1175 Strobus - Blanket Knitting Pattern for Babies and Home in Valley Yarns Haydenville Bulky

1175 Strobus Baby and Throw Blanket Knitting Pattern by Julie Turjoman

The 1175 Strobus is an intermediate-level knitting pattern designed by Julie Turjoman and published by Valley Yarns. It produces a beautifully textured blanket available in two sizes: a baby stroller blanket measuring 38" x 40½" and an adult throw blanket measuring 51¾" x 71¼". The pattern is a downloadable PDF, making it immediately accessible for knitters ready to cast on right away.

What Is Being Made

The Strobus pattern creates a cozy, three-dimensional blanket suitable for a special baby gift or a luxurious adult throw. Its design is intentionally versatile — the finished piece works beautifully as a stroller blanket for newborns and infants, or scaled up as a generous lap throw or holiday gift for adults. The pattern is shown in the baby blanket size in Color 36 Fawn, a warm neutral tone that suits both nursery and living room settings.

A key feature of this blanket is its reversible appearance. The central Cocoon stitch pattern creates a three-dimensional textured field that looks equally interesting on both sides, meaning there is no true "wrong side" to worry about when draping or gifting the finished piece.

Techniques Used

• Bottom-up construction: The blanket begins at the lower edge with a cast-on and is worked upward row by row to the top border, following a logical and straightforward progression.
• Worked flat: All rows are worked back and forth on a circular needle, which accommodates the large stitch count comfortably without requiring the knitter to join in the round.
• Seamless borders: The garter stitch borders on all four sides are fully integrated into the knitting as it progresses. The bottom and top borders are worked as 12-row garter stitch sections, while the side borders are maintained throughout the blanket field by knitting the first and last 6 stitches of every row. This means no seaming or picking up stitches is required at any stage.
• Cable cast-on method: The pattern specifies using the Cable method to cast on 133 stitches for the baby size or 181 stitches for the throw size, providing a firm and tidy foundation edge.
• Blocking: The finished blanket is blocked to its final measurements, which is an important finishing step for achieving the intended dimensions and opening up the texture of the Cocoon stitch pattern.

Stitches Used

• Cocoon stitch pattern: This is the signature stitch of the Strobus blanket. It is a 12-row, 8-stitch repeat pattern that builds a rich, three-dimensional texture across the blanket field. The baby blanket uses 15 repeats across, while the adult throw uses 21 repeats. The pattern completes 16 full 12-row repeats for the baby size and 28 full repeats for the throw. A notable technique within the Cocoon stitch is purling 5 stitches together, which draws stitches into a gathered cluster — this is the move that creates the characteristic cocoon or bobble-like texture. The pattern notes that a US E (3.5mm) crochet hook can be used optionally to assist with this decrease when working through multiple stitches at once.
• Garter stitch: Used for the integrated borders on all four sides. Garter stitch — knitting every row — creates a flat, non-curling edge that frames the textured center field neatly and adds structural stability to the blanket.
• Stitch markers: Locking stitch markers are recommended to separate the 8-stitch Cocoon pattern repeats across the row, helping intermediate knitters track the pattern with ease.

Materials and Yarn

The Strobus blanket is designed specifically for Valley Yarns Haydenville Bulky, a chunky weight yarn with a fiber composition of 60% Superwash Merino / 40% Acrylic Microfiber. Each skein contains 100g and approximately 109 yards. The baby blanket requires 8 skeins, while the adult throw requires 19 skeins. The Superwash Merino content delivers exceptional softness