Cable Panel Blanket in Hayfield Bonus DK - BHBDK10275 - Downloadable PDF

Cable Panel Blanket in Hayfield Bonus DK – Pattern Summary (BHBDK10275)

This free downloadable knitting pattern from Hayfield produces a beautifully textured cable panel blanket worked in Hayfield Bonus DK yarn. Finished in a generous 80 x 100 cm (31½ x 39½ inches), it makes a versatile home accessory suitable as a lap blanket, a throw for a sofa, or a cosy bed-end accent. The design is rated intermediate in difficulty, making it an excellent next step for knitters who are comfortable with basic stitches and ready to explore the satisfying world of cable knitting.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a knitted blanket or throw measuring 80 cm wide by 100 cm long. The fabric is constructed as a single flat panel, cast on across the full width and worked row by row to the desired length. The generous dimensions mean it works well draped over a chair, used as a decorative throw, or kept on hand as a warm lap cover during cooler months.

Design and Construction Details

The blanket features a structured arrangement of cable panels set against a reversed stocking stitch background, giving the cables strong visual relief and a classic, tactile quality. The layout incorporates multiple cable columns separated by panels of reversed stocking stitch, creating a rhythmic, symmetrical design across the full width of the blanket. The edges are finished with a neat slip-stitch selvedge, worked as (s1, k1) twice at each end of right-side rows, which keeps the edges tidy and prevents curling — a particularly practical detail for a flat blanket that will be seen from all sides.

Techniques Used

• Cable knitting – the central skill of this pattern, used to create raised, twisted rope-like columns of stitches that stand out dramatically from the background fabric
• Plait cable – one of the cable styles featured, worked over a defined stitch repeat to create an interlaced, braided appearance
• Braid cable – a second cable variation included in the design, adding textural variety alongside the plait cable
• Reversed stocking stitch – the background fabric between cable panels, created by purling on right-side rows and knitting on wrong-side rows, which pushes the purl bumps to the front and gives the cables a raised, sculptural quality
• Slip-stitch selvedge – worked consistently at both edges to produce a clean, professional border without additional finishing
• Thumb method cast-on – specified for casting on the 186 stitches required to begin the blanket, a sturdy and elastic cast-on well suited to a large project
• Cable needle techniques – stitches are slipped to a cable needle and held at the front or back of the work before being knitted, which is what creates the characteristic twist of each cable

Stitches Used

• C6F – slip next 3 stitches to a cable needle held at the front, knit 3 stitches, then knit 3 stitches from the cable needle; creates a left-leaning six-stitch cable cross used in the plait cable
• C4B – a four-stitch cable cross with stitches held at the back, contributing to the braid cable panels
• Knit stitch (k) – used within cable sections and as part of the selvedge
• Purl stitch (p) – used extensively across the reversed stocking stitch background panels
• Slip stitch (s1) – used in the selvedge repeat (s1, k1) at each edge on right-side rows
• Yarn back (ybk) – used in conjunction with the selvedge stitches to manage yarn position correctly

Materials Required

• Yarn: Hayfield Bonus DK, 100 g balls — 4 balls are required in shade 590 Stone Marl. This is a DK weight (double knitting) yarn, which knits up at a medium gauge and is well suited to a project