Pacific Sport Beach Sunrise Baby Blanket in Cascade Yarns - DK618 - Downloadable PDF

Pacific Sport Beach Sunrise Baby Blanket – Cascade Yarns Pattern DK618 by Shannon Dunbabin

What Is Being Made

This free, downloadable PDF pattern by Shannon Dunbabin guides knitters through creating the Pacific Sport Beach Sunrise Baby Blanket, a colorful striped baby blanket sized at a generous 32 inches wide by 28 inches long. The finished piece is designed to evoke the warm, layered hues of a beach sunrise, making it a cheerful and practical project for nurseries, strollers, or gifting. It is rated Easy skill level, making it an excellent choice for beginner knitters looking to build confidence with a satisfying, wearable result.

Yarn and Materials Used

The pattern is written specifically for Cascade Yarns® Pacific® Sport, a blended-fiber yarn composed of 60% Acrylic and 40% Superwash Merino Wool. Each skein contains 100 g (3.5 oz) / 273 yards (250 m). The acrylic content adds durability and easy machine-care properties, while the Superwash Merino Wool contributes softness and a gentle drape — qualities especially desirable in a baby blanket that will be washed frequently.

Five colors are called for, each requiring one skein divided into two balls (to facilitate the double-stranded technique described below):

• Color A – #134 Papaya
• Color B – #12 Yellow
• Color C – #16 Spring Green
• Color D – #137 Blue Turquoise
• Color E – #121 Dark Lavender

Together these shades create the warm-to-cool gradient that gives the blanket its sunrise character. Additional materials include US 9 (6.0 mm) knitting needles — or the size needed to achieve gauge — and a yarn needle for finishing.

Techniques and Construction

The blanket is worked flat on straight or circular needles from cast-on to bind-off. A key construction note is that yarn is held double stranded throughout the entire project. This means two strands of the same color are worked together as one, which serves several purposes: it thickens the fabric for added warmth and body, it allows the sport-weight yarn to knit up on the larger US 9 needle, and it speeds up the knitting process considerably. Because each skein is divided into two separate balls before beginning, knitters can easily pull one strand from each ball simultaneously without tangling.

The pattern begins with a cast-on of 105 stitches using two strands of Color A (Papaya). The color sequence progresses through the five named colors, producing the striped, sunrise-inspired gradient across the blanket's length.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch structure is garter stitch, which is achieved by knitting every row on both the right side and wrong side of the work. Garter stitch is one of the most beginner-friendly textures in knitting — it requires only the knit stitch and creates a squishy, reversible fabric with attractive horizontal ridges. Because garter stitch lies flat naturally without curling at the edges, it is particularly well suited to blankets, eliminating the need for complex border treatments.

• Knit (K) – the sole stitch used throughout the body of the blanket
• Cast On (CO) – to begin the work with 105 stitches
• Bind Off (BO) – to finish and secure the final row of stitches

Gauge

The stated gauge is 13 stitches × 29 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) in garter stitch with yarn held double stranded. Because blanket dimensions are important for a functional finished size, knitters are encouraged to swatch and adjust needle size as needed to match this gauge before casting on the full project.

Skill Level and Accessibility

Rated Easy by Cascade Yarns®, this pattern is ideal for