Valley Yarns Catawba Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Catawba Knitted Blanket

What is Being Made

The Valley Yarns Catawba is a plush, easy-care knitted blanket designed by Julie Turjoman, ideal for housewarmings and baby showers. This project comes in two versatile sizes: a Baby Blanket measuring 36½" x 40" and a larger Afghan measuring 54¾" x 71¼". The blanket combines comfort with practicality, making it a perennially popular handmade gift that knitters of all skill levels can create.

Techniques Used

This blanket is worked using several key knitting techniques that make it accessible for beginners while producing professional results:

• Bottom-Up Construction: The blanket is knitted from the bottom edge upward, allowing you to try on and adjust sizing as needed
• Seamless, Worked Flat: The entire blanket is created in one continuous piece without seaming, worked flat on circular needles rather than in the round
• Long-Tail Cast-On: The pattern uses the Long-Tail cast-on method to create a sturdy, elastic foundation edge
• Pick-Up and Knit: Side borders are added by picking up stitches along the long edges of the blanket body, eliminating the need for seaming
• Blocking: The finished piece is blocked to achieve precise finished measurements and an even, professional appearance

Stitches Used

The Catawba blanket features a limited stitch palette, making it ideal for beginner knitters:

• Knit 1/Purl 1 Ribbing (K1/P1 Rib): Used for all borders—the top and bottom borders are 10 rows of ribbing, and side borders are also worked in K1/P1 Rib. This creates a classic, structured frame that prevents curling and adds durability to the edges
• Herringbone Stitch Pattern: The main blanket field features a 26-stitch repeat herringbone motif that creates an overlapping texture across the surface. This classic stitch pattern adds visual interest while remaining manageable for beginner-level knitters
• Purl Stitches: Alternating rows of purling between pattern repeats create the characteristic texture

Materials and Gauge

The Catawba blanket is crafted using Valley Yarns Montague, a 100% organic cotton yarn that provides softness and a distinctive bouclé texture. The yarn comes in 50-gram hanks with 110 yards per hank. For the Baby Blanket size, you will need 10 hanks; for the larger Afghan size, 26 hanks are required. The pattern shown features Color 015 - Hibiscus.

Knitting is worked on US size 7 (4.5 mm) circular needles measuring 32"–40" in length, or whatever size is needed to achieve the specified gauge. A single Herringbone motif measures 5¾" wide by 2⅔" tall over 26 stitches and 12 rows. Additional materials include stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and a tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends during finishing.

Skill Level

This project is rated as Beginner difficulty, making it an excellent choice for knitters new to blanket construction. The straightforward stitch patterns, simple shaping, and one-piece construction without complex seaming make the Catawba accessible while still producing a beautiful, gift-quality finished blanket.