876 Dicentra - Blanket Knitting Pattern for Home in Valley Yarns Granville

Pattern 876 Dicentra – Knitted Blanket Pattern by Julie Turjoman Using Valley Yarns Granville

Pattern 876 Dicentra, designed by Julie Turjoman, is a beautifully crafted knitting pattern for a generously sized blanket or throw, published under the Valley Yarns brand. The finished piece measures an impressive 55 inches long by 40 inches wide, making it equally well-suited as a cozy home throw or a practical stroller blanket. The design takes its name from the delicate, heart-shaped flowers of the Dicentra plant, and that same graceful, flowing aesthetic is reflected in the lace detailing woven throughout the fabric.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a single-size knitted blanket or throw with a refined, elegant appearance. The finished dimensions of 55" L × 40" W make it a substantial, versatile piece suitable for draping over a sofa, using as a lap blanket, or tucking around a baby in a stroller. The design balances decorative lace elements with the clean simplicity of classic Stockinette stitch, resulting in a textile that feels both timeless and modern. It is worked in one size only, so there is no need to navigate multiple sizing options.

Construction and Techniques

The Dicentra blanket is constructed using a clever sideways-worked, seamed approach. Rather than knitting from one short end to the other, the two panels are each worked sideways — meaning stitches are cast on along the long edge and knitting progresses across the width of the blanket. This technique can create a more even, consistent fabric and allows the lace stripe pattern to run in a visually pleasing direction across the finished piece.

The blanket is made in two separate flat pieces, each worked back and forth in rows. Once both panels are complete, they are seamed together along their long sides, with the one-inch Garter stitch edges butted up against each other on a flat surface with the right side facing. This seamed construction is a hallmark of traditional knitting craftsmanship and, when done carefully with a tapestry needle, produces a virtually invisible join that preserves the integrity of the overall design.

• Worked flat: Both panels are knitted flat, back and forth in rows, rather than in the round.
• Sideways construction: Panels are oriented so that knitting progresses across the width rather than the length of the blanket.
• Seamed finishing: The two completed panels are joined using a seaming technique with a tapestry needle.
• Lace technique: Decorative lace stripes are incorporated throughout the fabric, adding visual texture and an airy, open quality.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The Dicentra blanket draws on a small but well-chosen vocabulary of knitting stitches and techniques to achieve its elegant look. The primary stitch patterns used are:

• Stockinette stitch: The foundational stitch of the blanket, forming broad, smooth sections that provide a clean backdrop for the lace detailing. Gauge is measured in Stockinette at 20 stitches and 26 rows to 4 inches on US Size 7 needles.
• Garter stitch: Used to create a one-inch border or edge treatment, which plays a key structural role in the seaming process — the Garter stitch edges are butted together when joining the two panels.
• Lace stripes: Decorative lace sections are worked in stripes, balanced against the Stockinette areas. Lace knitting typically involves yarn-over increases paired with decreases such as K2tog (knit two together) to maintain stitch count while creating an open, decorative pattern of eyelets or motifs.

The combination of lace stripes and broad Stockinette sections is central to the design's character. The lace adds delicacy and visual interest without overwhelming the overall simplicity of the piece, making it approachable for knitters at the advanced beginner level who are ready to explore lace for the first time.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern is specifically written for Granville by Valley Yarns, a thoughtfully blended yarn composed of 90% Pima