Ella Rae Blanket Knitting Pattern

Ella Rae Nordic Winter Afghan & Cushion

Project Overview

This downloadable knitting pattern from Ella Rae presents a coordinated set consisting of a Nordic Winter Afghan blanket and matching cushion cover. Both pieces feature charted colorwork designs inspired by Nordic aesthetics, combined with textured cable blocks to create visual interest and dimension. The project is worked primarily in stockinette stitch with strategic cable sections, making it suitable for knitters with intermediate colorwork and cable experience.

Afghan Blanket Specifications

The Afghan blanket measures 45¼ inches (115 cm) wide by 62¼ inches (158 cm) long, making it a generous throw-sized blanket suitable for draping over furniture or use as a bed topper. The blanket is constructed using a modular block approach, combining charted intarsia colorwork blocks with cable-textured blocks that are subsequently seamed together.

Cushion Cover Specifications

The cushion cover is designed to fit an 18-inch (46 cm) square cushion pad, making it a coordinating accent piece to the larger afghan. The cushion features similar Nordic-inspired charted colorwork, allowing for design continuity throughout the set.

Techniques and Stitch Methods

This pattern employs multiple advanced knitting techniques to achieve its finished aesthetic:

• Intarsia colorwork: Used for the main charted blocks, this technique involves working with multiple colors within rows to create the Nordic pattern designs. Colors are joined and cut as required throughout the charted sections.
• Stranded colorwork elements: The pattern incorporates color changes managed through strategic yarn joining and cutting rather than carrying yarn across the back.
• Cable knitting: Seventeen cable blocks are constructed separately using cable stitches and a cable needle, adding textural contrast to the colorwork sections.
• Stockinette stitch: The primary stitch used throughout both the charted colorwork blocks and the base of the cable blocks.
• Seaming: All blocks are joined together using mattress stitch, as indicated by the blanket diagram provided in the pattern.
• Worked flat: All pieces are knitted flat on straight needles rather than in the round, with pieces bound off and subsequently assembled.
• Bottom-up construction: Blocks are cast on and worked upward from the base to the top edge before binding off.

Charted Design Elements

The pattern includes customizable numbered blocks (0-9) that allow knitters to personalize their afghan with a relevant date. These numbers are integrated into dotted sections within the main chart, enabling the creation of a dated keepsake. The charted sections are worked entirely in stockinette stitch, beginning with a knit row, and the charts provide row-by-row guidance for color placement.

Cable Block Construction

The pattern requires 17 cable blocks to be made separately. Each cable block is cast on with 39 stitches using the specified needles. The first row incorporates a knit-front-and-back (Kfb) increase to create 50 stitches, which are then worked through a 46-row charted pattern featuring cable and purl stitches. After completing the chart, decreases (K2tog) are worked to return the block to 39 stitches before binding off. These textured blocks provide dimensional contrast when seamed between the charted colorwork sections.

Materials and Yarn

The pattern calls for Ella Rae Cashmereno Aran yarn, a premium blend suitable for creating garments and homeware with excellent drape and softness.

For the Afghan Blanket:

• Yarn A (Shade 16 Graphite): 9 balls of 100g each
• Yarn B (Shade 15 Magnolia): 3 balls of 100g each
• Yarn C (Shade 17 Keystone): 6 balls of 100g each

For the Cushion Cover:

• Yarn A (Shade 16 Graphite): 2 balls of 100g each
• Yarn B (Shade 15 Magnolia): 1 ball of 100g
• Yarn C (Shade 17