Flight Pattern Blanket in Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash Merino - Free

Flight Pattern Blanket in Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash Merino

What Is Being Made

The Flight Pattern Blanket is a colorful knitted throw blanket measuring 28 inches wide by 30 inches long. Designed by Amy Bahrt and published by Cascade Yarns, this intermediate-level project features a charted airplane motif set against a striped background, creating a playful aviation-themed textile suitable for home décor or as a gift.

Techniques Used

This blanket employs several fundamental and intermediate knitting techniques. The project uses stranded colorwork with a charted pattern to create the airplane design, requiring knitters to manage multiple yarn colors across rows. Garter stitch forms a textured border frame around the blanket edges, while stockinette stitch creates the smooth main body. The pattern incorporates stripe knitting using alternating color sequences, and includes a dash pattern worked in contrasting colors on the right side of the fabric. Finishing details include button embellishment and embroidery work to complete the design.

Stitches Used

• Garter Stitch: Knit every row to create the 5-stitch border on all sides and the initial 8-row edge foundation
• Stockinette Stitch: Knit on right-side rows and purl on wrong-side rows for the main blanket body, creating a smooth, classic fabric
• Stripe Pattern #1: A 20-row repeating sequence alternating 4 rows of Medium Blue (color A) with 4 rows of Baby Blue (color B)
• Dash Pattern #2: A 2-row pattern worked on right and wrong sides, alternating 2 stitches of White (color C) with 2 stitches of Baby Blue (color B) across the row
• Charted Plane Pattern: A 28-stitch motif worked from a chart over 7 rows using color D (Red) for the airplane design

Materials and Tools

The Flight Pattern Blanket is crafted from Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash Merino, a 100% superwash merino wool yarn. Each 100-gram skein yields 220 yards (200 meters) of yarn. The project requires six colors: 2 skeins each of color #32 (Medium Blue) and color #31 (Baby Blue) for the primary striped background, plus 1 skein each of color #25 (White), color #29 (Red), color #08 (Artisan Gold), color #14 (Kiwi), and color #07 (Bird of Paradise) for accent stripes and the charted airplane motif.

Knitting needles required include a US 7/32-inch circular needle for casting on and the main body work, US 5 and US 7 straight needles for various sections, and a size G/6 crochet hook for finishing. Additional supplies include an embroidery needle for detail work, 3 two-hole buttons measuring ¼ inch in Medium Blue for embellishment, and a yarn needle for weaving in ends. The recommended gauge is 20 stitches by 28 rows over 4 inches (10 centimeters) in stockinette stitch.

Pattern Construction

The blanket begins with casting on 148 stitches using the circular needle and color A (Medium Blue), followed by 8 rows of garter stitch to establish a sturdy foundation edge. Throughout the project, a 5-stitch garter stitch border in color A is maintained at the beginning and end of each row, framing the stockinette stitch body. The central design area is built through multiple sections: an initial 4-row stockinette foundation, a 20-row stripe pattern sequence, 8 rows of solid color B, and the focal point—a 28-stitch charted airplane pattern worked over 7 rows in red. The dash pattern in white and baby blue is worked on either side of the chart for visual interest. Three buttons are positioned as functional or decorative elements, and embroidery details add finishing touches to complete the design.