Cascade Yarns Whirligig Ripples Blanket Knitting Pattern

Cascade Yarns Whirligig Ripples Blanket

Project Overview

The Cascade Yarns Whirligig Ripples Blanket is a knitted throw designed for kids' rooms and home décor applications. This seamless, worked-flat blanket measures 32 inches wide by 60 inches long, making it an ideal size for layering on beds or draping over furniture. The pattern is rated Easy Intermediate in skill level and was designed by Shannon Dunbabin.

Construction Method

This blanket is constructed using a bottom-up knitting approach, meaning you begin at the cast-on edge and work toward the bind-off edge. The blanket is worked flat on circular needles rather than in the round, allowing for straightforward row-by-row construction. The seamless construction eliminates the need for seaming, resulting in a continuous, unified fabric from edge to edge.

Lace Techniques and Stitch Work

The Whirligig Ripples Blanket features lace patterning as its primary design element. The stitch pattern repeats across four rows and incorporates fundamental lace-knitting techniques:

• Yarn Overs (YO): These create the openwork characteristic of lace, allowing yarn to pass over the needle to form decorative holes in the fabric
• Knit Two Together (K2tog): This decrease stitch is used to balance the yarn overs and create the directional flow of the lace pattern
• Knit (K) and Purl (P) stitches: These foundational stitches form the base structure between pattern rows

The four-row repeat consists of a pattern row followed by three stockinette rows (knit and purl combinations), creating a rhythm that allows the lace motif to emerge clearly while maintaining fabric stability.

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The blanket is made using Cascade Yarns Whirligig yarn in the Mountain colorway (#16). This yarn is a blend of 60% Superwash Merino Wool, 20% Nylon, and 20% Acrylic. The fiber content provides durability through the nylon component while offering the softness and breathability of merino wool; the acrylic adds warmth and helps with easy care. Each skein contains 7.05 ounces and 546 yards of yarn. The project requires 4 skeins, providing approximately 2,184 yards of total yardage for the finished blanket.

Needles and Gauge

The pattern calls for US 6 (4.0 mm) circular knitting needles in a 30-inch length. Circular needles are used here for their ability to accommodate the width of the blanket comfortably, even though the work is done flat rather than in rounds. The gauge is 25 stitches by 32 rows over 4 inches when worked in pattern, which is essential for achieving the correct finished dimensions of 32 inches by 60 inches.

Pattern Construction Details

The blanket begins with a cast-on of 198 stitches followed by 4 garter stitch rows (knit rows that create a textured edge). The main lace pattern then repeats until the blanket reaches approximately 58 inches in length, after which 4 additional garter stitch rows are worked before binding off loosely. The loose bind-off ensures the edge remains elastic and prevents puckering. The pattern uses a repeating motif that alternates decreases and yarn overs to create the characteristic ripple effect throughout the blanket's surface.

Finishing

After binding off, all yarn ends are woven in using a yarn needle to secure them invisibly within the fabric, completing a polished, professional-looking finished blanket.