Third Piece The Berkshires Blanket Knitting Pattern

Third Piece The Berkshires Blanket: Funky Chunky Herringbone Knit Throw

What Is Being Made

The Third Piece The Berkshires Blanket is a luxurious knitted throw blanket featuring a distinctive herringbone stitch pattern. This downloadable knitting pattern produces a finished blanket available in three generous sizes: Small (36" x 50"), Medium (42" x 60"), and Large (50" x 72"). The blanket is designed as an intermediate-level knitting project and includes decorative double-stranded fringe along both sides for added texture and visual interest.

Techniques and Construction Method

This blanket is worked flat on straight needles, making it an accessible project for knitters who prefer traditional flat knitting over circular needle techniques. The construction begins with a long tail cast on, which provides a sturdy, professional foundation edge. The herringbone pattern is created through a two-row repeat that combines knit and purl stitches in a specific sequence, producing the characteristic diagonal crossed-stitch appearance that defines herringbone knitting.

The pattern employs a slip-stitch technique at the beginning of each row for a neat selvage edge. The herringbone effect itself is achieved through a combination of slipped stitches worked knitwise and knit stitches, followed by a return row using purl two together decreases. This creates the interlocking, woven appearance characteristic of herringbone patterns. The blanket is completed with a bind-off edge and finished with hand-attached fringe.

Stitches Used

• Knit stitch (k): The fundamental stitch creating the base fabric
• Purl stitch (p): Used in the return rows to build the herringbone texture
• Slip stitch (sl1): Worked knitwise to create selvage edges and the decorative herringbone pattern
• Purl two together (p2tog): A decrease stitch that reduces stitch count while creating the interlocking diagonal lines of the herringbone pattern
• Long tail cast on: The foundation technique for creating the initial stitches
• Bind off: The finishing technique securing the final row

Materials and Yarn Specifications

This pattern calls for Funky Chunky by The Third Piece, a premium yarn composed of 100% super soft merino wool. The yarn is supplied in balls weighing 200 grams with 82 yards per ball. Yardage requirements vary by blanket size: the Small blanket requires 7 balls, the Medium requires 11 balls, and the Large requires 14 balls. This chunky-weight yarn creates a quick-knitting project with excellent drape and softness.

The pattern specifies US #19 (15mm) needles, which are appropriately sized for the chunky yarn weight and create the desired fabric density. The gauge is established at 10 stitches equals 4 inches in the herringbone pattern, which knitters should verify before beginning to ensure proper finished dimensions.

Fringe Finishing

The blanket is enhanced with decorative double-stranded fringe applied to both long sides. The fringe is created by cutting yarn strands to 14 inches in length and attaching them in sets. Depending on blanket size, the pattern requires cutting between 88 and 132 individual strands, which are then grouped into 44 to 66 sets of double-stranded fringe and distributed evenly along each side edge.