Rowan Peony Blanket Knitting Pattern

Rowan Peony Blanket by Georgia Farrell

Project Overview

The Rowan Peony Blanket is an intermediate-level knitting project that creates a beautiful patchwork throw using modular square construction. This downloadable PDF pattern offers two size options: a smaller blanket measuring 73.5 cm (29 inches) wide by 105 cm (41¼ inches) long, and a larger blanket measuring 105 cm (41¼ inches) wide by 147 cm (57¾ inches) long. The design uses a charming color-blocking approach with Rowan Cotton Wool yarn in multiple coordinating shades.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a cozy knitted blanket or throw constructed from individual basic squares that are joined together to form the finished piece. The modular approach allows crafters to work on manageable square units before assembling them into the complete blanket. The smaller blanket requires 70 basic squares, while the larger blanket uses 140 basic squares, each measuring 10.5 cm (4¼ inches) when completed.

Knitting Techniques Used

The Peony Blanket employs several fundamental knitting techniques suitable for intermediate crafters. The primary construction method uses garter stitch throughout, which creates a textured, reversible fabric with consistent appearance on both sides. The pattern incorporates yarn forward increases (yfwd) for shaping the squares, as well as knit through the back loop (K1 tbl) stitches for creating decorative edges. Decrease techniques using knit two together (K2tog) are used to shape the squares as they progress. The pattern also involves color changes between rows, requiring careful yarn management and weaving in of ends during finishing.

Stitches Used

• Garter Stitch (g st): The foundation stitch used throughout the entire project, created by knitting every row to produce horizontal ridges
• Yarn Forward (yfwd): An increase technique used to add stitches and create the expanding shape of each square
• Knit Through Back Loop (K1 tbl): A decorative stitch variation used on alternate rows to create a refined edge detail
• Knit Two Together (K2tog): A decrease technique used to reduce stitches and shape the squares as they contract toward completion
• Cast On and Cast Off: Basic techniques for beginning and finishing each individual square

Materials and Yarn

The Rowan Peony Blanket is designed to be worked with Rowan Cotton Wool, a blend yarn available in a palette of soft, coordinating colors. The smaller blanket requires 10 balls of yarn in two primary colors (Giggle 212 and Pickles 208), with 10 balls of each color needed. The larger blanket uses yarn A and yarn B as the primary colors throughout, requiring 140 basic squares in alternating color combinations. The complete color palette includes: Milky 201, Mushy 202, Giggle 212, Tiny 203, Naptime 204, Dolly 206, Moon 211, Cuddle 210, Tiptoe 205, Piglet 207, Nutkin 209, and Pickles 208. Each color is available in 50-gram balls.

Needles and Tools

The pattern calls for one pair of 4mm (US size 6) needles to work all squares. This needle size is paired with the Rowan Cotton Wool yarn to achieve the specified tension of 20 stitches and 38 rows over 10 centimeters in garter stitch.

Pattern Construction Details

Each basic square begins with casting on 3 stitches and working in garter stitch throughout. The square expands through yarn forward increases worked on right-side rows, with knit through back loop stitches on wrong-side rows creating a decorative edge. After 30 rows of expansion, the first color is broken off and a second color is joined. Two rows of solid knitting in the new color create a color block, followed by 26 rows of decreasing using knit two together on right-side rows until only 3 stitches remain. The square is then cast off. The completed squares measure 10.5 centimeters (4¼ inches) square and are joined following a provided diagram to create the finished blanket.

Finishing and Assembly

After all individual squares are completed, they are pressed according to the pattern's finishing instructions. The squares are then neatly joined together following the color diagram provided in the pattern to form the completed blanket. The diagram indicates the placement of color A and color B squares throughout the