Our Double Knit Blanket is, indeed, double knit! Double knitting is a simple way to create two layers of stockinette fabric at once by slipping every other stitch as you alternate yarn colors each row. The result? One yarn on one side and another on the other… Needle magic!
What’s more, we took a page from the quilting books and threw in tiny tacks (created while you knit!), critical little details that truly set this blanket apart.
One of the opportunities our Double Knit Blanket gives us is to explore our favorite stew: the one where we throw rustic and refined into the very same pot. And so, one side is our undyed Good Wool, a straight-from-nature rugged beauty, while the other is our sumptuous Mulberry Merino with its subtle shine and smooth finish… Great flavors together!
To make a baby-size blanket in these two yarns, you’ll just need one of our Double Knit Blanket Bundles. Each one includes Good Wool’s Driftwood Gray for one side, and then choose from four different Mulberry Merino colors for the other (this one is gorgeous Persimmon Orange). Want to make it a throw? We tell how many skeins and cast-on stitches to add!
Apart from its two-sided fun, our Double Knit Blanket’s two layers give it a seriously decadent drape and warmth… an heirloom knit for a new baby or an old friend or even yourself!
Designed for Purl Soho by Jake Canton.
Materials
Our Double Knit Blanket Bundle has enough yarn to make the Baby size blanket. It includes…
- Yarn A: 3 skeins of Purl Soho’s Good Wool, 100% undyed Andean highland wool
- Yarn B: 4 skeins of Purl Soho’s Mulberry Merino, 80% extra fine merino wool and 20% mulberry silk
NOTE: To make the Throw size you will need an additional…
- 1 skein of Yarn A
- 2 skeins of Yarn B
Choose from four palettes, shown above from top to bottom…
- Driftwood Gray + Persimmon Orange (This is the palette we used!)
- Driftwood Gray + Super Pink
- Driftwood Gray + Heirloom White
- Driftwood Gray + Dark Loam
You’ll also need…
- US 6, 32-, 40-, or 47-inch circular needles
- Spare US 5 or smaller, 32-, 40-, or 47-inch circular needles
Gauge
21 stitches and 30 rows = 4 inches in double knit stockinette stitch, using the larger needles
Sizes
Baby (Throw)
- Finished Measurements: 28 x 38 (39 1/2 x 50) inches
Sample: Baby
Notes
Slip Stitches
Slip all slipped stitches purlwise unless indicated in the pattern.
Changing Colors
When changing colors, carry the new yarn up the selvedge in back of the old yarn.
Turn and Slide
Each row in this pattern starts with the instructions to either “Turn” or “Slide” the work:
“Turning the work” means to do what you would normally do when knitting rows with circular needles: Transfer the needle from your left hand into your right and the needle from your right hand into your left, and flip the work around so the opposite side is facing you.
“Sliding the work” means to keep the same side of the work facing you and to push all the stitches to the right end of the circular needles. Without turning the work, start the new row as you normally would.
You will know that you’re doing this right if the yarn you need to work the next row is magically there waiting for you!
Stitch Multiple
To adjust the width of the project, cast on a multiple of 10 + 7 stitches, then double it.
Pattern
Cast On + Set Up
NOTE: We used a Long Tail Tubular Cast On, omitting the foundation rows, because it is the perfect edge for double knitting. A basic Long Tail Cast On would also do, but make sure to use a smaller needle to cast on!
With Yarn A and the larger needles, cast on 294 (414) stitches.
Set-Up Row 1 (wrong side): Turn work (see Notes) and with Yarn A,*k1, slip 1 with yarn in front (wyif), repeat from * to end of row.
Set-Up Row 2 (right side): Turn work and with Yarn B, *k1, slip 1 wyif, repeat from * to end of row.
Begin Double Knitting
Row 1 (right side): Slide work (see Notes) and with Yarn A, *slip 1 with yarn in back (wyib), p1, repeat from * to end of row.
Row 2 (wrong side): Turn work and with Yarn B, *slip 1 wyib, p1, repeat from * to end of row.
Row 3 (wrong side): Slide work and with Yarn A, *k1, slip 1 wyif, repeat from * to end of row.
Row 4 (right side): Turn work and with Yarn B, *k1, slip 1 wyif, repeat from * to end of row.
Repeat Rows 1-4 for a total of 1 inch, ending with Row 4.
Tack Down
Row 1 (right side): Slide work and with Yarn A, [slip 1 wyib, p1] 3 times, *slip 1 wyif, p1, [slip 1 wyib, p1] 9 times, repeat from * to last 8 stitches, slip 1 wyif, p1, [slip 1 wyib, p1] 3 times.
Row 2 (wrong side): Turn work and with Yarn B, [slip 1 wyib, p1] 3 times, *slip 1 wyif, p1, [slip 1 wyib, p1] 9 times, repeat from * to last 8 stitches, slip 1 wyif, p1, [slip 1 wyib, p1] 3 times.
Row 3 (wrong side): Slide work and with Yarn A, *k1, slip 1 wyif, repeat from * to end of row.
Row 4 (right side): Turn work and with Yarn B, *k1, slip 1 wyif, repeat from * to end of row.
Continue Double Knitting
Repeat Rows 1-4 of Begin Double Knitting section until piece measures 1 inch from the previous tack down row, ending with Row 4.
Stagger Tack Down
Row 1 (right side): Slide work and with Yarn A, [slip 1 wyib, p1] 8 times, *slip 1 wyif, p1, [slip 1 wyib, p1] 9 times, repeat from * to last 18 stitches, slip 1 wyif, p1, [slip 1 wyib, p1] 8 times.
Row 2 (wrong side): Turn work and with Yarn B, [slip 1 wyib, p1] 8 times, *slip 1 wyif, p1, [slip 1 wyib, p1] 9 times, repeat from * to last 18 stitches, slip 1 wyif, p1, [slip 1 wyib, p1] 8 times.
Row 3 (wrong side): Slide work and with Yarn A, *k1, slip 1 wyif, repeat from * to end of row.
Row 4 (right side): Turn work and with Yarn B, *k1, slip 1 wyif, repeat from * to end of row.
Continue
Repeat from Row 1 of Begin Double Knitting section to Row 4 of Stagger Tack Down section until piece measures 37 (49) inches from cast-on edge, ending with Row 4 of Stagger Tack Down section.
Repeat Rows 1-4 of Begin Double Knitting section for 1 more inch, until piece measures 38 (50) inches from cast-on edge, ending with Row 4.
Cut Yarn B.
Bind Off
Set-Up Row 1 (right side): Slide work and with Yarn A, *k1, slip 1 wyif, repeat from * to end of row.
Set-Up Row 2 (wrong side): Turn work and with Yarn A, *k1, slip 1 wyif, repeat from * to end of row.
Alternating between needles, slip all the knit stitches onto the working circular needles and all the purl stitches onto spare circular needles.
FOR A LONG TAIL TUBULAR CAST ON…
Slide work and with right side facing you, use Yarn A to bind off in Kitchener Stitch.
IF YOU DID A LONG TAIL CAST ON…
With Yarn A and the right side facing you, bind off using a 3-Needle Bind Off.
Weave in the ends and block as desired!
PRINT
Hi.
Love this pattern and just finished knitting the whole blanket. My only disappointment is with the way the side edges look . Since I have already finished the whole blanket, I need a finishing technique to hide all the unevenness and booboos along the side edges. Can you please make a suggestion for neatining up the sides and joining the front and back? I was just sloppy about carrying the yarn and it shows. I was thinking of a blanket stitch, but I really want to hide the uneven parts of the side edges. Any suggestions will be most appreciated! Thank you.
Marjory
Hello Marjory,
Thank you for reaching out and congratulations on being done with your new blanket! If you are interested in covering up the whole edge I would suggest adding an attached I-cord border. We use this method on lots of our blankets and it gives you a clean polished look.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
How woulkd you attach the I-Cord after already finished the blanket? I love this idea!
Hi Brenda,
Thanks for reaching out! The link Marilla included above leads to a tutorial on creating an applied I-Cord to finish the edge of your blanket.
Happy knitting
Julianna
I am doing a “test piece” before I start the blanket and my side edges are also uneven (messy). Is there a way to avoid this and make my edges look like yours?
Hello Pat,
Thank you for reaching out! Is the main issue that the selvedge is loose, or does there seem to be something else going on as well? I would make sure that you are carrying your yarn up in back when switching colors and try your best to keep consistent tension. Blocking can also help neaten your edges, our sample was blocked. When you are finished with your swatch I would tray blocking it and seeing if that eliminates the issue.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
I figured out that the cast on I used didn’t work exactly with you instructions. I was able to skip set up row 2 and go to row 1. I find this way of doing double knitting much easier than knitting and purling with both yarns at one time. However, I can’t figure out how to use your method and make patterns in the knitting. Does it only work for a solid color on each side? Thank you.
Hi Savanna,
Thanks for reaching out! You absolutely can work charts or color patterns using this method of Double Knitting! We just released our Verse + Reverse Scarf and a video tutorial on our method which may be just what you are looking for!
Best,
Julianna
Hi! I want to apply this technique to your toque pattern for a basic rolled edge toque.
I’m a slightly past beginner knitter, but would I just cast on the number of stitches I would need for the toque, then follow the same 4 row repeat as described above?
I also cannot wait to make this blanket! It’s my new winter project!
Hi Ash,
Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately, I think your hat idea might be a bit complicated. Double knitting does not roll, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but you will not have a rolled edge on your hat. This stitch pattern only works when knitted flat, and double knitting can be challenging to seam nicely. Although we do not have instructions for working double knitting in the round, you may want to search “Double knitting in the round” to find instructions that you can use for a hat. You will also have to look up how to work decreases in double knitting, since both layers have to be decreased at the same time.
This is quite a few techniques to learn and adapt, so if you are still new to knitting, I would recommend knitting a few plain hats and some simple double knitting, such as our blanket, first to get the hang of things, but when you are ready, a double knit toque would be lovely!
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Hi! I have just received my kit for this pattern and am so excited to start. This is a really silly question- for the long tail tubular cast on, are you casting on with two strands of yarn at the same time or are you splitting the colors and treating one color as the strand that you hold over your forefinger and the other color as the one that you hold over your thumb?
Hi Sydney,
Great question! We worked the Long Tail Tubular Cast On and set up rows with color A only – if you look closely at the pictures, you can see that the cast on edge has a concentrated band of color A on both sides of the blanket. It is possible to work a two color tubular cast on if you wish for a totally “edgeless” edge!
Best of luck and happy knitting!
Julianna
Is it necessary to knit a row before going to the first set-up row? Otherwise, it seems like you’d be knitting backwards since no stitches have been knit. A quick tutorial on the set-up row would be great, if possible.
Beautiful, beautiful pattern – thank you!
Hi Chermia,
Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately we don’t have the resources at the moment to do a video tutorial of this; however, you should be able to go directly from the cast on to the first set-up row. You may be getting confused by the instruction at the beginning of the first set-up row to turn your work, since, if you have used a cable cast on instead of a long tail cast on, you will not need to turn your work to begin knitting the first row. Either way, you will simply begin this first set-up row by knitting in the same direction you normally would after completing the cast on.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
This is, of course, beautiful. Do you think this could work with Woolfolk Far & Sno respectively or Far only?
Thank you!
Hi Chermia,
Unfortunately, although I too am a huge fan of Woolfolk yarns, Far is a bit too heavy weight for this pattern as written, and Sno is a bit thin. I wouldn’t suggest using the two together as there would be a large discrepancy between the two weights, but if you don’t mind a larger blanket, Far would work wonderfully on a US 9 needle!
Best of luck and happy knitting!
Julianna
Thanks, Julianna! I figured out the set-up rows about ten seconds after sending the email. I’m going to go for the Far on a – thanks again. Really appreciate it.
Love this blanket and can’t wait to start. Could you explain how to make a bigger size? I bought the recommended additional skeins but am wondering if cast on number changes or am I just doing more rows? I’m sorry if I didn’t understand the instructions in the pattern. Thank you for spelling it out for me!
Hello Elizabeth,
Thank you for reaching out! For the throw size you will be casting on 414 stitches and you will knit until your blanket measure 49 inches.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hi!
I have a question regarding row 1 for the tracking down section. The instructions call for repeating (slip 1 wyif,P1) 9 times to last 8 stitches. The instructions after that state (slip 1 wyif, P1) 3 times. Does that not result in 2 stitches remaining? Sorry I’m still very new to knitting and I am unfamiliar with reading patterns still. Thank you!
Hello Marie,
Thank you for reaching out- I can help! After repeating (slip 1 wyif,P1) 9 times to last 8 stitches the pattern actually states “slip 1 wyif, p1, [slip 1 wyib, p1] 3 times” totaling 8 stitches.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
I think I must have missed something. I’m maybe half way through the pattern now so no turning back now…my vertical edges aren’t connected. Is that how it’s supposed to be? What can I do to seal them? Thanks!
Hello Amy,
Thank you for writing! I think that what could be going wrong is that you are not carrying your old yarn up the selvedge when changing colors. When changing colors you will carry the new yarn up the selvedge in back of the old yarn, this will connect the front and back of the blanket at each point that you change colors. If you do not do this you will have a front and back completely disconnected from one another. This is a surprisingly tricky part of the pattern, but is explained in our video tutorial.
If you are far along on your blanket, and don’t want to rip out, you could begin carrying your yarn up now and seem the rest of the project. I hope this all makes sense and let us know if you have any further questions!
Happy knitting,
Marilla
Thanks Marilla! Yes seems I didn’t carry up =( . I have since done a few rows the right way and see it does close it up nicely. =) Should have read it more carefully! Thank you! Can’t wait to finish it for my daughter!
My question is regarding the gauge. I’ve been trying to reach your gauge of 21 sts = 4″ and end up with 21 = 3.5″. Even if I knit as loose as I can, I only get 21 = 3.5. I can get the gauge by knitting 26 sts = 4″. So, my question is should I just follow my gauge and in doing that, will I need more yarn? I purchased the kit for the throw, so I already have the extra skeins. Any help you can give me is much appreciated. I’m anxious to get knitting! Thanks. This is a gorgeous blanket.
Chris
Hi Chris,
Thanks for reaching out and for the kind words! Are you working your gauge swatch in double knitting, and how many stitches are you casting on for your gauge? Double knitting turns out much looser than regular stockinette stitch, even when worked on the same needle size, so if you have done your swatch in ordinary stockinette using just one of the yarns, I would definitely try it again in double knitting. It may also make a difference that the Good Wool is somewhat thicker than the Mulberry Merino, so using both yarns in the double knit swatch will affect the overall gauge.
Also, whenever you are knitting a gauge swatch, you will get a more accurate measurement by casting on more stitches than the four inch gauge and measuring the center four inches. Any stitch, but especially double knitting, gets distorted on the edges, so including the 3 or 4 stitches on the selvedge will give you an inaccurate gauge measurement. I would recommend casting on 27 to 30 stitches and working for at least 3 or 4 inches in double knitting before measuring the center four inches of your swatch to see if it turns out closer to our gauge.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Thank you for responding. I have been knitting my swatch in double knit, casting on 26 st. I started with size 6 needles, switched to #7, and still ended up with ~3.75 inches. I’ve also gotten different results using the two different yarns and knitting two swatches in double knit. I’m now going to follow your sage advice and knit a larger swatch , starting with #6 needles and go from there. If my only solution is to swap out the Good Wool Driftwood grey and replace it with a Mulberry Merino similar color. Now to knit a new swatch!
Firstly, my comment re “your sage advice” was meant as a complement. I’ve never thought about doing a large stitch count to get a more accurate gauge. Ergo, I thought it was brilliant! So, I knit swatches in both yarns. I started out with #6 needles, 30 sts, and still didn’t get 4″. So I went up to #7, knit both yarns into two swatches and achieved a 4″ width. All 30 sts, So, now I’m thinking I need to recalculate yards needed to finally get to the knitting of this beautiful throw. I do need help with that. Is that the right direction to go?
Hi Chris,
Hmm, it sounds like you are a tight knitter indeed! You could continue to go up needle sizes to see if you can get the correct gauge if you wish, but if you are happy with the hand of the fabric at 30 stitches to 4 inches, you will need to cast on 594 stitches for the throw size. Good Wool has quite a bit of yardage so I think you will be fine with just one extra skein, but I would purchase two extra Mulberry Merino to be on the safe side, for a total of 5 Good Wool and 8 Mulberry Merino. For both yarns, just in case it turns out you don’t need quite that much, any unused skeins can be returned for store credit as long as they are unwound.
Best of luck and happy knitting!
Julianna
I’m having trouble understanding the tack down row instructions because I feel like my tack downs are too close together compared to your picture of the blanket. When the instructions say: *slip 1 wyif, p1, [slip 1 wyib, p1] 9 times, repeat from *, am I supposed to do the slip 1 wyif, p1, immediately followed by the bracketed slip 1 wyib, p1 and then repeat these two steps across the rest of the row until the last 8 stitches? I think I’m getting confused by the “repeat 9 times,” instead of just saying to last 8 stitches. I feel like I’m missing something and my tack downs are not spaced properly. Thank you.
Hi Susan,
Thanks for reaching out! Reading stitch patterns like this can be a bit confusing! Both brackets and asterisks indicate pattern repeats, and in situations like this where you have brackets within an asterisk marked section, you will be working a repeat within a repeat. In other words, for this pattern, you will slip 1 wyif, p1, then repeat the bracketed stitches, [slip 1 wyib, p1] 9 times, then go all the way back to the beginning. This should result in your tack down stitches, which are created by the slip 1 wyif, p1, being separated by 9 stitches.
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
Question: In the Cast On and Setup section, the directions for using the Long Tail Tubular Cast On say to omit the foundation rows. What are the foundation rows? Is this the same as the set up rows that follow in this section?
Hi Kim,
Thanks for reaching out! The Long Tail Tubular Cast On instructions include two foundation rows that are normally part of the cast on; however, for this pattern, you will skip those foundation rows and go directly to the Set Up rows in the pattern.
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
Hello – this blanket looks beautiful, though the color options for the Mulberry Merino are just not what I am seeking. I was wondering if you could recommend any other yarns to use in place of the Mulberry Merino that may have a wider color selection. I think I am after a deep ocher or mustard yellow or something in that color family.
Hi Kelly,
Thanks for reaching out! I would recommend substituting either Anzula Cricket or Brooklyn Tweed Arbor for the Mulberry Merino – both come in a wide range of colors, and Arbor has several mustard tones that might be what you are looking for!
I hope that helps!
Julianna
I just received the yarn for this blanket and can’t wait to cast on! I ordered the persimmon Mulberry Merino and heirloom white Good Wool. Is the Mulberry color safe? Just wondering if I need to do anything with the orange before I start knitting.
Thank you!
Hi Dede,
Thanks for reaching out! We haven’t had any complaints or experienced any color bleeding with Mulberry Merino ourselves, but it couldn’t hurt to test it out a bit before beginning! If you are concerned, you could try rubbing a piece of white cloth on the skein to see if any color “crocks” or rubs off onto the cloth, or snipping off a small piece and soaking it in warm water to see if any dye bleeds into the water. It’s also a good idea to wash the finished blanket with a Shout Color Catcher just to be on the safe side, but I don’t think you should have any problems!
Best,
Julianna
I’ve just finished a small swatch for this blanket – love the look, but my “tack downs’ aren’t as neat and clean as these! I’ve tried unsuccessfully to upload a picture, both here and Ravelry, which would help describe what i’m getting. My “tacks” aren’t only a small line, they seem to include a bit of the underlying stitch, so they aren’t very clean. I’m getting this on both right and wrong side! Any idea what I’ve done wrong? Many thanks!
Hi Robin,
I’m so sorry to hear you aren’t happy with how your blanket is turning out! You can send us a picture by email at customerservice@purlsoho.com and we will be happy to take a look and hopefully figure out the problem.
Best,
Julianna
Do I use both yarn A and yarn B when casting on? If not, how do I attach yarn B?
Hi Kathy,
Great question! You will cast on with only Yarn A and work Set-Up Row 1 in Yarn A. You will then join Yarn B to work Set-Up Row 2.
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
I am getting close to needing to start a new ball of yarn, and started to think about weaving in. Usually I weave in on the reverse side, but there is no access to the reverse side. I’m guessing that in this case the stockinette weave-in would work best? Would I weave in one end in one direction and the other end in the other direction? I’m also thinking it may be important whether to start the yarn on a purl or knit row. Any suggestions? I read the “Weaving in Your Ends” tutorial.
Thank you in advance.
Hello Kim,
This is a great question. I would reccomend using the duplicate stitch from the outside of the project for an inch or two, and then bury your ends by inserting your tapestry needle into the open space inside of the blanket, bringing it up a few inches away, and then trimming your yarn close to the surface so the end will pop back into the blanket and disappear. I would also suggest making sure your yarn tails are on the outside or right side of the blanket so they are easier to find when you are done.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
Would it make any sense at all to make this blanket with the same colored yarn on each side? I like how it is stockinette on both sides and I have enough yarn to make the throw (4,000 yards) in one color.
I guess I just want to know if you think this would be a waste of time or if it would be worth the effort. I recognize that it may be more challenging in one color not being able to tell which yarn goes with which side.
Thank you so much,
Ericka
Hi Ericka,
Thanks for reaching out! I think this blanket would be lovely using the same color for both sides! Although you wouldn’t get the little pops of color, it would still be a wonderfully thick and squishy double layered blanket, and the tack down rows would still add a bit of quilt-like texture. You are correct that it will be a bit trickier to keep track of your rows and stitches, but it would probably also be harder to spot errors in a single color blanket!
Best of luck, and please let us know how it turns out!
Julianna