Merrin Blanket

Merrin Blanket by Triona Murphy

What is Being Made

The Merrin Blanket is a knitted throw blanket designed as a statement piece suitable for nurseries, living rooms, or as a gift. With finished measurements of 28 inches wide by 39 inches long (71 cm by 99 cm), this intermediate-level project combines visual impact with textured detail that displays beautifully on both sides of the fabric.

Knitting Techniques and Construction

This blanket is constructed using circular needles and incorporates cable knitting techniques to create dimensional texture throughout the piece. The design features a Textured Cable pattern as the primary stitch structure, which produces significant cable impact while maintaining visual interest from both the front and back of the blanket. The pattern includes a slipped selvage stitch on each edge, which is worked by slipping stitches with the yarn held to the front on both right-side and wrong-side rows. This technique creates a neat, finished edge that enhances the blanket's overall presentation.

The project requires wet blocking after completion to achieve the finished measurements and to properly set the textured stitches. Blocking is an essential finishing step that ensures the cable patterns display their full dimensional quality and helps the blanket achieve its intended dimensions and drape.

Stitches and Pattern Details

• Textured Cable pattern as the primary stitch structure
• Slipped selvage stitches on both edges for a finished appearance
• Cable work requiring two cable needles for stitch manipulation
• Gauge: 26 stitches and 27 rows equal 4 inches (10 cm) in the Textured Cable pattern when blocked

While exact gauge matching is not critical for this project, variations in gauge will result in a blanket of different dimensions and may affect total yarn yardage required. The pattern includes both written instructions and a stitch chart to guide knitters through the cable sequences.

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The Merrin Blanket is designed to be worked in worsted and heavy worsted weight yarn. The recommended yarn is Polka Dot Sheep Whitefish Worsted, a 100% merino fiber with 218 yards (199 meters) per 100-gram skein. The project requires 6 skeins in the colorway Chief Cliff.

Needles and notions needed include a US #7 (4.5 mm) circular needle measuring 32 to 40 inches (80 to 100 cm) long, a yarn needle for weaving in ends, and two cable needles for managing cable stitches throughout the knitting process.

Difficulty Level

Rated as an intermediate difficulty project, the Merrin Blanket is suitable for knitters with foundational skills who are ready to work with cables and manage larger projects on circular needles. The combination of cable techniques, edge finishing, and blocking requirements makes this an engaging project for developing knitters.