to create a neat, stable selvage throughout.
• Finishing: Ends are woven in with a yarn needle after completion.

Stitches Used

• Wave Pattern (worked over a multiple of 10 + 9 stitches): A four-row repeat combining yarn overs, knit stitches, and a central double decrease (sk2p) to create the lace wave effect. Rows 1 and 3 are right-side lace rows; Row 2 is purled; Row 4 is knitted.
• k2tog (knit two together): A right-leaning decrease used within the wave pattern.
• sk2p (slip, knit two together, pass slipped stitch over): A central double decrease that removes two stitches at once and forms the focal point of each wave repeat.
• yo (yarn over): Creates an extra stitch and an eyelet hole, forming the open lace detail and compensating for the decreases to maintain stitch count.
• Sl st (slip stitch): Used as part of the decrease technique.
• Garter stitch: Used for the cast-on