Bloomfield Baby Afghan in Lion Brand Bundle of Love - M22120 BL - Downloadable PDF

Bloomfield Baby Afghan in Lion Brand Bundle of Love – Free Knitting Pattern M22120 BL

The Bloomfield Baby Afghan is a charming, square baby blanket designed by Missy Marshall in collaboration with Lion Brand. Released as a free downloadable PDF pattern (M22120 BL), this project is rated Easy, making it an ideal choice for beginner knitters who want to create a beautiful, heirloom-quality gift for a new baby. The finished blanket measures approximately 34 × 34 inches (86.5 × 86.5 cm), a generous size that works well as a stroller blanket, crib throw, or tummy-time mat.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a square baby afghan — a soft, cozy knitted blanket sized perfectly for infants and newborns. The design combines a simple all-over texture with decorative detailing created through yarn-over eyelets, giving the finished piece a delicate, lacy quality that feels special without requiring advanced knitting skills. The result is a classic, timeless baby blanket suitable for any nursery aesthetic.

Yarn and Materials

• Yarn: Lion Brand® Bundle of Love (Art. #149), a 4-ply worsted weight yarn, used in colorway #204 Nightfall — 2 balls required
• Needles: Circular knitting needle, size 8 (5 mm), 29 inches (73.5 cm) long — circular needles are used here to accommodate the wide stitch count of the blanket, though the piece is worked flat (back and forth in rows)
• Notions: A Lion Brand® large-eyed blunt needle for finishing and weaving in ends

Lion Brand Bundle of Love is a soft, machine-washable yarn designed with baby projects in mind. Its worsted weight provides a fabric that is substantial enough to knit up quickly while remaining lightweight and gentle against a newborn's sensitive skin. The 4-ply construction gives the finished blanket good stitch definition and durability through repeated washing.

Techniques Used

• Flat knitting on circular needles: The afghan is worked back and forth in rows rather than in the round, with the circular needle used simply to hold the large number of stitches comfortably
• Yarn-over (yo) increases: The pattern makes use of yarn overs as a decorative technique — each yarn over creates a small eyelet hole in the fabric, adding a delicate, lacy visual detail to the blanket's design without requiring complex lace knitting skills
• Gauge swatching: Knitters are instructed to check gauge before beginning, with a target of 16 stitches = approximately 4 inches (10 cm) over Garter stitch

Stitches Used

• Garter Stitch: The primary stitch structure of the entire afghan — worked by knitting every stitch of every row. Garter stitch is one of the most beginner-friendly knitting patterns, producing a squishy, reversible fabric with horizontal ridges. It lies flat naturally, which makes it especially practical for blankets that need to look neat on both sides
• Yarn Over (yo): An increase stitch that simultaneously adds a new stitch and creates a small decorative hole or eyelet. As explained in the pattern, it is worked by bringing the yarn to the front between the needles, then taking it to the back over the right needle before proceeding with the next stitch. This technique introduces a gentle decorative element into the otherwise straightforward Garter stitch fabric

Difficulty and Suitability

Rated Easy by Lion Brand, the Bloomfield Baby Afghan is well-suited to beginner knitters who are comfortable with the knit stitch and are ready to try a simple increase technique. Because the entire body of the blanket is worked in Garter stitch — the most fundamental of all knitting stitches — there is no need to manage purl rows, complex stitch patterns, or shaping sequences. The yarn-over eyelet detail adds just enough visual interest to keep the project engaging without introducing significant difficulty. The use of a worsted weight yarn on size