New Purl Soho Kit: The Super Easy Baby Blanket!

More than two years ago Whitney designed our Super Easy Baby Blanket, and to this day it remains one of The Purl Bee’s most popular patterns. Customers love its simplicity, “super easy” means super easy!

People also love its modern, graphic sensibility, something that can often be hard to find in the world of hand knit baby blankets. We love it for its invitation to play with Alchemy’s amazingly beautiful palette of colors.

We’re excited to tell you that The Super Easy Baby Blanket just got even easier because it is now available as a beautiful kit in nine different colorways! We are especially grateful to Gina and Austin of Alchemy Yarns who helped us to make this kit a reality by creating the yarn and hand dying the colors specifically for each kit.

Because Alchemy’s Temple comes in so many gorgeous colors, picking just seven that work together can be a little overwhelming, especially if you’re shopping online. So, to help you out, Joelle and Page put their color senses together to come up with nine beautiful combinations. They mused over each color; they tried hundreds of configurations; they debated this red over that red; they worked deep into the night, and they loved every minute of it!

The nine palettes Joelle and Page developed, starting in the upper left corner and reading each row from left to right, are: Pepper, Dahlia, and Rugby; Foxglove, River Rocks and Moss; and Meadow, Ocean and Thistle.
Yarn lovers, if you adore the yarn used in this project, you’ll love exploring all of our other yarn collections! Discover over 45 thoughtfully designed yarns in nearly every natural fiber and in every spectacular color you can imagine. Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn store, where every skein is created with care and your creativity in mind!


Designed by Purl Soho designer, Whitney Van Nes.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, and #PurlSohoSuperEasyBabyBlanket. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 7 skeins of Alchemy’s Temple, 100% superfine merino, hand dyed especially for this kit, and, yes!, machine washable. NOTE: We no longer carry this yarn but have made many versions of our lovely Super Easy Blanket using alternate yarns!
- A Shout Color Catcher (use it the first time you wash your blanket, and it will safely prevent the hand-dyed colors from running into each other).
- A US 7 (4.5 mm) 24 or 32-inch long circular needle, or size required by you to achieve the correct gauge
Shop our wonderful collection of sport-weight yarn to find a suitable substitute for this project, and remember that it’s always a good idea to check your gauge before you cast on… Our All About Gauge Tutorial shows you how!


Gauge
5 stitches = 1 inch in garter stitch
Pattern
And you can view the free original pattern (with a few minor updates) right here.


Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our free knitting patterns and knitting tutorials, buy one of our many knitting kits and yarn bundles, and shop for beautiful yarn. We have over 35 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 100’s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!
I love the colours… very beautiful, thank you for sharing this.
I need to make one of these since it really does look…super easy. Very fun way to play with color palettes! They look great!
i'm ALMOST finished one of these for the newest addition to the family! v. exciting, and yes it is easy knitting at it's finest!
I love the vintage look these have. I love when something so simple has such an interesting look.
amazing colors! so very beautiful – i want a throw-blanket-sized version!
I'm making one of these right now!
Also, just so you know, the image above with all the blankets together makes a really great Desktop background, if you choose the tiled option (Windows).
i love these so much…i would like to make them for my 8 y.o. and 11 y.o. "babies"!
i love this…so pretty!
NIce!
Does anyone know–you only need to use the Shout Color Catcher the first time you wash? I'm making the bright pink, orange and yellow one for my niece and I'm nervous about washing it!
Love these!!! I think I'll have to make some 🙂 Drowning in washcloths right now!!! Can't wait till this project is over!!!
Making a simple baby blanket is a special gift that comes from the heart and can easily be made with a few simple steps. In addition, these blankets will last years and continue to give them security and level of comfort as they grow into toddlers and beyond. Imagine your little guy or gal dragging their blankey around the house or falling asleep in the big chair with it in their arms.
I don't even knit (well), and this might be my favorite item in your shop. The colors are so saturated and vivid and combos so spot on.
These are gorgeous! Is there a crochet version of the pattern available? I'm such a slow knitter…
I ordered the yarn before the kits were put together; following the original instructions. First of all casting on 140 stitches did not give me the finished size that was stated. I only got about 15 ridges per color. After completing the blanket, I carefully washed it with the "magic sheet". I was pleased that the colors did not run; but was in tears within 30 seconds. One whole side came completely undone! So now I am left with a mass of very expensive yarn. It was to be a gift for my nephew/godson and his wife for their new baby. I am going to take another leap of faith! And I am going to place another order, praying that this one will come out much better….
Hi Debi,
Oh no! We're so sorry your blanket came unraveled in the wash…. Be sure that when you sew your ends in you leave a longish tail – no shorter than 4 or 5 inches.
If your gauge was loose compared to our original pattern that might explain why your blanket turned out to be so differently shaped. We actually changed the pattern to be a more loose knit because so many readers were having a similar issue.
Please let us know if you have any questions about your new blanket before, during or after knitting it.
If I were to make this as a throw (for grown-ups!) instead of a baby blanket, how would I have to adjust the pattern, and how much more yarn would I buy? I was thinking about doubling the number of cast-on stitches and doubling the stripe width, so I guess quadrupling the amount of yarn?
Hi Jackie,
That sounds right to us, and totally gorgeous!
Good luck!
Well, i have ordered two kits: Dahlia and Turquoise. Gauge was fine but when I wash with the Shout Catcher – machine wash at delicate, the nice yellow from Dahlia came out gold 🙁
Not a bas colour, but I really liked the original colour… As the care instructions stated machine wash I am very disappointed.. Maybe I should have washed it with only the Shout Catcher.. With no soap?
Hi Sam,
We're so sorry to hear that the yellow turned a different color when you washed your blanket. We're going to email you to get your address and send you another color catcher to wash it with again. If it solves the problem, great, if not we'll do what we can to help out.
thanks for letting us know!
I love all of these! When I first saw this post, there were just a few color scheme options, but all these new ones are awesome. I started one of these for my first son when he was under a year and I'm still working on it! He just turned four!!! They are tight-knitted (which makes them so nice and strong) but will take you a while if you don't have lots of time to put into it. SO worth the time though! Now if I can just finish mine before he's 18 years old……. 😛
I came across a picture of this blanket and I am completely in love! They are so beautiful. Is is possible to get one made for me? I would need it in a larger size to use as a throw blanket. Thanks, Jody
HI Jody-
We don't do custom knitting but they might have someone to recommend if you call our NYC store:
Purlsoho 212-420-8796
Thank you!
Hello, please could you post the adjusted pattern so we can make this in an adult size?
I'm sure I'm not the only one who wants one 😀
Thank you very much!
Hi, I am a beginner knitter, so I really do not know a lot about kitting, so when I use a circular needle to knit this blanket, how do I do it without it turning circular?
Also, if I am making the blanket into an adult blanket, the above comment says that I would cast on 390 so would the size of the circular needle need to be different? And do I triple the ridges to 60 ridges? Are the ridges the amount of rows I knit?
I might not use the same yarn that y'all use, will the blanket turn out the same?
Thank you!
Hi Lindsay-
To use a circular needle to knit straight just treat the two ends of the needle as if they were separate straight needles. At the end of each row switch the needles in your hands just as you would with straight needles.
To make an adult size blanket triple the size you would indeed make each section 60 ridges tall. One ridge equals two rows.
The blanket will turn out the same size and shape if you use yarn that is a similar gauge (meaning size). This yarn is a sport weight so if you use something similar it should work out fine.
Thank you for your questions!
Molly
Hi Pingu, Linsday, and anyone wanting to make a larger size:
To make a blanket double the size (52 X 58-inches) you will need to cast on 260 stitches (double the original amount) and knit each color double as long. You will need 4 times the yarn so 4 of each color.
To make a blanket triple the size, (roughly 6 by 8 feet) you will need to cast on 390 stitches and knit each color 3X as long. You will need 9 times the yarn so 9 of each color.
Thank you!
Molly
Hey! is this a good project for your first knitting project? i have practiced with yarn and gotten pretty good at the knit stitch so is this okay for a first project?
Hi Olivia-
This would be a good first knitting project but it's a bit of a time commitment. If you feel like you have the patience to see it through you should give it a try. Otherwise, it might be better to start with a simple (and quick) garter stitch scarf so you can have the satisfaction of finishing something. But it's really up to you.
Good luck!
Molly
Hi! I fell in love with the chevron baby blanket but I am a beginner knitter with three little ones at home so I'm a little nervous to take on the challenge and I was looking forward to making an easy blanket that doesn't take much thought. But after reading the chevron reviews I think I would love to use the blue sky yarn (seems softer then the yarn used for this pattern) for this easy blanket, is this possible? Also I like the chevron chunky look can I doube the Yarn for this pattern?
I can't wait to get the yarn and needles ordered and start on my little ones blanky 🙂 Thank you!
Hi Kara,
Yes, you can use the Blue Sky Cotton for this pattern and doubling it would be beautiful! But there are a couple of things to keep in mind. First of all, you'd want to use the needle suggested for the Chevron Blanket (a US #11) rather than the Super Easy Baby Blanket needle.
Then there is the tricky part, which is getting the blanket to be the right shape. Both blankets say to just knit a whole skein of yarn and then move on to the next color. But the Blue Sky Cotton is a totally different size and length than the Temple and the gauge of the Chevron stitch pattern is totally different than gauge of garter stitch, so you'll have to approach your blanket a little differently.
I would recommend choosing 7 colors (but you may end up only using 6). Make sure your gauge is 3 stitches to the inch in garter stitch, and for a 28 inch wide blanket, cast on 84 stitches. Knit either the whole skein or a 5 inch stripe (whichever comes first). If you get to five inches, you'll only need 6 colors, otherwise you may need 7.
So, this takes a little extemporizing and thinking, but I'm sure you'll figure it out! Please let me know if you encounter any more questions and I'll be happy to help!
Good luck!
Whitney
Hi
I am wanting to make this in a worsted weight cotton, for quickness and both parents are allergic to wool, so am assuming the child will be too. How many stitches should I cast on, and should I just knit until I have 4" in each stripe?
thanks.
Hi Kate.
This would be lovely in a worsted weight cotton! I would do a gauge swatch. Find out how many stitches you are getting to the inch and multiply that by 26. And yes, I would knit each stripe for 4 inches. Let us know how it goes!!! -Laura
i recently bought alchemy yarn to make this wonderful blanket. what is the adjusted pattern? thanks so much…
Hi Barbara, I am sorry I don't totally understand your question. Could you please clarify for us! Thanks. -Laura
Hi! I love this baby blanket… and am excited to try it. Since it looks like you no longer sell the color kits, I was hoping you could tell me the colors used in the "Ocean" design? Thanks!
Hi Mariah-
If you contact our customer service department they will be happy to help you out with this:
customerservie AT purlsoho DOT com or 800-597-PURL
Or, if you're in the NYC area you could stop by our shop and they'd be happy to help you pick out the colors.
Thank you!
Molly
I love this pattern so much. I am away in South Korea at the moment and can only order yarn online from websites that are mostly in Korean. I just got my order today and the yarn seem really really fine (more like sock yarn or thinner) compared to what is shown in the picture. Am I able to just use a smaller needle and get the same look? I am a beginner knitter so I am not really sure how all of this works. The recommended needle size is 2 – 3 mm on the label. If you could let me know I would really appreciate the help!
Thanks!
Hi nmp,
It does sound like your yarn is quite a bit thinner than the one we used. You can use it with a smaller needle, but if you follow this pattern exactly, you will end up a much smaller blanket.
So, you might want to think about casting on more stitches. To determine how many, you need to knit a swatch to find out your gauge (here's a tutorial that tells you how:http://purlbee.squarespace.com/not-too-tight-tutorial/2006/11/15/not-too-tight-tutorial.html). Once you know your gauge, multiply the number of stitches per inch by the number of inches wide you want your blanket to be and cast on that number. For example, if your gauge is 8 stitches to the inch and you want your blanket to be the same size as ours (26 inches), then you would cast on 8 x 26 = 208 stitches.
I hope this helps to get you started. Please let me know if you have any other questions and good luck!
Whitney
I have just about finished my super easy baby blanket with Alchemy Temple. It looks lovely, but I am terrified of washing it to set the colors. I have a mixture of light and dark, and I just don't know what is going to happen. Will three cups of white vinegar in the wash really set the colors without making them muddy?
Hi Becky,
Probably not. The vinegar can be effective at setting hand dyed yarn that's still in a skein or that hasn't been knit with other colors, but it doesn't prevent an untreated color from bleeding onto other colors.
At this point your best bet might be a Color Catcher (made by Shout) which does purport to prevent bleeding.
Thanks for your question and good luck!
Whitney
I'd like to knit this blanket in the Rugby colorway (the brown, navy, blue, white, red, rust, and brick one) but I'm having a hard time identifying the specific shades. Can you tell me which shades of Alchemy Temple were used for that blanket?
I think it might be:
temple gold / spruce / moonstone / platinum / blood orange / delta / pepper tree
Could I achieve a similar effect with the Blue Sky Worsted Cotton in:
toffee / jasper / azul / drift / true red / tomato / espresso.
Hi Cara,
I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you; I had to track down those Temple colors! So they are… Amber, Cornflower Blue, Soft Turquoise, Platinum, Kais Goldfish, Joshua Tree and Pepper Tree.
I like your Blue Sky Worsted Cotton colors very much, although I might consider finishing with Pumpkin or Poppy, then True Red, then Tomato. That way you wouldn't have a rich brown on both ends.
Sounds gorgeous! Let us know how it goes and thanks so much for your questions!
Whitney
Could I use Purl Soho Merino Script for this blanket? Also do you have any other blanket patterns that would work well with Merino Script? Since it is on sale, I’d like to stock up! Thanks!
Hi Liz-
Yes, Merino Script should work for this blanket but I would follow the version of the pattern that was written for our Worsted Twist yarn since it has a similar gauge to the Merino script. That pattern can be found here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2013/09/22/super-easy-blankets/
Thanks for getting in touch!
Molly
Is anyone making these to supplier to retailers?
Hi Michelle-
No, these are exclusively available through us. Thanks for getting in touch and please let us know if you have any more questions!
Molly
I would like to order the yarn for River and Rocks look and Ocean and Thistle look. Do you sell as a kit? If not, how can i get the colors?
Hi Jo-Ann,
Thanks for writing in! Unfortunately, we no longer carry this yarn. However, we do have kits for this very same blanket in our Worsted Twist, Super Soft Merino, and Koigu Kersti.
I hope that this helps and happy knitting!
Cassy
Dear Purl Bee
I love the easy baby blanket. I clicked on where it said free pattern but there was no pattern.Could you email me the pattern please ?
Thank you
Amalia
Hi Amalia,
Thanks for writing in and letting us know about the broken link! We have updated the link and I am including it here for your convenience: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2008/05/24/whits-knits-super-easy-baby-blanket/
Happy knitting!
Cassy
I was really wanting to make this super easy baby blanket in camo. Can you recommend a color way? Non-gender specific ( cause I don’t know yet). Also, will oe skein per color work with that yarn? Or do I need more yarn of each color? Any advice is appreciated!
Hi Anna,
Thanks for reaching out. You can absolutely use Campo for this pattern! 1 skein of each color will work for a good sized blanket, although it may be slightly smaller than the original, since Campo has less yardage.
And I’d be happy to help you choose colors! Do you have any ideas of what you’re looking for in a color palette yet? For example, do you want more more colors, or cool colors, or neutrals? Or, are there any specific colors of Campo that have caught your eye?
All the best,
Lili