Special Stripy Blanket

Special Stripy Blanket by Julia Marsh

Project Overview

The Special Stripy Blanket is a beginner-friendly knitting project that creates a vibrant, striped throw using chunky yarn. This downloadable PDF pattern was designed for the Stylecraft Blog Tour 2016 and features bold horizontal color bands that build visual interest through strategic color changes and textured stitch patterns.

What Is Being Made

This project produces a cozy blanket or throw featuring horizontal stripes in multiple colors. The design combines solid knit rows with patterned rows to create distinct visual bands of color throughout the finished piece. The blanket is worked flat on circular needles, making it accessible for knitters who may not be comfortable with circular knitting techniques.

Knitting Techniques Used

The Special Stripy Blanket employs fundamental knitting techniques suitable for beginners:

• Flat knitting on circular needles (without joining to work in the round)
• Color changes at strategic intervals to create horizontal stripes
• Weaving in loose ends to finish the blanket neatly
• Casting off to secure the final row

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The pattern uses two fundamental stitches throughout to create textured contrast:

• Knit stitch (K) – forms smooth columns
• Purl stitch (P) – creates raised texture

These stitches are combined in a specific sequence to form blocks of squares arranged in bands. The stitch pattern alternates between rows, with the right-side row reading K6, P1, *K6, P1, repeat from * to last 6 stitches, K6, while the wrong-side row reads K7, *P6, K1, repeat from * to last 7 stitches, K7. This creates a visually interesting texture that complements the color striping. Each color section includes nine rows total: three knit rows in the initial color, followed by the patterned rows worked three additional times, then one final patterned row.

Color Sequence and Repetition

The blanket features six distinct colors of Special Chunky yarn that are repeated four times throughout the project. Named colors include Pistachio and Parchment, which serve as key elements in the color scheme. The pattern begins with three knit rows in the starting color, then progresses through the color sequence with patterned sections, and concludes with three final knit rows of Parchment before casting off.

Materials and Yarn

This project uses Stylecraft Special Chunky yarn, a bulky-weight yarn that works up quickly and creates a substantial, cozy finished blanket. The chunky weight makes this pattern ideal for beginners, as the larger stitches are easier to work and the project completes relatively quickly. Six colors are required in total, repeated throughout the design.

Equipment

Knitters will need a circular needle sized appropriately for chunky yarn to accommodate all stitches comfortably, though the blanket is worked flat rather than in the round. A tapestry needle is helpful for weaving in loose ends after completion.

Difficulty Level

Rated as a beginner project, the Special Stripy Blanket is accessible to new knitters. The pattern uses only knit and purl stitches, requires no complex shaping, and the color changes provide natural stopping points. The use of a circular needle to hold a large number of stitches makes the project manageable without requiring advanced techniques.