Spaced Out Blanket in Cascade Anthem DK - DK720 - Downloadable PDF

Spaced Out Blanket in Cascade Anthem DK – Pattern Summary (DK720)

The Spaced Out Blanket is a free, downloadable PDF knitting pattern designed by Amy Bahrt and published by Cascade Yarns. Rated intermediate in skill level, this colorful knitted blanket is a standout project for knitters who are comfortable working with multiple colors, reading charts, and managing several balls of yarn simultaneously. The finished blanket measures 30 inches wide by 36 inches long, making it a versatile size suited for children's rooms, nurseries, or as a decorative home accent throw.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a single rectangular knitted blanket featuring a bold, playful design built around a space-inspired or graphic motif theme — hence the name Spaced Out. The blanket is worked flat on circular knitting needles and incorporates multiple colorwork chart sections placed at different positions across the blanket body, giving it a dynamic, interlocking visual layout. Decorative yellow dome buttons are also incorporated as finishing embellishments, adding a three-dimensional, whimsical detail to the completed piece.

Materials Required

Yarn

The pattern calls for Cascade Yarns® Anthem DK, a 100% acrylic yarn that comes in 100 g (3.5 oz) skeins, each containing 248 yards (200 meters). Six colors are used across the blanket:

• Color A: 4 skeins of #29 Navy — the primary background color
• Color B: 2 skeins of #30 Bachelor Button — used for the garter border and an additional chart section
• Color C: 1 skein of #18 Peridot — used in Chart #1
• Color D: 1 skein of #39 Burnt Orange — used in Chart #2
• Color E: 1 skein of #21 Gold
• Color F: 1 skein of #07 Silver

The 100% acrylic fiber content of Cascade Yarns Anthem DK makes this blanket easy to care for — an ideal quality for a children's blanket that will see frequent use and washing.

Needles and Notions

• US 5 (3.75 mm) 32-inch circular knitting needles — used to work the blanket flat, accommodating the full stitch count of 152 stitches
• US 5 (3.75 mm) double pointed needles — likely used for finishing details or applied embellishments
• Embroidery needle — for weaving in ends and any surface embroidery or seaming
• 5½-inch yellow dome buttons — five in total, serving as decorative accents
• Yellow thread — for attaching the buttons securely

Gauge

The required gauge is 22 stitches and 28 rows over 4 inches (10 cm) in stockinette stitch using US 5 (3.75 mm) needles. Achieving this gauge is important for the blanket to reach its intended finished dimensions of 30 by 36 inches. Knitters should work a gauge swatch before beginning and adjust needle size as needed.

Techniques Used

This pattern draws on a range of knitting techniques that make it well-suited to an intermediate skill level:

• Flat knitting on circular needles — the blanket is worked back and forth in rows, with the long circular needle used to comfortably hold all 152 cast-on stitches
• Intarsia colorwork — multiple separate balls of yarn are joined and worked simultaneously across different sections of the same row, following chart instructions; this is the defining technique of the pattern and requires careful yarn management to avoid tangling
• Knitting from charts — at least three distinct charts (Chart #1