Malabrigo Springbanks Blanket Knitting Pattern

Malabrigo Springbanks Hexagon-Motif Blanket

What Is Being Made

The Malabrigo Springbanks is a hexagon-motif blanket designed by Annabelle Speer, featured in Malabrigo Book 8: In Central Park. This is a medium-sized throw blanket measuring approximately 58½ inches in length and 40 inches at its widest point, making it an ideal size for draping over furniture or using as a cozy lap throw. The blanket is constructed from individual hexagonal motifs that are seamed together to create the finished piece.

Techniques Used

This blanket employs two primary knitting techniques to achieve its finished structure:

• Worked in the Round: Each hexagon motif is knitted in the round using double-pointed needles, allowing for seamless construction of the individual geometric units. This technique eliminates the need for turning the work and creates a continuous spiral of stitches.
• Seamed Construction: Once all motifs are completed, they are sewn together using a seaming technique according to a provided diagram. This modular approach allows knitters to work on portable pieces before assembling the final blanket.

Stitches Used

The Springbanks pattern utilizes fundamental knitting stitches suitable for an easy skill level:

• Knit Stitch (K): The primary stitch used throughout the motif construction, creating the stockinette texture of the hexagons.
• Knit Two Together (K2tog): A right-leaning decrease stitch used to shape the hexagon by reducing stitches at strategic points in the pattern.
• Slip, Slip, Knit (ssk): A left-leaning decrease stitch that works in conjunction with K2tog to create balanced, symmetrical hexagon shaping.

The pattern repeats a simple three-round sequence—knit, decrease, knit—multiple times to gradually reduce the stitches from the initial 60 cast-on stitches down to 6 stitches, which are then closed using a yarn thread method.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

Yarn: The Springbanks blanket is worked using Mecha by Malabrigo, a superwash merino wool yarn. The project requires 12 hanks total, with 6 hanks each in two colorways: #881 Lluvias (Color A) and #416 Indiecita (Color B). Each hank weighs 3½ ounces and contains approximately 130 yards of yardage, providing approximately 1,560 yards of total yardage for the complete blanket.

Needles: One set of four size 11 (8mm) double-pointed needles is required to work the motifs in the round. The gauge produced by these needles should result in each completed hexagon motif measuring 6½ inches in diameter.

Pattern Structure and Motif Details

The blanket is composed of 59 total hexagon motifs: 30 motifs worked in Color A (Lluvias) and 29 motifs worked in Color B (Indiecita). This alternating color arrangement creates visual interest and balance throughout the finished piece. Each motif begins with casting on 60 stitches, which are divided evenly across three double-pointed needles (20 stitches per needle) and joined to work in the round. Stitch markers are placed to divide the work into six equal sections of 10 stitches, establishing the hexagon's six-sided structure. The motif is then worked through a series of decrease rounds that progressively reduce the stitch count while maintaining the hexagonal shape, ultimately closing with a yarn thread pulled through the remaining 6 stitches.

Skill Level and Finishing

This pattern is rated as easy skill level, making it accessible to knitters with basic experience. The straightforward stitch repertoire and repetitive motif construction allow knitters to develop rhythm and consistency. The finishing process involves seaming the completed motifs together according to a provided diagram, which determines the final blanket configuration and shape.