Knitting a blanket is a huge project but what can also be the easiest one. All you need is your circular knitting needles (or even single pointed needles) and yarn. You can plan your own design or follow any pattern. With just a gauge swatch and knowledge of knit and purl stitches, even beginners can knit a blanket. Before you begin, consider these points:
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The Recipient of the Blanket
When making a blanket you may have thought about a recipient of this lovely project. Maybe it’s for you, a baby or a friend or loved one. Now the blanket user will help us decide the yarn and knitting needles. If it’s for a baby, you will want soft cotton in a mid-size. Whereas if it’s for a winter throw for an adult, you can choose chunky yarn. Besides, the yarn weight and fiber you can also decide how much yarn you’ll be needing.
Here’s an easy guide for reference:
Type of Blanket | Width x Height (inches) |
Pet | 24″ x 24″ |
Bassinet | 16″ x 36″ |
Crib | 30″ x 54″ |
Lap Blanket | 36″ x 48″ |
Child | 42″ x 48″ |
Couch Throw | 48″ x 72″ |
Twin Bed | 48″ x 78″ |
Queen Bed | 66″ x 84 |
King Bed | 80″ x 84″ |
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Circular needles to use – Interchangeable or fixed Circular Needles?
Now that you have settled upon yarn, the next step is to decide the knitting needles. The knitting needle sizes are mentioned on the yarn label or the pattern. As we had mentioned above that this is a guide on knitting a blanket of circular needles, we’ll be talking about the versatile needle range.
Now though we spoke about circular needles, the choice of fixed circulars or interchangeable ones is dependent on you, just make sure you have cord lengths between 32” (80 cm) to 40” (100 cm), as they are the common needle lengths to accommodate your blanket project.
Fixed circular needles have the cord permanently attached to the needles but come in different lengths, if you have the right size you can easily go forward with making a blanket. Having an interchangeable circular needle set is generally recommended by most knitters. It gives you the versatility of changing out needle sizes and cord lengths that serves you well for this project and many more.
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Knit a Gauge Swatch
Before you start with your actual knitting it is ideal to make a gauge swatch. Follow your knitting plan or pattern and simply knit at least 6” x 6” size swatch. Make sure to block the swatch for accurate numbers. A test swatch will give you an idea of how the project will turn out, and the yarn you’ll need. The best thing about the baby blanket is that you can use these patches on your project and not abandon or rip them.
Now, it’s time to cast on the stitches. With your circular needles, all you need to do is knit back and forth. Make sure to turn the WIP after each row. Blankets can be made with basic knit and purl stitches, such as garter or stockinette stitches. Simple textured stitches (seed stitch, moss, basketweave, etc,) also look and feel great. If you have a lot of stash, this is an ideal opportunity to go stash busting. If you want to try out new stitches, again you’ve got an excellent chance- knit small squares and join them into a blanket.
Hopefully, we’ve covered everything you need to knit a blanket of circular knitting needles. Happy blanket-knitting!