Free Baby Blanket or Lap Afghan Knitting Pattern
This charming blanket or lapghan uses brioche knitting to create an intricate geometric pattern. As with a lot of Brioche patterns, the blanket is fully reversible. The pattern is not too difficult, but prior experience knitting Brioche is recommended.
Skills required:
To knit this blanket, you have to know how to knit 2-color brioche stitch, and make brioche decreases.
Size: length 40” (100 cm), width 40” (100 cm)
Materials: Knit Picks (affiliate link) Wool of the Andes 100% wool worsted weight yarn 110 yards (101 meters) / 50 grams, color Sapphire Heather – 8 skeins. (DC)
Knit Picks (affiliate link) Wool of the Andes 100% wool worsted weight yarn 110 yards (101 meters) / 50 grams, color White – 8 skeins. (LC)
Notions: stitch markers, yarn/tapestry needle.
Needles: US 6 (4.0 mm) circular needles 24” (60 cm) or longer.
Gauge:
16 sts x 20 rows = 4" x 4" (10cm x 10cm) In 2-color brioche st:
Note, that 1 row of brioche consists of 1 row of LC and 1 row of DC
Abbreviations
Please note that I use Nancy Marchant terminology for brioche stitch. I highly recommend her books Knitting Brioche: The Essential Guide to the Brioche Stitch and Knitting Fresh Brioche: Creating Two-Color Twists & Turns.
yf - yarn forward: bring the yarn to the front, between the tips of the needles.
yb - yarn back: take the yarn to the back, between the tips of the needles.
sl1yof - slip 1, yarn over, yarn to front: with working yarn in front, slip the next stitch purlwise, then bring the yarn over the needle and the slipped stitch, then bring yarn back around to the front, ready to purl the following stitch.
yfsl1yo - yarn forward, slip 1, yarn over: bring the working yarn between the tips of the needles to front of work, slip the next stitch purlwise, then bring the yarn over the needle and the slipped stitch. Leave yarn in back, ready to knit the next stitch.
brk - brioche knit: knit the stitch together with its accompanying yarnover
brp - brioche purl: purl the stitch together with its accompanying yarnover
3-3 (brioche gathered 3 into 3 st) –slip the next st (the marked st with its yarn over) knitwise, onto the right-hand needle.
Brk together 2 next sts (sl1yo and next brk), inserting right-hand needle into brk first, DO NOT take these 2 sts off the left-hand needle, yo, insert right-hand needle into these 2 sts again and pull another st (now you have 3 sts made out of those 2 sts),
with left needle pass the slipped st over 3 sts.
LS – light side
DS – dark side
LC – light color
DC- dark color
k – knit
p – purl
sl1 – slip 1 (knitwise for the 1st stitch in a row).
Pattern Notes
Two-Color Brioche Stitch – Basic Instructions
These instructions are included as a guide to the technique, and as instructions for swatching.
A single brioche row is worked in two passes, one in light color (LC) and the other in dark color (DC). Both colors are worked in one direction, then the work is turned and both colors are worked in the other direction. The light side (LS) of the project is first worked in light color (LC) yarn, then in dark color (DC) yarn. The LS of the work is where brk stitches are worked in light color (LC) yarn.
Odd number of stitches
Set-up row (LC): k1, *sl1yof, p1, rep from *, to last 2 sts, sl1yof, p1. Do not turn, slide work to the other end of the needle.
Set-up row (DC): sl1, yb, *brk1, yfsl1yo, repeat from * to last 2 sts, brk1, yb, sl last st. Turn.
Row 1 (LS, LC): k1, *yfsl1yo, brk1, repeat from * to last 2 sts, yfsl1yo, k1. Do not turn, slide work to the other end of the needle.
Row 1 (LS, DC): sl1, yf, *brp1, sl1yof, repeat from * to last 2 sts, brp1, yb, slip last st. Turn.
Row 2 (DS, LC): p1, *sl1yof, brp1, repeat from * to last 2 sts, sl1yof, p1. DO not turn, slide work to the other end of the needle.
Row 2 (DS, DC): sl1, yb, *brk1, yfsl1yo, repeat from * to last 2 sts, brk1, yf, sl last st. Turn.
Chain Selvedge
When working the selvedge stitches at the beginning and the end of the row, at the start of the LC rows, always bring LC under the DC.
Short Overview of the pattern
The blanket is worked in 2-color brioche stitch, dark (DC) and light color (LC) yarns are used. The blanket alternates rows of straight brioche st, and a brioche lattice, which is achieved by working br3-3 (brioche gathered 3 into 3 st).
Blanket
Using 2 strands of yarn (LC and DC), cast on 183 sts.
Setup Row (DS LC): k1, (p1, yf sl1yo) 2 times, p1, [(yf sl1yo, p1) 2 times] 43 times, yf sl1yo, p1, yf sl1yo, p2. 183 sts.
Setup Row (DS DC): k1, (yf sl1yo, brk) 2 times, yf sl1yo, [(brk, yf sl1yo) 2 times] 43 times, (brk, yf sl1yo) 2 times, p1.
Row 1 (LS LC): sl, (brk, yf sl1yo) 2 times, [(brk, yf sl1yo) 2 times] 43 times, (brk, yf sl1yo) 2 times, brk, p1.
Row 1 (LS DC): sl, (yf sl1yo, brp) 2 times, [(yf sl1yo, brp) 2 times] 43 times, (yf sl1yo, brp) 2 times, yf sl1yo, p1.
Row 2 (DS LC): sl wyif, (brp, yf sl1yo) 2 times, brp, [(yf sl1yo, brp) 2 times] 43 times, (yf sl1yo, brp) 2 times, p1.
Row 2 (DS DC): sl wyif, (yf sl1yo, brk) 2 times, yf sl1yo, [(brk, yf sl1yo) 2 times] 43 times, (brk, yf sl1yo) 2 times, p1.
Repeat rows 1-2 thirty (30) more times both LC and DC.
Row 33 (LS LC): sl, 3-3, yf sl1yo, [3-3, yf sl1yo] 43 times, 3-3, yf sl1yo, brk, p1.
Row 33 (LS DC): sl, yf sl1yo, p1, yf sl1yo, brp, [yf sl1yo, p1, yf sl1yo, brp] 43 times, yf sl1yo, p1, yf sl1yo, brp, yf sl1yo, p1.
Row 34 (DS LC): repeat row 2.
Row 34 (DS DC): repeat row 2.
Row 35 (LS LC): sl, brk, yf sl1yo, 3-3, [yf sl1yo, 3-3] 43 times, yf sl1yo, 3-3, p1.
Row 35 (LS DC): sl, yf sl1yo, brp, yf sl1yo, p1, yf sl1yo, [brp, yf sl1yo, p1, yf sl1yo] 43 times, brp, (yf sl1yo, p1) 2 times.
Row 36 (DS LC): sl wyif, (brp, yf sl1yo) 2 times, [(brp, yf sl1yo) 2 times] 43 times, (brp, yf sl1yo) 2 times, brp, p1.
Row 36 (DS DC): sl wyif, (yf sl1yo, brk) 2 times, [(yf sl1yo, brk) 2 times] 43 times, (yf sl1yo, brk) 2 times, yf sl1yo, p1.
Repeat rows 33-36 three (3) more times both LC and DC.
Repeat rows 1-48 two (2) more times.
Repeat rows 1-32 one (1) more time.
Bind off.
Finishing:
Block.
Have fun!
Patterns: | Knit >> Afghans |
Difficulty Level: | 3-Intermediate |
Technique: | Brioche |
Yarn Weight: | Worsted |
Yarn Brand: | Knit Picks |