Valley Yarns Phoenix Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Phoenix Knit Blanket

What is Being Made

The Valley Yarns Phoenix is a beginner-friendly knit blanket designed by Susan Baron. This finished piece measures approximately 35 inches long by 35 inches wide, making it an ideal size for a baby blanket. The design showcases vibrant color combinations by pairing Valley Yarns Huntington Splash with coordinating Valley Yarns Huntington solid yarn, allowing the multicolored splash yarn to be the visual star of the project while maintaining ease of construction.

Techniques Used

The Phoenix blanket is constructed using several key knitting techniques that keep the project accessible for beginners while creating visual interest. The blanket is worked flat on circular needles, meaning you knit back and forth in rows rather than in the round. The construction is bottom-up, starting from the cast-on edge and building upward to the bind-off edge. The design features seamless construction, eliminating the need for seaming pieces together. Stripes are a dominant design element, created by alternating between the multicolored Ripple pattern rows and solid garter stitch rows. The piece is framed with garter stitch borders on all sides—both top and bottom borders are worked vertically, while side borders are picked up and knit after the main body is complete.

Stitches Used

This project employs two primary stitch patterns. Garter stitch forms the borders and stripe sections, created by knitting every row. This fundamental stitch is perfect for beginners and creates a textured, reversible fabric. The Ripple stitch pattern is the featured stitch, worked over 8 rows and repeated 11 times across each row to create the dynamic, colorful striping effect. The Ripple pattern showcases the variegated colors of the Huntington Splash yarn beautifully while remaining beginner-accessible. The pattern uses the Long-Tail Cast-On method to begin the project, a classic technique that creates a sturdy, professional edge.

Materials and Yarn

The Phoenix blanket requires two coordinating Valley Yarns products. Yarn A is Valley Yarns Huntington Splash in the colorway Amazon River, with 2 hanks needed. This yarn contains 75% Merino Wool and 25% Nylon, offering 436 yards per 100-gram hank. Yarn B is Valley Yarns Huntington in the solid colorway Lemongrass, requiring 3 hanks. This yarn also features a 75% Merino Wool and 25% Nylon blend, with 218 yards per 50-gram hank. The nylon content adds durability and resilience, making this yarn particularly suitable for baby items that require frequent washing. The combination of these two yarns creates softness and what the pattern describes as a delightful squishiness that keeps babies comfortable and warm.

Needles and Notions

Construction requires a US 5 (3.75mm) 32-inch circular needle, or the size needed to achieve proper gauge. Circular needles are used for this flat-worked project because they accommodate the large number of cast-on stitches (187 stitches) comfortably. Additional materials include optional stitch markers to help track the 17-stitch pattern repeats and a tapestry needle for weaving in ends during finishing. The gauge is 17 stitches and 14 rows in the Ripple pattern, measuring 3 inches wide by 1¾ inches high.

Construction Overview

The blanket begins with a garter stitch border of 12 rows worked in Yarn B (Lemongrass). The main body then alternates between 8 rows of Ripple pattern in Yarn A (Huntington Splash) and 6 rows of garter stitch in Yarn B, creating a 14-row repeat that is worked until the piece measures approximately 34 inches from the cast-on edge. A final 12-row garter stitch border in Yarn B completes the top edge. Side borders are picked up along the edges and knit with 12 rows of garter stitch, creating a finished frame around the entire blanket. The pattern concludes with weaving in ends and blocking to achieve final dimensions and even texture.