Valley Yarns Wind Sea Blanket Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Wind Sea Blanket

What is Being Made

The Valley Yarns Wind Sea Blanket is a machine-washable knit throw designed by Kirsten Hipsky. This blanket features dramatic chevron patterns created through slipped stitches that wave across the fabric, creating visual movement and texture. The blanket is available in three finished sizes: 34" x 40" (small), 46" x 52" (medium), and 58" x 64" (large).

Techniques Used

This blanket is worked flat on circular needles using a striped construction method. The primary technique featured throughout the design is slipped stitches, which create the distinctive chevron wave pattern. The slipped stitches are worked with the yarn held to the wrong side of the fabric to create clean, defined lines. The pattern alternates between rows worked with two colors (Blue and Natural) to enhance the visual chevron effect. A garter stitch border frames the main pattern section, providing a finished edge.

Stitches Used

• Knit stitch (K): The foundational stitch used throughout the blanket
• Purl stitch (P): Used on wrong-side rows within the pattern repeats
• Slipped stitches (sl2): Two stitches slipped with yarn held to the wrong side, creating the dramatic chevron pattern
• Garter stitch: Used for the border, created by knitting every row

Materials

This project uses Valley Yarns Haydenville Bulky yarn, a machine-washable blend of 60% Superwash Merino and 40% Acrylic Microfiber. Yardage requirements vary by size: the small blanket requires 8 skeins of color 31 Blue (color A) and 6 skeins of color 02 Natural (color B); the medium requires 11 skeins of Blue and 9 skeins of Natural; and the large requires 16 skeins of Blue and 14 skeins of Natural. Each skein contains 109 yards. The pattern calls for US size 10 (6.00mm) circular needles measuring 40 inches for the main blanket body and US size 8 (5.00mm) circular needles of the same length for the garter stitch border.

Difficulty Level

This blanket is rated as a beginner project, making it accessible to knitters new to the craft. While the slipped stitch technique requires attention to yarn placement and tension, the pattern repeats are straightforward and the construction method is simple. The use of circular needles accommodates the blanket's width comfortably, and the garter stitch border provides a forgiving finishing technique.

Pattern Notes

Knitters should maintain a loose but even tension when working slipped stitches and when carrying yarn up the sides of the blanket. The yarn must always be held to the wrong side of the fabric when slipping stitches—held in back when working right-side rows and held in front when working wrong-side rows. New skeins should be started at the beginning of rows to minimize visible joins. The pattern includes a long-tail cast-on followed by 15 rows of garter stitch before switching to the larger needles and beginning the chevron pattern.