Third Piece The Stowe Blanket Knitting Pattern

Third Piece The Stowe Blanket: Funky Chunky Cabled Blanket

What is Being Made

The Stowe Blanket is a cabled throw blanket available in three finished sizes: Small (36" x 50"), Medium (42" x 60"), and Large (50" x 72"). This intermediate-level knitting project combines decorative cable work with seed stitch borders to create a textured, cozy blanket suitable for layering on sofas or beds.

Craft and Project Type

This is a knitting project worked flat on straight needles. The blanket is constructed as a single rectangular piece from cast-on through bind-off, making it an accessible project for knitters with intermediate experience who are comfortable managing stitch counts and following multi-row pattern repeats.

Techniques Used

The Stowe Blanket employs several key knitting techniques to achieve its finished design:

• Cable stitches form the visual centerpiece of the blanket. Two distinct cable variations are used: C6B (cable 6 back) and C6F (cable 6 front), both created by slipping stitches onto a cable needle, holding it to the back or front of the work, and then knitting in a specific sequence to create the twisted rope-like texture characteristic of cable knitting.
• Seed stitch provides textured borders framing the cable sections. This reversible stitch pattern alternates knit and purl stitches in a checkerboard arrangement, creating visual interest and helping the blanket lie flat.
• Ribbing appears at both the beginning and end of the blanket, using a 2x2 rib pattern (alternating 2 knit and 2 purl stitches) to create a structured edge with subtle elasticity.
• Slip stitch edge technique is used throughout, where the first stitch of every row is slipped rather than knitted, creating a neat, finished selvage edge.
• Crochet cast-on begins the project, providing a flexible foundation edge.

Stitches Used

The pattern relies on fundamental knitting stitches combined in structured ways:

• Knit (k) and purl (p) stitches form the foundation of all stitch patterns in the blanket.
• Slip stitch (sl) is used both for edge definition and as part of the cable stitch technique.
• Cable stitches (C6B and C6F) are specialty stitches created by manipulating groups of six stitches using a cable needle.
• Seed stitch combines knit and purl stitches in alternating rows to create texture.
• Ribbing alternates knit and purl stitches in vertical columns.

Materials and Tools

The Stowe Blanket is designed to be worked with Funky Chunky by The Third Piece, a 100% super soft merino wool yarn. Yardage requirements vary by size: the Small blanket requires 6 balls, the Medium requires 10 balls, and the Large requires 12 balls. Each ball contains 200 grams and yields 82 yards of yarn.

Needles required are US #19 (15 mm) straight needles, which are appropriately sized for the chunky yarn weight. A cable needle is essential for executing the cable stitch techniques that define this blanket's pattern.

Pattern Structure and Gauge

The blanket is worked in a structured sequence: an initial ribbed border (5" to 7" depending on size), followed by the main cable pattern section repeated until the blanket reaches approximately 45" in length, and finished with a final ribbed border matching the beginning. The working gauge is 6 stitches and 10 rows over 4 inches in stockinette stitch, which helps determine the final dimensions of the finished blanket.

Design Details

The cable pattern features a central focal point with 12-stitch cables (created using C6B and C6F combinations) flanked by smaller 2-stitch cables and seed stitch panels. This arrangement creates a balanced, symmetrical design that draws the eye toward the center of the blanket while the seed stitch sections provide visual breathing room and textural contrast. The pattern repeats every 8 rows, allowing for consistent, meditative knitting once the sequence is established.