Square Leaf Blanket

Square Leaf Blanket by Jody Long

What is Being Made

The Square Leaf Blanket is a knitted throw blanket designed by Jody Long, measuring approximately 80 cm (31½ inches) square. This intermediate-level knitting project creates a finished blanket suitable for use as a decorative throw or functional bed covering.

Craft and Project Type

This is a knitting project classified as a blanket and throw. The design falls within the intermediate difficulty range, making it suitable for knitters with some experience beyond basic techniques. The project requires understanding of shaping, stitch manipulation, and sustained knitting over a larger garment piece.

Knitting Techniques Used

The Square Leaf Blanket employs several intermediate knitting techniques to create its distinctive design:

• Bobble creation: The pattern features a special bobble stitch (abbreviated as MB) that adds textural interest. The bobble technique involves knitting into the front and back of a stitch multiple times, then working decreases to create a three-dimensional raised element.
• Yarn overs: Yarn over stitches (yo) are incorporated into the pattern, creating decorative eyelet details typical of leaf-motif designs.
• Increases and decreases: The pattern uses knit-front-and-back increases (Kfb) and purl-front-and-back increases (Pfb) for shaping, along with various decrease methods including pass slipped stitch over (psso) and together decreases (tog) for stitch reduction.
• Stocking stitch: The base fabric uses stocking stitch (st st), which creates a smooth, classic knit texture with knit stitches on the right side and purl stitches on the wrong side.

Stitches and Stitch Work

The pattern utilizes fundamental knitting stitches combined with decorative elements:

• Knit (K) and Purl (P) stitches: These form the foundation of the blanket fabric in stocking stitch.
• Bobble stitch (MB): A special abbreviation unique to this pattern that creates dimensional leaf-like texture through multiple yarn manipulations and strategic decreases.
• Yarn overs (yo): These create openwork details and contribute to the leaf pattern aesthetic.
• Slipped stitches (sl): Used in conjunction with pass slipped stitch over decreases for refined shaping.
• Combined decreases: Techniques such as P2tog (purl two together) and K2tog (knit two together) manage stitch counts throughout the pattern.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Square Leaf Blanket is designed to be worked in DK weight yarn. The pattern calls for DMC Woolly, a yarn that provides 136 yards (125 meters) per 50-gram ball. The project requires 10 balls of DMC Woolly in Pink (color 042), providing sufficient yardage for the complete 80 cm square blanket.

The blanket is worked on 3.75 mm (US size 5) needles, which is the appropriate needle size for DK weight yarn to achieve the intended fabric density and drape. The pattern specifies a tension of 25 stitches and 32 rows measured over 10 cm in stocking stitch, ensuring proper sizing when this gauge is matched.

Design and Finishing

The blanket's name references its leaf-motif design, created through the strategic placement of bobbles and yarn overs that form decorative square leaf patterns across the fabric. The combination of textured bobbles with openwork details creates visual interest while maintaining the structural integrity of a functional blanket. The intermediate difficulty reflects the need to manage bobble creation, track pattern repeats, and maintain consistent tension across a large project.