Giganto-blanket

Giganto-blanket by Laura Birek

What is Being Made

The Giganto-blanket is a large knitted throw blanket designed by Laura Birek. This project creates a substantial, cozy blanket suitable for wrapping up or draping over furniture. The pattern offers flexibility in finished size depending on the construction method chosen.

Craft and Primary Technique

This is a knitting project that uses traditional knitting techniques to construct a blanket from the ground up. The Giganto-blanket is classified as an intermediate difficulty project, making it suitable for knitters with some experience beyond basic cast-on and bind-off skills.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The pattern incorporates cable stitches as a design element. Laura Birek has included a dedicated cable chart within the pattern to guide knitters through the cable placement and construction. The cable work adds visual texture and interest to the finished blanket while providing a satisfying technical challenge appropriate for intermediate-level knitters.

Yarn and Materials

The Giganto-blanket is worked in super chunky weight yarn, which allows for relatively quick project completion despite the blanket's large size. The pattern provides two distinct preparation methods depending on yarn fiber content:

• Superwash wool preparation method — one approach for superwash-treated yarns
• Non-superwash wool preparation method — an alternative approach using garment steamer preparation for untreated wool

Knitters must carefully select and read through all directions before beginning, as the preparation methods differ significantly and affect the final blanket outcome. The non-superwash method involves steaming, which requires careful safety precautions including wearing gloves and avoiding directing steam toward yourself or others.

Pattern Updates and Revisions

The Giganto-blanket pattern has been updated multiple times since its original 2011 copyright, with revisions in 2014, 2016, and October 2016. Updates have included the addition of cable charting, finished size specifications for the cabled blanket version, and detailed steaming instructions for safe wool preparation.