Sunburst Baby Blanket

Free Baby Blanket Knitting Pattern

This circular baby blanket is a glorious celebration of the sun, warmth and birth!

The circular shape is a bit unusual for a blanket, but it works quite well for wrapping babies. The bold sunburst pattern on the blanket is formed using short rows.

The blanket is worked sideways, using 2 colors.

Finished Measurements: diameter 42” (105 cm).

Skills Required/Techniques Used:
-Knit & purl, cast on & bind off
-Short rows
-3-Needle-bind-off
-Pick up and knit
-Knitting in-the-round on dpn.

Materials: Lion Wool aran weight yarn (100% wool) 158 yards (144 meters) / 85 grams, color Goldenrod – 5 balls (A)
Wool aran weight yarn (100% wool) 158 yards (144 meters) / 85 grams, color White – 5 balls (B)
Or use
Red Heart (affiliate link) Super Saver Solids aran weight yarn (100% acrylic), color Natural, 333 m (364 yds)/198 g - 2 skeins (B)
Red Heart (affiliate link) Super Saver Solids aran weight yarn (100% acrylic), color Saffron, 333 m (364 yds)/198 g - 2 skeins (A)

Needles: size 8 (5 mm) needles OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE.

Gauge: 13 st x 32 rows = 4" x 4" (10 x 10 cm) in garter stitch.

Abbreviations:
k - knit
p - purl
k2tog - knit 2 together
w&t - wrap and turn
pu&k- pick up and knit
St, sts – stitch, stitches
Sl st – slip stitch
RS - right side
WS - wrong side

Pattern Notes:

Garter Stitch in rows:
All rows – knit

Garter Stitch in rounds:
Round 1: knit
Round 2: purl
Repeat 2 rounds

Stockinette Stitch in rounds:
All rounds - knit

The selvedge/edge stitches for chain selvedge are worked as follows: slip the first st and purl the last one.
Note: it is important to work chain selvedge on the edges of the blanket body, since the stitches for the border and the center of the blanket are picked up along the chain selvedge.

Wrap and turn in the short rows:
With yarn in front slip 1 stitch to the right needle.
Move yarn between the needles to the back.
Slip the stitch back to the left needle.
Turn the work and bring yarn back to the wrong side between the needles.

3-needle bind off: is used to seam the edges of the knitted work. For this, fold the working piece, RS inside, and align the edges that need to be connected. Hold the needles parallel in your left hand and slip a third (working) needle into the first stitch on each of the two parallel needles. Wrap yarn around the working needle and knit the two stitches together. Allow the first stitch from each of the parallel needles to fall from the needles.

*Knit together the new first stitch on both parallel needles in the same way as above. There will be two stitches on the working needle. Pass the first stitch on the working needle over the second stitch and off the needle, as you normally would when binding off.

Repeat from * until only one stitch remains on the working needle. Cut yarn and pull the end through the last stitch to tie off.


Provisional cast-on: A provisional cast-on is a temporary cast-on that can be removed to reveal live stitches, which you can continue working. There are several methods to do a provisional cast-on. You can use your favorite.


Blanket

The blanket is worked sideways with short rows using 2 yarn colors. The set of short rows, which form each ray of the sun, is repeated until they form a circle. Then the first and the last rows are joined with 3-needle bind off. They can also be seamed. Then the stitches are picked up on the set of dpn, along the opening in the center and several rounds of the stockinette worked to close the opening. For the border, the stitches are picked up along the outer edge of the blanket and a garter stitch border is worked.

Note: short rows are numbered as full rows. The stitch count provided for the number of stitches worked in any particular row. There are no decreases or increases in the body of the blanket.


With A yarn cast on 72 stitches using your favorite provisional cast on method.
Note: the 1st and the last stitches are selvedge sts. The first st is to be s1ipped, the last to be purled.

Row 1 (RS): Sl1, k70, p1. (72 sts)
Row 2 (WS): Sl1, k70, p1.
Row 3: Sl1, k63, w&t. (65 sts)
Row 4: K63, p1. (64 sts)
Row 5: with color B, Sl1, k7, w&t. (9 sts)
Row 6: K7, p1. (8 sts)
Row 7: Sl1, k7, work wrapped stitch together with wrap, k6, w&t. (16 sts)
Row 8: K14, p1. (15 sts)
Row 9: Sl1, k14, work wrapped stitch together with wrap, k6, w&t. (23 sts)
Row 10: K21, p1. (22 sts)
Row 11: Sl1, k21, work wrapped stitch together with wrap, k6, w&t. (30 sts)
Row 12: K28, p1. (29 sts)
Row 13: Sl1, k28, work wrapped stitch together with wrap, k6, w&t. (37 sts)
Row 14: K35, p1. (36 sts)
Row 15: Sl1, k35, work wrapped stitch together with wrap, k6, w&t. (44 sts)
Row 16: K42, p1. (43 sts)
Row 17: with color A, Sl1, k42, work wrapped stitch together with wrap, k20, work wrapped stitch together with wrap, k2, w&t. (68 sts)
Row 18: K66, p1. (67 sts)
Row 19: With color B, Sl1, k52, w&t. (54 sts)
Row 20: K52, p1. (53 sts)
Row 21: Sl1, k45, w&t. (47 sts)
Row 22: K45, p1. (46 sts)
Row 23: Sl1, k38, w&t. (40 sts)
Row 24: K38, p1. (39 sts)
Row 25: Sl1, k31, w&t. (33 sts)
Row 26: K31, p1. (32 sts)
Row 27: Sl1, k24, w&t. (26 sts)
Row 28: K24, p1. (25 sts)
Row 29: Sl1, k17, w&t. (19 sts)
Row 30: K17, p1. (18 sts)
Row 31: with color A, Sl1, k17, (work wrapped stitch together with wrap, k6) x 5, work wrapped stitch together with wrap, k3, w&t. (58 sts)
Row 32: K56, p1. (57 sts)
Repeat rows 1-32 twenty nine (29) times.

Unravel the waste thread from the provisional cast-on and transfer the stitches to the needle. Starting from the outer edge of the blanket, fold the blanket with right side inwards and bind off the stitches using the 3-needle bind-off method. Don’t cut the yarn.


Center

The center is worked in color A, in stockinette stitch, in rounds, on dpn.

Pu&k 28 st along the inside edge of the blanket on dpn. Distribute sts evenly on 4 dpn. Place a marker to mark the beginning of the round.
Round 1: *k2, k2tog, from * repeat to the last 4 sts, k4. (22 sts)
Round 2: *k1, k2tog, from * repeat to the last st, k1. (15 sts)
Round 3: *k1, k2tog, from * repeat to the end of the round (10 sts).
Cut yarn, leaving a 10" (25 cm) tail. Pull through all the remaining sts and secure.


Border

The border is worked in color A in garter stitch.

Pu&k 464 st along the outer edge of the blanket, using one chain selvedge loop for one stitch. Join to work in-the-round. Place a marker at the beginning of the round.
Round1: knit
Round 2: purl
Round 3 (increase round): k1, *m1, k16, from * repeat to the end of the round, end with k15. (493 sts).
Round 4: purl.
Round 5: knit.
Round 6: purl.
Round 7 (increase round): k7, *m1, k17, from * repeat to the end of the round, end with k 10. (522 sts)
Round 8: purl.
Round 9: knit.
Round 10: purl.
Bind off.


Finishing

Weave in yarn ends. Block.

Have fun!

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