Super Easy Crib Blanket in Super Soft Merino
We’ve re-conceived the Purl Bee’s classic Super Easy Blanket in Purl Soho’s sumptuous Super Soft Merino! This Super Easy Crib Blanket borrows the simple striping from the baby-sized original, but at 2 3/4 stitches to the inch, it knits up bigger and faster. With voluminous stitches and luxurious loft, this blanket is as soft and gentle as a cloud!
Update: New Colors
OCTOBER 2014
Twelve new colors in our Purl Soho yarn palette inspired us to create new Super Easy Crib Blankets in Super Soft Merino! Read all about them here and browse our expanded collection of Super Soft Merino Bundles right here!
Update: New Colors
JANUARY 2017
Over the years we have riffed on the Super Easy Blanket many times, and as we start the New Year, we’re revisiting our chunky weight version, dressed up in all new colors! Read all about our 2017 palette here!
Update: New Colors
November 8, 2019
With new seasons come new inspirations! We’ve created four new vibrant color options for our Super Soft Merino Bundles, in our classic and squishy Super Soft Merino!
Materials
- Purl Soho’s Super Soft Merino Bundle. It includes 7 skeins of Purl Soho’s Super Soft Merino, 100% merino wool. We used this palette called Macaron.
- US 13, 24- or 32-inch circular needles
Gauge
11 stitches = 4 inches in garter stitch
Size
Finished Dimensions: approximately 30 inches x 32 inches
Note
To get a nice, neat edge just slip the first stitch of every row knitwise with the yarn in back. (When you change colors, knit the first stitch of the row.)
Pattern
With the first color, cast on 82 stitches.
Knit every row until you have used the entire skein (or until there are 11 or 12 garter stitch “ridges” [1 ridge = 2 rows]).
Switch to the second color and knit every row, using up the entire skein.
Repeat with each color, making sure to always switch colors on the same side.
After knitting all but a couple of yards of the seventh color, loosely bind off.
Weave in the ends and you’re done!
PRINT
Hello from Italy again!
I had to use about two skeins of my yarn to knit the blanket…
I’ve just finished my work… can you suggest me which kind of bind off I need to do ( I know there are more then one) and if it could be better to wash it? ( it’s a present )
Thank’s a lot!
Hello Simonetta,
Thank you for reaching out! I would recommend using the Basic Bind off for this project. As far as washing goes for our Super Soft Merino, we recommend hand washing cold, lay flat to dry.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
If I did a baby blanket similar to the super easy blanket but in Gentle Giant, in 3 colors to finish roughly this size, how many skeins of Gentle Giant would I need and how many cast ones? Thank you!
Hi Laurel,
Great question! For a blanket using Gentle Giant of equal size, you would need 7 skeins; this would be 2 of each color plus an additional skein. Using 6 skeins, you could get a blanket that is roughly 30 x 28 inches. With a gauge of roughly 6 stitches over 4 inches with Gentle Giant, you would want to cast on 45 stitches to get a blanket that is 30 inches wide! However, if you gauge differs from 6 stitches over 4 inches, you may need a bit more yarn. You could use 3 skeins of each of 2 colors on the ends and 2 skeins of the third color in the middle to ensure a good sized blanket!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Hello,
What size needles would you need?
Thank you
Hi Illa,
Thanks for reaching out! We used a US 13 needle for this blanket. You can see this information, as well as all the other materials you will need, listed in the pattern in the section titled “Materials.”
Happy knitting!
Julianna
How can I keep my cast on & cast off blanket edges the same size? I either have the cast off too tight or too loose & I’ve not been able to solve the problem.
Hi Judy,
Thanks for reaching out! This is a very common problem, and while there are a few tricks you can try, the thing that will make the most difference is time and practice. I would suggest casting off just on the looser side of your normal tension, and check every few inches to see if it matches the tension of the cast on and rest of the knitting. If you find that you cast off too tightly, using a needle a size or two larger than you used for the rest of the project should solve the problem, and similarly, if you cast off too loosely, using a smaller needle should do the trick.
Best of luck and I hope that helps!
Julianna
I would like to make this blanket, but would like to make it for an adult. Is it just a matter of adding more rows or would I have to adjust in other ways too?
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for reaching out! Our blanket is only 30 inches wide, which might be a bit narrow for an adult. A typical adult throw blanket measures 45 inches wide by 60 inches long, so you will probably want to cast on more stitches. For a 45 inch wide blanket, you will need to cast on 124 stitches and make each stripe about 8.5 inches long. This will require about 20 skeins of Super Soft Merino, or 3 skeins of each color.
I hope that helps, and happy knitting!
Julianna
Hello! I am a beginner knitter working on this pattern and I’m about one and a half skeins in. I purchased A very similar merino wool from my local knitting store here in Vancouver and unfortunately they were limited on colors, so I ended up with black and navy blue as two of my colors. I did black first and now I’m onto the navy, but I’m not happy with the lack of contrast. I think I want to ditch the black section all together. Is there a way of removing the black instead of ripping the whole piece apart from the top?
Thanks!
Elie
Hello Elie,
We have all been there! I’m sorry to hear the colors aren’t working out. Unfortunately there is not a simple way to take out a color that is behind your current color. Honestly, the simplest way to go is to rip out.
Good luck and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Is it possible to crochet in the super soft merino? If so what size hook would you recommend?
Hello Alison,
Thanks for reaching out! Yes, I would suggest using L – M (8 – 9 mm).
Best,
Marilla
Math question: if you want to make a blanket twice as big, using 2 skeins for each stripe instead of 1, how many stitches to cast on? I see the response to Sarah’s question, which provides instructions for a 45×60 throw with 3 skeins of each color, but I am trying to use my stash and only have 2 of each. Thanks!
Hello Gloria,
Thank you for reaching out! To make you blanket twice as wide you would of course cast on 164 stitches and get a blanket that is 60 x 32. If you would like a blanket that is 45 x 48 you will cast on 124 stitches and knit each stripe until you have used both skeins!
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hi I’d love to crotchet your baby blanket pattern – but I don’t know how much wool is on a skein, and I need to get the wool here in England. Help!
Angie
Hello Angie,
Thank you for reaching out! Our Worsted Twist has approximately 164 yards.
I hope this helps and happy crafting!
-Marilla
Hi,
Exactly which needles should I buy? You specify 13 inch, but there’s another size to select when ordering? And does it matter the needle type?
Thanks,
Gina
Hi Gina,
Thanks for writing in! The number 13 or US 13 refers to the diameter of the needle, and circular US 13 needles come in a variety of lengths from tip to tip. For this blanket, you will need either a 24″ or 32″ long US 13 needle. The needle material is entirely up to your personal preference! Bamboo has more grip than metal needles, which can be helpful if you are a beginner or using slippery yarn, but most knitters find that they can knit faster with super slick metal needles once they get used to them.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
I’m interested in trying to make this blanket but I’m having hard time understanding making a neat edge in from the note section. Am I suppose to alternate between knit stitch and pearl stitch? Are the little blips on the WS suppose to happen?
Thanks for the help.
Stacy
Hi Stacy,
Thank you for reaching out with this question! In order to get a nice, neat edge you’ll be slipping the first stitch of every row knitwise. To do this, you’ll insert your right needle into the first stitch as if you’re going to knit it (from left to right), but instead of knitting the stitch you’ll simply pass it to your right needle. Do this for the first stitch of every row and you’ll get a much neater edge than you would otherwise!
I hope this helps!
Gaby
Hi,
This is my first blanket ever so I am going to stick with one color. How many skeins would I need?
Thanks!
Amanda
Hi Amanda,
Thanks for writing in! We’re so excited to hear this will be your first project- it’s one of our favorites. You will still want to get 7 skeins for a solid color blanket, as you’ll be using pretty much all of it!
Happy knitting!
Gaby
Hi,
I emailed you the other day about switching colors and I think I figured out what I was doing wrong. I am skipping a stitch in the original color but then when I switched to the new color and don’t do anything for that row after the skip stitch row I still get the dashes on the WS. Could you give me more direction on how to cleanly change the colors? Do I need skip stitches on both sides before switching colors? Do I skip a stitch with the new the new color too? Any direction/more detail would be appreciated.
Thanks for the help,
Stacy
Hi Stacy,
Thanks for writing in! It sounds like you are doing everything right – it is actually totally normal and unavoidable to have a slightly jumbled or spotted looking row on the wrong side when changing colors in garter stitch. There will always be a right and wrong side when working stripes in garter stitch, but the different appearance on the wrong side is usually fairly unobtrusive and won’t detract from the finished blanket!
Happy knitting!
Julianna
I purchased the Lakeside Bundle to make the blanket and have just found out my son and daughter-in-law are having a girl. Could you recommend colors to switch out to add a pink? I’d like to make it just a little bit girly. Thank you!
Hi Joanne,
Thanks for writing in and congratulations on the granddaughter! I would recommend swapping out Eggshell Blue and True Turquoise for Bougainvillea Pink and Lotus Flower!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
thank you so much for your help!
Hello!
What would be the best cast on method for this blanket?
Thank you,
Claire
Hi Claire,
Thanks for reaching out! You can use a basic cast on method like Long Tail Cast On or Cable Cast On for this blanket!
All the best,
Gianna
Hello, I had a few questions, how many yards of this thick merino yarn do I need to make this blanket? Also, I tried to slip my first stitch knitwise on the last stitch of my rows but the edging did not turn out as neat as the picture. Do you have any advice on that? And if I cant buy the same yarn how can I know that the yarn I’m buying is the same thickness?
Hi Dee,
Thanks for reaching out! Our Super Soft Merino is a chunky/bulky weight yarn, so if you are using a different brand of yarn look for ones that are labeled chunky/bulky weight or recommend a US 11-13 needle!
Each skein of Super Soft Merino is 87 yards and we used approximately the entire skein for each color. So you would need about 609 yards total, 87 yards for each of the 7 color!
For the boarder I would recommend trying to slip the stitch purlwise with the yarn in back instead and see if that helps at all!
I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any more questions!
Warmly,
Gianna
Hi very new to knitting, want to make baby cot blanket in one colour, can I knit with normal needles ? Instead of circular, think I may get tangled! Please help
Hi Tracey,
Thanks for reaching out! You could possibly knit this blanket on straight needles as long as they are long enough to accommodate the amount of stitches! I know circular needles may be a bit intimidating but they are very easy to use and most knitters actually find them much more comfortable to work with than straight needles, so I would encourage you to try them out!
Warmly,
Gianna
Hello! I have made this blanket several times, and always love the way it turns out! I was thinking of making the Super Easy Baby Blanket this time because I love those color options, but wasn’t sure what the main differences are in the finished project. Also, are the patterns/method basically the same for the two blankets aside from different types of yarn and different sized needles? I definitely want an easily washable and very soft yarn, so that’s another reason I was drawn to the other pattern. Which pattern would you recommend, and can you recommend the best color palette of your brightest rainbow colors to make a unisex blanket? Thanks so much for any insights you can offer. 🙂
Hi Kristin,
Thanks for reaching out! The difference between the two versions of this blanket mostly comes down to the gauge, yarn and needle size! One uses Worsted Twist a worsted weight yarn and the other uses Super Soft Merino a bulky weight! Worsted Twist and Super Soft Merino both come in a wonderful selection of colors, however they are not machine washable so the blanket would be hand wash only. Luckily, we just came out with a new version of this same pattern today with our lovely new yarn Morning! It comes in a beautiful selection of colors, its machine washable, and it is on sale through Sunday! You can find that pattern here: Super Easy Baby Blanket In Morning I would recommend the Beach Plum color way or a blend of Yellow Apple, Pink Lemonade, Pink Radish, Blue Morning Glory, Dungarees Blue, Fresh Sky and Tender Green!
Alternatively, our yarn Lovebird is a machine washable wool yarn that is very similar to the weight and texture of Super Soft Merino! It is extra fun and colorful, you could do one color for the whole blanket or blend several together! I would recommend Heirloom White, Geranium, Pansy, Meadow, Agate, Candy Shop and Firecracker! Ultimately, if you are still interested in Super Soft Merino then I would suggest Yellow Yellow, Super Orange, Super Pink, Bougainvillea Pink, Wild Violet Cobalt Blue and Blue Blue or Yellow Yellow, Super Orange, Red Poppy, Super Pink, Cobalt Blue, Eggshell Blue and Clover Green!
I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any more questions!
Warmly,
Gianna
I love this blanket, but would like it to have a very simple edging in just one color. Do you have any suggestions?
Hi Denise,
Thanks for reaching out! I think this blanket would look lovely with a border! I would recommend looking at our Bordered Bias Blanket! We added a darling edge in a contrasting color, and I think you could easily adapt this same technique for this blanket! I would look at the end of the pattern where it says PICK UP, KNIT + BIND OFF for instructions on how to work this technique.
I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any more questions!
Warmly,
Gianna