Gradient Stripe Blanket
Whether you’re moon gazing on a lakeside porch or on a downtown fire escape, our Gradient Stripe Blanket makes the night even more beautiful!
It has an overall design of six garter-stitch stripes, each of which, on closer inspection, is composed of three alternating colors. The big picture is bold and simple, the details are subtle and fascinating!
Adding to the conversation, our gorgeous Lantern yarn brings texture and depth with its white cotton core wrapped in colorful linen thread. To get the nine skeins you’ll need, pick up our Gradient Stripe Blanket Bundle. It comes in the Robin Redbreast palette you see here, a play of warms and cools, or in Stormy Sea, a pure exploration of the spectrum’s chilly side.
Whatever moon you’re under this summer, keep cozy and feel beautiful with your own Gradient Stripe Blanket!
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, Jake Canton. Click here to see even more of Jake’s designs!
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoGradientStripeBlanket, and #PurlSohoLantern. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
Purl Soho’s Gradient Stripe Blanket Bundle (NOTE: No longer available) includes…
- 9 skeins of Purl Soho’s Lantern, 61% cotton, and 39% linen. Each skein is 164 yards/ 100 grams.
- Color A: 1 skein; approximately 144 yards required.
- Colors B – I: 1 skein each; approximately 124 yards required per color.
You’ll also need…
- US size 6 (4 mm), 32-, 40- or 47-inch circular needles
Choose from two color palettes…
ROBIN REDBREAST (shown above, from Yarn A at the bottom to Yarn I at the top)
- Yarn A: 1 skein of White Smoke
- Yarn B: 1 skein of Platinum Gray
- Yarn C: 1 skein of Lavender Frost
- Yarn D: 1 skein of Nickel Gray
- Yarn E: 1 skein of Frost Blue
- Yarn F: 1 skein of Cinnabar Red
- Yarn G: 1 skein of Orange Poppy
- Yarn H: 1 skein of Pink Salt
- Yarn I: 1 skein of Peach Cream
STORMY SEA (shown above, from Yarn A at the bottom to Yarn I at the top)
- Yarn A: 1 skein of Frost Blue
- Yarn B: 1 skein of Platinum Gray
- Yarn C: 1 skein of Nickel Gray
- Yarn D: 1 skein of Gray Ember
- Yarn E: 1 skein of Dew Blue
- Yarn F: 1 skein of Shibori Blue
- Yarn G: 1 skein of Blue Black
- Yarn H: 1 skein of Copse Green
- Yarn I: 1 skein of Bluegrass Blue
Gauge
18 stitches and 42 rows = 4 inches in garter stitch
Size
Finished Dimensions: 30 inches wide x 42 inches long
Note
When changing colors, carry the old color yarn in back of the new color yarn.
Pattern
With Yarn A, cast on 136 stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Row 1: With Yarn A, knit to end of row.
Row 2: With Yarn B, knit to end of row.
Row 3: With Yarn C, knit to end of row.
Repeat Rows 1 – 3 for 7 inches (see Note), ending with Row 3.
Cut Yarn A.
Next Row: With Yarn D, knit to end of row.
Next Row: With Yarn B, knit to end of row.
Next Row: With Yarn C, knit to end of row.
Repeat last three rows for 7 inches, ending with Yarn D row.
Cut Yarns B and C.
Next Row: With Yarn E, knit to end of row.
Next Row: With Yarn F, knit to end of row.
Next Row: With Yarn D, knit to end of row.
Repeat last three rows for 7 inches, ending with Yarn F row.
Cut Yarn D.
Next Row: With Yarn G, knit to end of row.
Next Row: With Yarn E, knit to end of row.
Next Row: With Yarn F, knit to end of row.
Repeat last three rows for 7 inches, ending with Yarn G row.
Cut Yarns E and F.
Next Row: With Yarn H, knit to end of row.
Next Row: With Yarn I, knit to end of row.
Next Row: With Yarn G, knit to end of row.
Repeat last three rows for 7 inches, ending with Yarn I row.
Next Row: With Yarn A, knit to end of row.
Next Row: With Yarn H, knit to end of row.
Next Row: With Yarn I, knit to end of row.
Repeat last three rows for 7 inches, ending with Yarn A row.
Cut Yarns G, H and I.
With Yarn A, bind off knitwise.
Weave in ends and block as desired!
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!
Can you explain “carry the old color yarn in back of the new color”.
Thanks
Hi Cathy,
Thanks for reaching out! When working narrow stripes such as these, you will not be cutting your yarn after each stripe and will keep all three working colors attached for each section. When switching from one color to another, you will want to make sure the strand of the new yarn crosses in front of the strand of the old yarn – for instance, if you have just completed a row of Color A, you will pick Color B so that the strand goes in front of the strand of Color A before you knit the row.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
I’m fairly new at this and I don’t understand. When you don’t separate the yarns when knitting rows how do you not see the connecting yarn between the place where you made the first stitch to the new color, having knitted that color of row and the next time you use it. I’m sorry if this isn’t clear.
Hi Rusty,
Thanks for reaching out! When you are carrying multiple yarns up the side of the blanket, you will have small loops of each color along the edge; however, if you make sure to always cross the new color in front of the old, they will create a tidy chained selvage that will blend very nicely into the fabric of the blanket.
I hope that helps! Best of luck and happy knitting!
Julianna
Thank you for this gorgeous pattern! I’ve been working on color blends lately and love what you’ve done with these colors.
Is the photo of the blanket showing the exact measurements of the finished blanket. It looks wider and longer than the dimensions listed in the pattern.
Hi Josephine,
Thanks for reaching out! The dimensions listed are correct! We made sure to remeasure it and it came in at 30 x 42 inches!
Best,
Cassy
like the colors
Could this work with the nature’s palette blanket bundle? What modifications would you suggest to use that yarn with this pattern? Thanks!
Hi Carolyn,
Thanks for writing in, and what an interesting idea! First, I would do a swatch of garter stitch on US 3 or 4 needles to find a fabric that you like and measure your stitches per inch. Multiply that number by 32 or your desired width to get your cast on number – although the Gradient Stripe blanket measures 32 inches by 42 inches, the Nature’s Palette bundle will make a 40 inch by 60 inch blanket, so you have some flexibility here. Then, you will want to arrange the Nature’s Palette bundle into a pleasing order or gradient. The order we show on our Nature’s Palette Bundle page is lovely, though I would probably remove or change the positions of the extra skeins of Dark Iris, High Tide and Chestnut Red so they aren’t too concentrated in one stripe.
Finally, determine how many stripe sections you will have based on combinations of three consecutive colors. Since you will have 14 skeins in 11 colors to play with, you can customize this however you like! Divide your desired finished length of the blanket by the number of stripe sections, and you will be ready to knit!
I hope this helps! Please let us know how your blanket turns out!
Best,
Julianna
I would love to make this blanket as I just finished the Nature’s Palette. However I need it to be a bit larger-approx 40 x 60. Can you recommend the quantities of yarn I will need?
Hi Jerri,
Thanks for writing in and for the kind words! As we did use most of each skein, I would suggest getting two skeins of each color, or two bundles, in order to make a larger blanket.
Best of luck and happy knitting!
Julianna
Frustration with bumpy ness of yarn. You pull it tight or let the knots lay. Ugh
Hi Rebecca,
Thanks for reaching out, and I’m sorry to hear that Lantern isn’t quite agreeing with you! Although we love the playful irregular texture of Lantern, I do see how a slubby yarn can be a bit of a challenge to knit with! If you would prefer a smoother yarn, I would suggest either Cotton Pure or Blue Sky Worsted Cotton as possible substitutes.
Best of luck and happy knitting!
Julianna
This blanket is beautiful. How much of each skein is used? Or how many yards do you need of each color? The kit is wonderful and I love the yarn, but it’s out of my budget at the moment so I’d like to substitute.
Hi Linda,
Thanks for writing in! We used about 144 yards of Color A and 124 yards each of all the other colors. We totally understand that sometimes our yarn suggestions are more of an inspiration than a reality for many people. We are always happy to recommend less expensive (but still beautiful!) alternatives. In this case, we suggest that you try Cotton Pure! Since it is a bit lighter weight than Lantern, I would suggest knitting a gauge swatch on US 5 or 6 needles and multiplying your stitches per inch by 32 to get your cast on number.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Love this! Seems like it’s a bit of a hardy blanket for outdoor use, how do you recommend cleaning?
Hi Claire,
Thanks for reaching out! I agree this would be a wonderful blanket for lounging at the park or beach! Although our official recommended care instructions for Lantern are to hand wash and lay flat to dry, our insider practical knowledge is that Lantern holds up great in a cold or warm machine wash and even in a low or warm dry cycle. There may be a very small amount of shrinkage (about 2%) and washing with like colors is always a good idea!
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Hello! I noticed that a lot of the patterns on your site have been knitting-related lately, and I was just wondering if you’ll be doing more sewing patterns sometime. I love all your patterns, whether knitting or sewing, but I always am a little less into knitting when the weather heats up 🙂
Hello Carly,
Thank you for your suggestion! I hear you, it is summer crafting season here in New York. While i’m not sure what there is coming up in the immediate future, I will pass along your request!
Happy Summer,
Marilla
Hi! If I changed the color way a little and used dogwood pink, pink salt, orange poppy, pigment red, and beet red, and frost blue, nickel grey, platinum grey, and white smoke, would that be a good combination ? Or any other color changes that would look good? I love your blanket but I have this thing where I don’t want to use peach cream and lavender frost.
Thanks so much for your help!
Alice
Hi Alice,
Thanks for reaching out! The only color that you might want to change in your colorway would be the Frost Blue – the addition of the Beet Red and Pigment Red move the overall tone of the blanket quite a bit darker and the pale Frost Blue looks a little out of place between the Beet Red and Nickel Gray. I think I would substitute either Shibori Blue or Gray Ember in its place, but otherwise your color choices look really great!
Best of luck and happy knitting!
Julianna
Thanks so much for your help! Think I’ll go with the Shibori Blue.
Is a sample blanket available to see/touch at your store? I’m currently knitting with this yarn and am having a hard time understanding why anyone would want to wrap themselves in it. Seems a bit rough.
Hello Meghan,
Thank you for reaching out! This blanket is more of a summer blanket and does not have the cozy, super soft, feel that you will get with something knit with a Merino or an Alpaca yarn. We do indeed have a sample of this blanket knit Up in the shop- I hope you can visit us!
Happy knitting,
Marilla
Hi
I am not an experienced knitter and a family member gave me the yarn as a gift. How exactly do you carry a yarn colour at the back? Do you mean in this case that I am simply knitting with two strands or two colours of yarn? Would you recommend a tutorial to help me.
Many thanks
Hello Mel,
Thank you for reaching out! When we say “When changing colors, carry the old color yarn in back of the new color yarn.” we are referring to the transition that takes place at the beginning of your row when you are changing to your new color. Because you are changing color every row you will need to carry your yarn up the side so it is ready for you to use when you get back to it. You will be able to tell if you are doing this correctly or not just by seeing if the yarn you just finished working with is carried up to the next row. You are only knitting with one strand of yarn at a time.
I hope this clears things up for you- let me know is this all makes sense!
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
I’m looking to 2x this and they requested a “little bit bolder than sampled” on the Robin’s Breast combo. I’m thinking White smoke, peach cream, beech leaf, orange poppy, horse chestnut, French prune, blue violet, nickel gray, platinum gray – any thoughts on blends?
Hello Lauren,
Thank you for reaching out! These colors sounds like they will be exquisite and vibrant together. You must send us photos when your finished!
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hello,
This blanket looks gorgeous. I have two questions regarding size. I would really like to have something just slightly bigger.
1. Is there yarn left over? Would it be possible to make it slightly wider using the yarn in the bundle? If so how many extra stitches could I cast on? Or if not could I cast on extra stitches and make the stripes slightly narrower but add an additional skein of yarn? If so, any suggestions on pattern alterations.
2. To make it a bit longer, is there an additional color you would recommend that would work with the stormy sea color bundle?
Thank you!!
Hello Jennie,
Thank you for reaching out! You should have a small amount (about 30 yards) of yarn left over for every color, except for yarn A. I think making the stripes slightly thinner and adding a skein at the end is the way to go. As far as color goes I would either add in Lavender Frost or repeat Platinum Gray.
I hope this helps and Happy Knitting!
-Marilla
hello,
I did get two bundles, and would like to upsize, say 40 – 45 wide to hopefully 65 -70 long. Can you advise cast on and approximately how long to make each stripe section? Thanks!
Hi Maline,
Thanks for reaching out! For a 40 inch blanket, you will need to cast on 180 stitches. I’m not sure if you will be able to make it 65 inches long, even with two bundles, since that will be just a bit over twice as many square inches. I would suggest making each stripe section 10 inches long, for a total length of 60 inches, just to be on the safe side!
Best,
Julianna
I am almost done with the throw. I love it. You never mentioned cutting yarn G orange poppy. Do you not cut this yarn before beginning with last set. Thank you Deborah
Hello Deborah,
Thank you for reaching out! You are absolutely correct, you do cut this yarn. We have updated the the pattern, thank you for your keen eye!
Happy knitting,
Marilla
Hi there,
Looking to make this as a baby blanket, but I only want to use 5 colors. How do you suggest altering the pattern to accommodate less color variability?
Hello Ashley,
Thanks for reaching out! Do you still want to do smaller stripes within the larger color blocked stripes? I this pattern we have 6, 7″ sections that have a 3 color striped repeat. You could do 3, 14″ sections instead of the 6. If you did this your sequence would go as follows;
Section 1, you would alternate between colors A, B and C
Section 2, you would alternate between colors B, C and D
Section 3, you would alternate between colors C, D and E
This will keep the color gradient, but with fewer colors. I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Can’t I just cut color G after I swap it out with color A for the last 7” section?
Hello Georgia,
Thank you for reaching out- you absolutely can!
Happy knitting,
Marilla
Can this be made on the cricket loom?
Hello Francesca,
Thank you for your interest in this blanket! This is knit, so it can not be made with a cricket loom unfortunately.
Warmly,
Marilla
I made this blanket (in the robin redbreast color motif) in a larger size, purchasing two bundles. Now I’m trying to use up the left-over yarn, along with left-over yarn from making pebble dishcloths. I have order a few skeins that I need to ensure that I have enough yarn, but it appears that orange poppy is no longer available. I do have some orange poppy left, but I don’t think that it’s enough for a 7 inch stripe. Is there another color that you would suggest instead of orange poppy? Or would it hurt if I just phased out the orange poppy and finish the 7 inch stripe with just pink salt and peach cream?
Hi Teresa,
I am happy to help! I think that the closest color that would work would be Horse Chestnut or Moth Wing!
Best,
Cassy
Hi,
I really liked this blanket. You’re out of Orange Poppy and White Smoke. Are these colors that will likely come back? I saw the suggestions of using Horse Chestnut and Moth Wing but only Horse Chestnut is left and I feel like this doesn’t give the blanket the same warm pop that the orange did. Thoughts? Anything to substitute?
Hello C!
Thanks for writing in! We will certainly be getting more White Smoke and Moth Wing back in stock (though Orange Poppy has been discontinued)! In fact, our mill is currently making it. While we do not have a firm ETA, we are hoping that it will arrive soon. You can sign up to be notified when we get it back in stock. To do so, go to the product page, select the color that you are interested in and enter your email address. When that yarn and color arrives, we will email you right away!
In the mean time you could use two skeins of Platinum Gray (or any color for that matter) and Horse Chestnut to replace Orange Poppy,
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hi! I like the Robin Redbreast color palette but I would like to use Worsted Cotton. Which colors do you recommend for Worsted Cotton to get a similar palette?
Hi Yii,
Thanks for writing in! I would suggest using the following colors of Blue Sky Worsted Cotton:
Lemonade
Shell
Poppy
Tomato
Honeydew
Ash
Sleet
Drift
Bone
I hope that helps, and happy knitting!
Julianna
Hi there. I am looking for yarn and a pattern to make a baby blanket for the daughter of a friend. I love this pattern and yarn colors and am wondering whether or not it’s a good fit for a baby blanket. I appreciate the yarn’s washability, but some of the comments seem to indicate it’s kind of rough feeling. I’m not adverse to a little texture, but don’t want the final result to feel too rough to be used for a little one. Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Diane,
Thanks for writing in! Lantern does have quite a bit of texture and can feel rough at first, but the linen thread softens up significantly after washing. If you are planning on using it as a coverlet for naps or in the stroller, I think it would be a good choice, but it might be a little too bumpy as a playmat or tummy time blanket. Another option would be Blue Sky Worsted Cotton, which comes in a beautiful color range and is perfect for babies!
I hope that helps and happy knitting!
Julianna
Thanks Julianna, that’s exactly what I wanted to know. I’m now looking at the double seed stitch blanket, and have posed a question about alternative yarns on its page. Sooner or later I’ll find exactly the right blanket to make, with Purl Soho’s expert assistance!
Diane
Hi Diane,
Great to hear, glad we could help!
Kindly,
Anna
purlsoho.com
Hi,
Readers comments are not showing up these days. Can you make them available? Thank you.
Hi Debra,
Thank you so much for getting in touch, and I apologize that our comments aren’t available at the moment! We are experiencing a few technical difficulties with our site right now, but our web team is hard at work to get everything restored as quickly as possible. The comments should be back in the next day or two, but if you have any questions in the meantime, please let us know!
All the best,
Julianna
Quick question regarding subs for the Robin Redbreast colour way! Could I
1.) substitute Dogwood Pink for Orange Poppy
2.) Substitute Beet Red for Cinnibar Red, and then Cinnibar Red for Orange Poppy
Do you think either would be an issue? Thanks so much in advance!
Hi James,
Thanks for reaching out! I think those substitutions would work perfectly for this blanket!
Please let us know how it turns out!
Warmly,
Gianna
Dear Gianna,
Sounds good! Will let you know how it works out when completed.
In the interim, it would be incredibly helpful if the instructions above came with suggestions for subs since Orange Poppy is no longer available.
Much love to the Purl Soho team!
I want to do this blanket in cotton worsted but in the warm palette. Adult size. Which colors would you suggest and how many skeins of each? Thx
Hi Shira,
Thanks for reaching out! I would recommend using the Worsted Cotton in Bone, Drift, Shell, Lavender, Aloe, True Red, Pumpkin, Pink Parfait and Stone! 1 skein of each color should be plenty to make the finished 30 inches wide x 42 inches long blanket! I do recommend working a gauge swatch whenever using a different yarn than the pattern to insure you are consistent!
Happy knitting!
Gianna
Thanks so much Gianna. How much would I need if I wanted to make it a bigger blanker—perhaps 40 by 60. Thx.
Hi Shira,
I am happy to help! For a larger size blanket I would recommend 2-3 skeins of each color. If you end up not using the entire skein and you leave it unwound you can return it for store credit within 6 months!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
Also Lavendar and Stone are out of stock. Any recommended subs? Also would you knit them in this order? Thx again
Hi Shira,
I would recommend sky instead of Lavender and Sleet instead of stone!
Warmly,
Gianna
I have made several larger (40 x 65) versions of these blankets for family members and they all love them. My son loves his so much that now he wants an even bigger version – 60 x 80. For the 40 x 65 blankets I doubled the number of skeins. I’m wondering if it would be enough to triple the number of skeins for a 60 x 80 blanket.
Hi Teresa,
Thanks for writing in! That sounds like such a lovely gift! When you doubled the pattern for the 40 x 65 size did you have yarn leftover or did you use the entirety of the skeins? I think 3 skeins of each color should be okay, but you could always get 4 of each to be sure you have enough. If you don’t end up using all of the skeins, as long as they are in original condition with the tag you can return them for exchange or store credit within 6 months!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
Not sure if this has already been asked but, I would like to make a half + half wrap using this technique. Will this work? I will plot out my color changes before hand but…any advice is appreciated. Thanks much,
Pam
Hi Pam,
Thanks for reaching out! I think you can certainly use this technique for the Half + Half Wrap! I would suggest starting off by working a swatch to see how it works with the short rows!
Happy knitting!
Gianna
Absolutely…swatching is a must! Good advice. Just ordered the yarn. Thanks for the quick reply.
Happy knitting!
Hello! I just went to purchase the yarn for this gorgeous blanket, but see most os sold out. Do you expect this yarn to be restocked someday? Thank you!
Hi Janna!
Thank you for your question. Unfortunately, Lantern is being discontinued, so the colors we have currently are on sale while supplies last. As a substitute yarn, I recommend using Blue Sky Fibers Worsted Cotton or your favorite worsted weight yarn!
I hope this helps!
All the best,
Margaret
Hi I’m interested in making this blanket, but none of the yarn Is available. Do you have any suggestions?
Thank you
Rose
Hi Rose,
That is a great question! Our Sunshower Cotton would work wonderfully for this pattern. You can also see all of our available worsted-weight yarns here. I hope this helps but please let me know if you have any other questions!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella