Manos del Log Cabin

Manos del Log Cabin Blanket and Throw

What Is Being Made

The Manos del Log Cabin is a knitted blanket or throw project designed by Vickie Hartog. This downloadable PDF pattern guides crafters through creating a log cabin-style blanket using a modular construction method. The project is suitable for beginners, making it an accessible introduction to blanket knitting despite the structured technique involved.

Knitting Techniques Used

This pattern employs several intermediate knitting techniques to construct the blanket:

• Skinny Block Construction: The foundation of the design uses skinny blocks that are worked in a specific sequence. Each block begins with casting on stitches and progresses through multiple rows of knitting before stitches are secured on a holder for later use.
• Attached I-Cord: An i-cord (a small tubular cord) is worked directly onto the edges of the blocks. The pattern offers two options for managing corners: knitting the attached i-cord twice into each of the three corner stitches to add ease, or alternatively working three rows of unattached i-cord at corners.
• Grafting: The pattern includes grafting instructions to join finished sections together. This technique involves holding two knitting needles with live stitches parallel to each other with the right side of work facing up, then sewing the sections together from right to left using a grafting method.
• Stitch Transfers and Rotation: The construction method requires transferring stitches back to the left needle and rotating the work clockwise between sections, creating the modular log cabin effect.

Stitches Used

The Manos del Log Cabin pattern utilizes fundamental knitting stitches appropriate for a beginner-level project:

• Knit Stitch (K): The primary stitch used throughout the pattern for building the fabric of each block.
• Slip, Slip, Knit (SSK): A left-leaning decrease stitch used during the skinny block construction to shape and reduce stitches as needed.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Manos del Log Cabin is designed to be worked with aran weight yarn, a medium-weight yarn that knits at a moderate gauge. This yarn weight is ideal for blanket projects as it creates a fabric with good drape and warmth while remaining manageable for beginners. The pattern requires knitting needles appropriate for aran weight yarn, though the PDF does not specify exact needle sizes. Crafters should select needles that produce a gauge suitable for their chosen aran weight yarn to ensure the finished blanket reaches the intended dimensions and has the desired fabric characteristics.