Love-A-Bear

Love-A-Bear Chunky Knit Blanket

What Is Being Made

The Love-A-Bear is a beginner-friendly knitted blanket designed by Ezcareknits and originally created by Easy Care Baby Knits, LLC. This finished blanket measures 36 inches wide by 48 inches tall, making it an ideal size for a baby blanket or small throw. The pattern uses straightforward knitting techniques accessible to those new to the craft, while producing a cozy, practical finished piece.

Craft and Technique Overview

This project is created entirely through knitting, worked flat on circular needles using a back-and-forth knitting method rather than in the round. The blanket is constructed as a single large piece, with the pattern organized into clearly marked sections to help prevent errors during construction. Circular needles are used for their ability to accommodate the wider stitch count comfortably, even though the work is not circular.

Stitches Used

The Love-A-Bear pattern employs fundamental knitting stitches suitable for beginners:

• Knit stitch (K) – the primary stitch that forms the fabric
• Purl stitch (P) – used strategically throughout the pattern to create texture and visual interest
• Markers (PM) – placed at specific points in the pattern to delineate sections and help maintain accuracy across the 176 rows

The combination of knit and purl stitches creates a textured surface while remaining manageable for beginners. The marker system breaks the pattern into logical sections, allowing crafters to work methodically without losing track of their place.

Materials and Tools Required

The Love-A-Bear blanket is made from 100% acrylic yarn in the chunky weight category. Specifically, the pattern calls for Bernat Softee Chunky yarn in the Glowing Gold colorway. A total of 7 skeins are needed, with each skein containing 108 yards of yarn, providing approximately 756 yards total for the completed blanket.

Essential tools include Size 11 circular needles with a 20-inch cable or larger, which accommodate the 99 cast-on stitches while allowing the work to be knitted back and forth. Additional supplies include a darning needle for weaving in yarn ends and a row counter to track progress through the 176-row pattern.

Gauge and Construction Details

The pattern specifies a gauge of 11 stitches and 14 rows per 4-by-4-inch square, which should be achieved with the recommended Size 11 needles and chunky yarn. Maintaining proper gauge ensures the finished blanket reaches its intended dimensions of 36 by 48 inches.

Construction begins with casting on 99 stitches. The first 7 rows are worked entirely in knit stitch to create a garter stitch border. From Row 8 onward, the pattern alternates between wrong-side rows (which follow a specific knit-purl sequence) and right-side rows (typically worked entirely in knit). The pattern uses markers to separate distinct sections, with knit stitches appearing both before and after markers as needed to maintain the design structure.

When adding a new skein of yarn during construction, the pattern recommends joining at the beginning of a new row for a cleaner, more secure transition. All yarn ends are woven in using the darning needle upon completion.