Pixie Dust Lap Blanket in Cool White!
Two years ago our Pixie Dust Lap Blanket ignited the imaginations of our readers with its fanciful large scale and whimsical twinkle. Knitters everywhere discovered the wonders of humongous needles capable of stitching up a show-stopping blanket in just a few hours!
Our original Pixie Dust Lap Blanket was knit up in a gorgeous daffodil yellow. Now this season we’re exploring the arctic side of Knit Collage’s Pixie Dust yarn with its cool white Snowflake color. This blanket is as fun, loopy and sparkly as its progenitor but with the elegance of a new fallen snow! -Whitney
Update: New Yarn
And here’s an idea! Try doubling up Knit Collage’s Sister. Same size needles, same pattern, same textural adventure, a Sister Lap Blanket is a beautifully affordable 100% wool alternative (swatch pictured below). Sister is now available in six lovely new colors, and you’ll only need five skeins (you could even get away with four if you don’t mind losing a few inches!). -Whitney
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Whitney Van Nes.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, and #PurlSohoPixieDustLapBlanket. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 7 skeins of Knit Collage’s Pixie Dust, a blend of Wool, Mohair, and Pixie Sparkles. Each skein is 40 yards/ 145 grams; approximately 280 yards required. This is the color Snowflake.
- A US 36 (19/20 mm), 32 or 40-inch circular needle.
Shop our wonderful collection of jumbo-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
1 stitch = approximately 1 inch in 1 x 1 rib
Size
Approximately 26 inches wide by 56 inches long
Pattern
Our free Pixie Dust Lap Blanket pattern is available 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!
Looks comfy!! Can I borrow that for my family room? 😉
That is absolutely gorgeous. I can't figure out knitting…but I think this might force me too….I NEED this in my living room! 🙂
AMAZING YARN! Love it!!!
Just stumbled across your blog, so cute! I adore this blanket, if I had any knitting skills I'd be making one!
xo Rach
rachiecakes-rachael.blogspot.com
This looks so lush! I'm pretty sure my kitten would destroy it in less than a day, though, or I'd be so tempted to make myself one.
omg. i adore it.
This looks so nice! I really want one of these now – it would be perfect for winter!
Wow, that looks fantastic. I've never been big on yarns with uneven thickness – I'm rather OCD and like things to be uniform and precise – but this may be the thing that sways me…
Wow ! I love it !! Need to do one !
Just to clarify….you would hold two strands of sister together to knit and get a similar look?
Thank you!
Hi Mary Ann-
That's right, you'd hold the two strands of Sister together.
Thank you for your question!
Molly
I've never knitted before in my life but I'd like to try this! It's beautiful! How long do you think it would take?
Hi Tonelle-
We wouldn't recommend this project as your first ever knitting pattern. The yarn is a little bulky and the needles are very large. We always recommend people start with a simple garter stitch scarf. This is a great how-to-knit booklet if you're interested: https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/215-TNNA-How-to-Knit
The amount of time this project will take is pretty personal. But I'd say you could probably do it in a week or two if you're a beginner.
Thanks for writing in!
Molly
Hi, love this lap blanket however I crochet….what do you recommend for a stitch? I understand this blanket will take more yarn so if I double crochet it how many skeins should I get and how many chains should I start off with?
Hi Michelle,
I think a double crochet would be a nice substitute! You should plan on using about a third more yarn than the knit version, so if you're thinking of the Pixie Dust yarn, you should be safe with 10 skeins.
To determine how many chains to start off with you'll need to make a gauge swatch. Once you know how many double crochets you get per inch you can multiply that number by 26 (the width of the blanket), add two, and make a foundation chain that many stitches. Start your first double crochet four chains away from the hook and count the three chains at the beginning of the row as your first double crochet.
I hope this all makes sense! Please let me know if you have any more questions and thanks for these!
Whitney
Thank you for this!! What size hook do you recommend?
Hello Kate,
Thanks for writing in! I would try an S or a P hook for a more open look.
I hope this helps!
-Marilla
I cannot find the pattern? Am I missing something?
Hi Doe-
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We're doing some spring cleaning on this site so some projects are a little funky right now. We are working on getting this pattern back up shortly.
Thank you!
Molly
I want to make this blanket but am leary of knitting with size 36 needles.
How difficult is it to knit with large needles?
Hi Karen-
Unless you have hand problems knitting with large needles is super easy and super duper quick!
Thanks for getting in touch!
Molly
Hi,
I made this blanket using Knit Kollage Sister yarn, and it looks stunning! Only problem is that it sheds like crazy! Are there any suggestions for some type of blocking or something in order to decrease the shedding…is that even possible?
Thanks,
k
Hi Kaley-
Unfortunately there isn’t much you can do about shedding! Hand washing and blocking might help a bit but really it’s just an innate property of a loosely spun natural wool like this!
Sorry we can’t be of more help!
Best-
Molly
Hi- I’m knitting this up right now. Just curious how you switched from ball to ball with this yarn? I’m thinking since it’s so uneven, tying them together wouldn’t be so bad- the knot might not be so obvious.
Thanks!
Hi Vanessa!
I usually knit 1 stitch with both yarns, and then go back later and weave the ends in. I think that would be a great method for this blanket!
Thanks for your question!
Thomas
Hello there!
I LOVE the look of this blanket in Sister, but unfortunately I couldn’t find the yarn. Is there another yarn that would have the same look and softness?
Also, how big is the finished blanket?
Thanks!
Ellerie
Hello Ellerie!
We don’t have an alternate yarn that’s quite as plush and fun as Sister! You could substitute Cascade Magnum, but it wouldn’t have the thick and thin quality as Sister does. Sister is available on our website here: https://www.purlsoho.com/sister-yarn.html ; and Magnum is available here: https://www.purlsoho.com/magnum.html
As for the finished size of the blanket, our sample came out to be about 26″ by 56″. Its great for an over-the-couch or end-of-the-bed throw! Thanks for writing in! -Alyson
I would like to make this in a blanket size using HPKY Giant 12 skein. The skeins go from bulky to dk weight but the colorway is natural. How do I adapt this pattern to fit a larger sized afghan? Do I combine strands, change needles, and how many should I cast on?
Hello, Maleia!
Thank you for writing in! I am not too familiar with the HPKY Giant 12 skein, everything I’ve found regarding it shows that the 12 skeins in the hank are all DK weight rather than a range of weights (bulky to DK as your skein is). Do you know what the gauge is for your yarn? The yarn we used in this project gets roughly 1 stitch per inch. If you’ve got that we can help you calculate how many stitches to cast on. Also, how much bigger did you want to make your blanket? knowing how big you’d like the finished blanket to be will help us calculate your cast on stitches.
Thank you!
Best,
Kumeko
Hi Purl Soho,
I just discovered this adorable project from your best of 2015 posts and have already placed my order to knit the pixie dust blanket for my daughter. I would like to knit one for my son as well with the sister yarn. If mixing two colors to double the yarn, how much yarn should I get? Thank you so much and happy new year!
Hi, Vanessa!
Thank you so much for writing in! Sorry about the delayed response! Mixing two colors of the Sister for this blanket sounds awesome! You’ll have to send us pictures when your done! For the the same size needles and same pattern you would only need five skeins (you could even get away with four if you don’t mind losing a few inches!). So, since you are mixing two colors you could get 3 skeins of each color for a total of 6 skeins or if you don’t mind it being a bit smaller you could get 2 skeins of each color for a total of 4 skeins.
Please let us know if you have further questions!
Best wishes,
Kumeko
the pattern is no longer available 🙁
Hi Lane,
Thanks for writing in! The pattern is still available here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2010/10/03/whits-knits-pixie-dust-lap-blanket/
It appears that the links in our pattern were broken and we have now fixed them. Thank you for bringing this to our attention!
Happy knitting!
Cassy
Dear Purl Bee,
I just ordered 10 skeins of Knit Collage’s Pixie Dust. I’m planning on knitting this blanket as a gift for my brother. He’s a big guy, so I’ll need to extend the width and length. Do you think 10 skeins will be enough? I tend to be a tight knitter. I was debating about getting an extra 2 skeins (total of 12).
What is your recommendation for adjusting the pattern (specifically the number of cast on stitches)?
Thanks,
Kristine
Hello Kristine,
Thank you for writing in to us! Considering the blanket is only 26″ x 56″, I don’t think that adding two skeins will do much. I think that in order to get a wider and longer blanket, you’ll need to knit up 15-20 skeins. For a lap blanket, I’d increase the cast on amount by 25-50% depending on the width you desire. After determining you cast on number, you’ll just knit until the piece is finished! Best of luck and happy knitting!
-Adam
I love this blanket but a little too narrow at only 27 stitches. I cast on more. If you use the Sister yarn you double…if you use the Pixie Dust do you double as well? Wondering why you only need 4-5 skeins of Sister if you are doubling and 7 skeins of the Pixie Dust. Same bulk correct? Would also like to try the Spun Cloud as Sister and Pixie are out of stock….do you double with Spun Cloud and how many skeins.
Hi Theresa,
Thanks for writing in to us! Sister’s yardage is different than Pixie Dust, so the amount of skeins needed varies. When knitting the Pixie Dust you will not double the yarn. If you want to make the blanket out of Spun Cloud, I suggest you buy five skeins and you double the yarn. Hope this helps!
-Adam
When will you be getting in Pixie snowwhite wool?
Hi Shelley,
Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately I don’t have an ETA for Pixie Dust in Snowflake, but if you enter your email address on the product page, we will let you know as soon as it is back in stock!
Best,
Julianna
Hello, what color Sister yarn is used in that swatch? Is it soft ivory or oatmeal Heather?
Hi Jessica,
Thanks for reaching out! For this pattern, we used Knit Collage’s Pixie Dust in Snowflake!
I hope this helps!
Gianna
Hi! Yes, and you suggested “Sister” yard also–it’s the second swatch. What color did you use for that?
Hi Jessica,
Thanks for your response! Unfortunately, we no longer offer Sister, and we don’t have on record what color was used for the swatch, however, based on Knit Collage’s website and their offering of Sister, I believe it is either Oatmeal Heather or Soft Ivory!
Sorry I couldn’t be of more assistance!
Warmly,
Gianna