Plymouth Yarn Mitered Square Baby Blanket Knitting Pattern

Plymouth Yarn Mitered Square Baby Blanket

Project Overview

This downloadable knitting pattern from Plymouth Yarn creates a charming mitered square baby blanket with an approximate finished size of 25 inches by 30 inches. The design combines a main color body worked in mitered squares with a contrasting color border, making it an ideal project for knitters interested in modular construction and lace techniques.

What Is Being Made

The Plymouth Yarn Mitered Square Baby Blanket is a knitted throw blanket constructed from individual mitered squares that are joined together as you work. The blanket features an 8-square-wide by 10-square-tall grid of mitered squares in the main color, finished with a decorative lace border in a contrasting color. This modular approach allows for flexibility in final dimensions and makes the project manageable in sections.

Techniques Used

This pattern employs mitered square construction, a technique where squares are decreased toward a center point to create a diagonal fold effect. The squares are worked flat on straight needles, with new squares picked up and knit from the edges of previously completed squares, creating a seamless joined fabric. The lace technique appears in the border, which incorporates yarn overs to create an openwork edging. The pattern uses a combination of knit and purl stitches to shape the mitered squares and create textural interest.

Stitches and Special Techniques

The pattern utilizes several fundamental knitting stitches and one special decrease stitch:

• Knit stitch (K) – the primary stitch throughout the mitered squares
• Purl stitch (P) – used on wrong-side rows and as a center stitch marker within rows
• Yarn over (yo) – creates the lace openings in the border
• Double decrease (DD) – a special stitch defined as slip 2 stitches together as if to knit 2 together, knit 1, then pass the 2 slipped stitches over the knitted stitch. This centered decrease is worked at the center of each row to create the mitered effect

The mitered square pattern follows a specific sequence where decreases occur every other row at the center point, gradually reducing the stitch count until only one stitch remains, which is then fastened off.

Materials and Gauge

The pattern calls for Plymouth Yarn Encore Colorspun in color #7652 for the main color (MC), requiring 3 balls for the mitered squares. Plymouth Yarn Encore Worsted in color #464 is used for the contrasting color (CC) border, requiring 1 ball. The recommended gauge is 18 stitches over 4 inches when working in pattern stitch using US size 8 knitting needles, or whatever needle size is necessary to obtain the correct gauge.

Needles and Tools

This project requires US size 7 knitting needles for the border and US size 8 knitting needles for the main mitered squares. The pattern also calls for a tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends and any finishing work.

Construction Method

The blanket is constructed by working individual mitered squares in sequence. The first square (Square #1) is cast on with 21 stitches and worked through a series of decreasing rows until completion. Subsequent squares are created by picking up stitches along the edges of previously worked squares and casting on additional stitches as needed. This pick-up-and-knit method creates a seamless joined fabric without requiring seaming. The pattern specifies working from right to left, building the blanket in a grid formation. The border is worked separately using smaller needles and applied to the outer edges, incorporating lace elements through yarn overs to create a finished, decorative edge.