Pattern Scout
Pattern Scout: Blankets in Pieces
I adore knitting with wool. Its cozy bounciness brings joy to my needles! But what do I do when the summer kicks in and the temperature increases? I don’t want to sit with a large, snuggly knitting project on my lap, but I also don’t want to forgo my beloved sheepy wool.
My solution? Work on smaller projects. Or, even better, a massive project that is worked in smaller parts.
If you too would like to keep knitting with wool all year around, here are some suggestions for blankets that are worked in pieces. Each section you knit isn’t too large, so it won’t be too warm to work on in the summer. There’s a wooly project for every season!
Connect Blanket by Margaret Holzmann
Working a blanket in pieces isn’t limited to making squares. Margaret Holzmann’s geometric Connect Blanket uses a tessellating pinwheel-type motif, which creates a feeling of motion in this lovely blanket.
Khwezi Throw by Noma Ndlovu
Interlocking octagons and squares make up the motifs in Noma Ndlovu’s Khwezi Throw. This pattern is ideal for sets of mini-skeins or scrappy leftovers. Noma includes yardage and size information for a wide range of yarn weights, which makes it a versatile pattern.
White Star by Arella Seaton
A blanket is a great canvas on which to learn new skills. Arella Seaton’s White Star Blanket and matching cushions use mosaic knitting, a colorwork technique that is no harder than working stripes. I love the effect created by using a simple color palette, but it would be fun in brighter combinations as well.
Penrose by Woolly Thoughts
The Woolly Thoughts design duo of Pat Ashforth and Steve Plummer have a huge selection of blankets to choose from.
Many of their designs, including Penrose, are inspired by mathematical concepts, and the pattern includes background information about the aperiodic tiling that inspired the design (which is also named for Oxford mathematician Sir Roger Penrose).
Each block is a simple shape created in garter stitch, so this makes for a soothing, but ultimately very eye-catching, project.
Quilty by Jen Geigley
It’s perhaps not surprising that lots of pieced, knitted blankets are inspired by the geometric blocks of quilting. Jen Geigley’s Quilty design uses a selection of block designs, including some MDK-favorite log cabin blocks, that are joined to make a good-sized blanket.
Celtic Aran Afghan by Sharondipity Designs
What could be cozier than a cabled blanket? Not much I would say! Sharondipity Designs’ Celtic Aran Afghan is worked in cabled strips that are later joined. I can almost feel the squishiness of the cables through the photographs. This would be a great project to use if you want to expand your cabling skills.
The Shieling by Kate Davies Designs
Each of the stunning colorwork blocks for Kate Davies’ The Shieling blanket is worked from the outer perimeter of the square, into the center.
The shaping is worked much as the crown of a hat would be, and this gives a pleasing sense of speed as each round of the blocks gets shorter as the project progresses.
The thistle motif uses the stranded colorwork technique and has been carefully designed to avoid long floats of yarn on the wrong side.
Tiling Fish by Jana Huck
Based on a tessellation pattern by Dutch artist, MC Escher, Jana Huck’s Tiling Fish blanket is completely ingenious.
Each of the fish motifs are worked separately and then joined, with a clever steeked technique used for the partial fish at the edges of the blanket. Don’t worry! Full directions are included for this part of the pattern. What could be more fun than a summer spent knitting fish?!
Thanks for this compilation. I am making a simple mitered square blanket for my 90 year old Dad, when my husband says why don’t you knit us a blanket? Thanks for the ideas!
Great idea for summer knitting with wool! And these pattern suggestions are amazing, thank you Jen.
These are all amazing! Thanks for scouting them for us, Jen. So many different styles to choose from! Do any of them repel dog hairs? 😉
Great list, I love the fish! And I’d like to add Where There Never Was A Hat, by Nathan Taylor, based on a mathematical shape called a ‘hat monotile’. I’ve been saving scraps for that one since it came out.
I’ve seen that pattern, it’s so cool! I love geeky stuff like that.
I love going down the rabbit hole of the designer’s designs that Jen finds. She introduces me to some I was not aware of.
My goodness, I better get busy! They are all so beautiful
Fascinating. These are so compelling. Thank you.
I must warn you that these piece blankets are addicting. I couldn’t put down Tiling Fish till it was finished! The Celtic Aran Afghan looks might just be my next! Thank you for the list!
Thank you, Jen!!! What a wonderful selection…and to now know knitting a blanket in summer is possible!
Wow wow wow. Thank you, Jen. I have projects for life now. Blankets take many moons to knit but last for generations. These are all tres cool and compelling!
So many pretty shapes. Thank you so much. I,too, stick to smaller pieces in the summer. I usually make hats and baby sweaters during the warmer weather but these are great suggestions.
I can endorse the Woolly Thoughts patterns – One of the best blankets I’ve ever made was Counting Panes by Woolly Thoughts, in a palette of Felted Tweed colors. I made it in 2008 and it’s still in use, and looking good. I made it for my son’s high school graduation — chose it for it’s nerdy heart.
I’ve had the tiling fish in my pattern queue for years – some day.
Fabulous suggestions thank you! I currently have the MDK Fussy Cuts log cabin blanket as my portable project. And now I have some others to look forward to!
Could the tiling fish pattern be done in a cotton/linen/silk blend type of yarn? My worry is that cotton anything always grows and stretches out so much.
It looks like a really fun project.
Wow, these are amazing patterns! I’m especially love the Escher’s fish pattern blanket. I’m a big fan of his designs. I’m definitely going to bookmark this article – thank you!
Where can I get the patterns for these beautiful blankets?
They’ll all be on Ravelry.
I love Wooly Thoughts! And that fish blanket is amazing, it would be perfect for a baby.
Here is my fear – I HATE sewing up. I can barely sew up a Mother Bear, and I worry that a blanket would leave me perpetually paralyzed. Hints? Tricks? (Part of it is that I feel my sewing up skills do not match my knitting skill……I’m an okay knitter but a very messy sew-er). HELP!
When I recently knitted the Tin Can Knits Vivid blanket (knitted in squares), I ended up crocheting them together. I found that less annoying than sewing them up. 😀 Alternatively, it is possible to pick up stitches along the edges, and then do a three needle cast off. If you have a look on YouTube, you will find lots of ideas for joining knitted pieces, and hopefully one of them will work for you!
My LYS is always asking for class suggestions, perhaps yours would be open to suggestion? A sewing up/together class would be useful!
Outstanding group of designs, Jen. Even better, all but Tiling Fish and The Shieling were new to me. Big thanks!
My LYS is always asking for class suggestions, perhaps yours would be open to suggestion? A sewing up/together class would be useful!
I love that you’ve included a pattern by the lovely Noma Ndlovu. I finished a beautiful wrap of hers earlier this year and I can’t wait for the weather to get cold enough to wear it!
great choices
Indeed worthy choices, all. Warms every quilting knitter’s heart.