My First Cable Baby Blanket in Loopy Mango Big Cotton - Downloadable PDF

My First Cable Baby Blanket in Loopy Mango Big Cotton – Knitting Pattern Summary

This downloadable PDF pattern from Loopy Mango guides knitters through creating a beautifully textured cable baby blanket using the brand's signature Big Cotton yarn. Designed at an intermediate level, it is an ideal project for knitters who are ready to move beyond basic stitch patterns and explore the satisfying world of cable knitting. The result is a chunky, cozy blanket perfectly sized for a baby or toddler, finished with a clean garter stitch border that frames the central cable design.

Available Sizes

• Small: approximately 22" (56 cm) wide by 28" (71 cm) long
• Medium: approximately 28" (71 cm) wide by 46" (117 cm) long

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces a knitted cable baby blanket with a structured, repeating cable motif running through the body of the fabric. Thick garter stitch borders on all sides give the blanket a tidy, finished appearance while preventing the edges from curling — a common challenge with knitted textiles. The combination of cables and garter stitch creates a rich, dimensional texture that is both visually striking and wonderfully soft against a baby's skin, thanks to the 100% cotton fiber content of the yarn.

Techniques Used

• Cable knitting – The central technique of this pattern. Cables are created by temporarily placing stitches on a cable needle and crossing them over one another before knitting, producing a twisted, rope-like visual effect.
• C4B (Cable 4 Back) – Two stitches are slipped onto the cable needle and held at the back of the work, the next two stitches are knitted from the left needle, and then the held stitches are knitted. This creates a right-leaning cable cross.
• C4F (Cable 4 Front) – Two stitches are slipped onto the cable needle and held at the front of the work, the next two stitches are knitted from the left needle, and then the held stitches are knitted. This creates a left-leaning cable cross.
• Garter stitch borders – Eight rows of all-knit garter stitch are worked at the beginning and end of the blanket, and five stitches of garter stitch are maintained on each side edge throughout the pattern to create a stable, non-rolling border.
• Casting on and casting off – The pattern begins with a cast-on of 40 stitches (Small) or 52 stitches (Medium) and ends with a standard cast-off and weaving in of ends.

Stitches Used

• Knit (K) – The foundational stitch used throughout the garter stitch sections and as part of the cable rows.
• Purl (P) – Used on the wrong-side rows within the cable section to create a smooth stockinette background that allows the cables to stand out in high relief.
• Garter stitch – Achieved by knitting every stitch on every row; used for the top and bottom borders as well as the side edges.
• Cable stitches (C4B and C4F) – Four-stitch cable crosses worked on right-side rows to build the alternating cable pattern across the blanket body.

Pattern Structure

The blanket begins and ends with eight rows of garter stitch. The cable body is worked over an eight-row repeat (Rows 9–16), which alternates between C4B and C4F cable crosses, creating a dynamic, interlocking cable design. Rows 11 and 15 are plain knit rows, while Rows 10, 12, 14, and 16 are purl rows (with garter stitch edges maintained). This repeat is worked until the desired length is reached before the final garter stitch border is added.

Gauge

The pattern is worked to a gauge of 3 stitches and 6 rows per 2 inches (5 cm) in garter stitch, which is typical for chunky-weight yarn knitted on large needles.

Materials