Rowan Basket Weave Blanket Knitting Pattern

Rowan Basket Weave Blanket

What is Being Made

The Rowan Basket Weave Blanket is a cozy knitted throw designed by Quail Studio. This finished blanket measures approximately 70cm (27½ inches) wide by 80cm (31½ inches) long, making it an ideal size for draping over furniture or snuggling under during cooler months. The blanket features a classic basket weave texture created through strategic alternation of knit and purl stitches, resulting in a visually interesting and tactilely pleasing fabric.

Techniques Used

This blanket is constructed using several key knitting techniques that make it accessible yet rewarding to create:

• Bottom-up construction: The blanket is worked from the cast-on edge upward, allowing you to easily adjust the length as you knit if desired
• Seamless, worked flat: The entire blanket is created as one continuous piece without seaming, eliminating the need for finishing work and ensuring a polished final product
• Garter stitch borders: The top and bottom edges are finished with 6 rows of garter stitch on each end, creating a neat, stable edge that resists curling
• Stocking stitch foundation: The tension is measured over stocking stitch, which provides the baseline for proper gauge throughout the project

Stitches Used

The Rowan Basket Weave Blanket employs a limited but effective stitch palette:

• Garter stitch: Created by knitting every row, this stitch forms the 6-row borders at the beginning and end of the blanket, providing structure and a finished appearance
• Knit stitch (K): The fundamental stitch used throughout the pattern, appearing in both the border sections and the main basket weave repeat
• Purl stitch (P): Used strategically in 10-stitch blocks alternating with knit stitches to create the distinctive basket weave texture
• Basket weave pattern repeat: The main pattern consists of alternating blocks of 10 purled stitches and 10 knitted stitches, worked over two rows at a time. This 32-row repeat is then repeated 7 times throughout the blanket's length, creating the characteristic woven appearance

Materials

Yarn: The Rowan Basket Weave Blanket requires 7 x 50g balls of Rowan Baby Merino Silk DK yarn, for a total of 350 grams. The pattern shown features Snowdrop (colorway 670), a soft neutral shade. This yarn blend combines the softness of merino wool with the lustrous sheen of silk, creating a luxurious fabric suitable for both warmth and elegant drape.

Needles: A 4mm (US size 6) circular needle measuring at least 60cm (24 inches) long is required. The circular needle accommodates the blanket's width comfortably and allows for smooth, even knitting across the full span of 154 cast-on stitches.

Gauge: The pattern specifies a tension of 22 stitches and 30 rows to 10cm (4 inches) measured over stocking stitch using 4mm needles. Achieving proper gauge is essential for the blanket to reach its intended finished measurements and for the basket weave pattern to display correctly.