Bordered Bias Blanket
A speedy, plush project with a pretty perimeter, our Bordered Bias Blanket finds just the right balance of ease and edge.
Knit up in our jumbo Gentle Giant on US 19 needles, big, cloud-like stitches and incredibly soft single-ply merino conspire to make one heck of a cozy wrapper-upper!
You knit the Bordered Bias Blanket in garter stitch, starting at one corner and ending at the opposite one. The kicker is the finishing touch: a round of pick-up-and-bind-off in your favorite pop-of-color. We love the tidiness but also the opportunity for a little fun!
A big-time gift in no time at all, knit up this cozy winter charmer for the holidays… Or for the next snowstorm, whichever comes first!
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, Adam Aronowitz.
Share your progress + connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoBorderedBiasBlanket, and #PurlSohoGentleGiant. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- Main Color (MC): 9 (15) skeins of Purl Soho’s Gentle Giant, 100% merino wool yarn. Each skein of this super bulky yarn is approximately 48 yards/125 grams; approximately 398 (653) yards required.
- Contrast Color (CC): 1 (1) skein of Gentle Giant. Approximately 20 (25) yards required.
We used the following color combinations…
- MC: Heirloom White; CC: Periwinkle Blue
MC: Heirloom White; CC: Clear Turquoise
MC: Mint Ice; CC: Super Pink
You’ll also need…
- US 19 (15/16 mm), 40- or 47-inch circular needles
- 1 removable stitch marker or scrap yarn
Gauge
6 stitches = 4 inches in garter stitch
Sizes
Small Throw (Large Throw)
Finished Dimensions: Approximately 30 inches wide x 42 inches long (42 inches wide x 57 inches long)
Notes
Slip Stitches
Slip all slipped stitches knitwise with yarn in back unless instructed otherwise.
Joining New Skeins
When joining new skeins, we recommend wet splicing the ends together. This will eliminate having to weave in a bunch of bulky tails. For instructions on how, please visit our Wet Splice Tutorial.
Pattern
Begin + Increase
With Main Color (MC), cast 3 stitches onto circular needles.
Set-Up Row (wrong side): K2, p1.
Row 1 (right side): Slip 1 (see Notes), yarn over (yo), knit to last stitch, yo (bringing yarn forward, then over needle, then back between needles to front of work), p1. [2 stitches increased]
Mark the right side with a removable marker or scrap yarn.
Row 2 (wrong side): Slip 1, knit to last stitch, knitting yarn overs through the back loop, p1.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until piece measures 30 (42) inches from cast-on row, measuring along selvage and ending with a wrong-side row.
Continue
Row 1 (right side): Slip 1, yo, knit to last 3 stitches, knit 2 together (k2tog), p1.
Row 2 (wrong side): Slip 1, knit to last stitch, knitting yarn over through the back loop, p1.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until piece measures 42 (57) inches from cast-on row, measuring along longest selvage and ending with a wrong-side row.
Continue + Decrease
Row 1 (right side): Slip 1, slip slip knit (ssk), knit to last 3 stitches, k2tog, p1. [2 stitches decreased]
Row 2 (wrong side): Slip 1, knit to last stitch, p1.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until 5 stitches remain, ending with a wrong-side row.
Next Row (right side): Ssk, k1, k2tog. [3 stitches remain]
Next Row (wrong side): Slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, k1, p1.
Bind-Off Row: Slip 1, k1, pass first stitch over second stitch on right needle, k1, pass first stitch over second stitch on right needle, cut yarn and draw stitch through.
Pick Up, Knit + Bind Off
NOTE: For instructions and a video tutorial on how to pick up stitches, please visit our Picking Up Stitches Tutorial.
Starting at any corner of the blanket with right side facing you, insert circular needle into space one stitch in from edge (between slip stitch edge and next stitch). Using Contrast Color (CC), wrap yarn around needle and pull through new stitch, *insert needle into next space one stitch in from edge, wrap yarn around needle and pull stitch through, pass first stitch over second stitch (using other end of circular needles), repeat from * around entire blanket.
Cut yarn, leaving an 8-inch tail and draw yarn through last bound-off stitch. Thread tail onto tapestry needle and to create a faux stitch that makes the border continuous, pass needle underneath both legs of first bound-off stitch, then insert needle into center of last bound-off stitch and pull gently through to back, adjusting tension as needed.
Finishing
Weave in any remaining ends and block your finished blanket as desired. We gently steam blocked ours and laid flat to dry.
LEARN ABOUT GENTLE GIANT + ALL OUR BEAUTIFUL YARNS
You can’t get more gentle or more giant than Gentle Giant! A single ply of 100% merino wool, Gentle Giant has a loose and lofty spin that puts the fiber’s softness up front and also keeps this jumbo-weight yarn from weighing you down. You knit Gentle Giant up on mega US 17 or 19 (12-15 mm) knitting needles, making it a very smart choice for last-minute gifts that don’t sacrifice a lick of beauty!
More Free Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our vast collection of (mostly free!) Gentle Giant knitting patterns and cast on!
More Jumbo-Weight Yarns
- Shop our collection of jumbo-weight yarns
- If you want to use a different yarn, be sure to take the time to get the correct gauge. Need help? Check our All About Gauge Tutorial!
More Yarns With Similar Fibers
- Shop merino wool
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!
Could you please offer a CROCHET version of this.
Thx,
Hi Sue,
Thanks for writing in! We do not have a crocheted version of this blanket but we will keep your request in mind for the future!
Best,
Julianna
You could really just follow the same instructions, do crochet increases and decreases in the same pattern, any stitch you want and then just slip stitch the bright border at the end! If you want a squishy texture like garter stitch look up HDC into the 3rd loop only- it created a really cool rib like texture.
Hi,
I don’t understand the instruction of binding off using circular needle. I followed the link to the pick up stitch video but I didn’t see the YouTube for circular needle binding off for this blanket. Can you please make a YouTube for this ?
Thank you so much ,
Kim
Hi Kim,
Thanks for writing in! Unfortunately we don’t have the resources at the moment to do a video tutorial of this, butw e will keep your request in mind for the future! If you have any experience crocheting, this step is very similar to working a slip stitch – as soon as you have two picked up stitches on the right hand needle, you will bind one off, and then pick up another so you have two again and bind one off, and so on. I hope that clears things up!
Best,
Julianna
Hi, I am curious what length needles you recommend. I am looking to make the larger version of this blanket. Thank you!
Hi Isabelle,
Thanks for asking about this! I’d recommend a 40 or 47 inch length for working the larger size of the blanket.
Happy Knitting!
Cassandra
This was the first knitting project I ever took on. I learned several basic skills and made a beautiful blanket. Colors used were heirloom white and parakeet yellow. I’m so pleased with the outcome! It’s fluffy, weighted, and simple. Definitely recommend trying this pattern. Can’t wait to start my next project.
One note I have is that I only used eight skeins- not nine.
Hi Brian,
Thank you so much for the kind words and for sharing your knitting success with us – well done! Although it’s not too much of an issue since you are pleased with your blanket, you might want to measure your gauge, or stitches per inch, on your blanket to see if you matched our gauge of 6 stitches to 4 inches, as this much extra yarn is probably due to knitting at a slightly tighter gauge than ours. It won’t change anything about your completed blanket, but I think it would be helpful information to keep in mind as your knitting skills progress. Most knitters find that they generally knit tighter or looser than the gauge given in patterns, and over time, you may even find that you drift from one end of the spectrum to the other. This will be especially useful to consider once you start knitting garments that require knitting a gauge swatch to ensure they fit correctly!
Best of luck and happy knitting!
Julianna
Hello! Really excited to knit this gorgeous blanket.
I only have 32-inch size 19 needles, not 40 inch — will that be a big problem? I am a beginning knitter, so thank you for the guidance 🙂
Hi Julia,
Thanks for reaching out! You might be able to use a 32-inch long needle for the smaller size of this blanket, but it will be a tight squeeze! Since this blanket is knit on the diagonal, even though the finished width of the smaller throw is only 30 inches, the longest row on your needles will measure about 42 inches wide. The stitches on the needle will squish up more easily than the blanket, so although your needles will be full, I think it will be possible to knit this size on the needles you have, if a bit uncomfortable. If you are planning on knitting the larger throw, however, I would definitely recommend purchasing longer needles, as the longest row will measure about 60 inches.
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
I would love to make the smaller blanket, but in a superwash merino if possible. I just saw Lovebird on the website and fell in love. It’s not as bulky as Gentle Giant, but would it work as well? What would I need to change in the pattern?
Thank you!
Hi Diane,
Thanks for reaching out! I totally understand, our new Lovebird is such a beautiful and scrumptious yarn! I think this blanket would look lovely in Lovebird but the gauge is a bit different then Gentle Giant so you will need to make a few adjustments but it should be fairly easy! I recommend starting by making a gauge swatch in the pattern stitch withe Lovebird using an appropriate needle size (US 10 -11) and seeing how it compares to the original pattern and then you can adjust the cast on from there! Our All About Gauge tutorial is an excellent resource to use!
I hope this helps and please feel free to reach out with any more questions going forward!
All the best,
Gianna
hi- I’m working on the increase section and I notice one edge looks like a normal slip stitch border while the other edge looks like a slip stitch border with a line of extra loops running up the edge. It looks very pronounced due to the chunky yarn. Is that how it’s supposed to look? Will the contrasting pick-up-and-bind-off yarn cover that up? I’m a fairly new knitter.
Thank you!
Hi Summer,
Thanks for reaching out! If you would like you can send our team some photos of your work to our email [email protected] and we can trouble shoot further from there on what may be causing the extra loops, however the contrasting color border should hide the edges and give it an overall clean and neat boarder!
I hope this helps!
Warmly,
Gianna
Do you think this blanket is too heavy for Florida in the winter? I’m looking for a cozy and soft material with a border like this one. Please let me know if you have any other ideas…. Thanks 😊
Hi Kristina,
Thanks for reaching out! This blanket may be a bit warm for Florida but it is certainly soft, cozy, and a quick knit! I think if you are planning on using it in the winter you should be able to use it comfortably!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
I hand washed this blanket in cold water and it has shrunk to almost have the size. It’s very heavy and not pliable, like a rug. Help! Is there anything I can do to fix it?
Hi Jenn,
Thanks for reaching out! Please send our customer service team the information above and a few photos of your blanket to [email protected] and they can troubleshoot further from there!
Warmly,
Gianna
Hi. I would like to make smaller , more like a stroller blanket size which would be 26 – 28” . How many skeins would I need for this or what would the yardage be . Thanks. Lori
Hi Lori,
Thanks for reaching out. I’d recommend getting 6 skeins of Gentle Giant for your main color, plus 1 skein in another color for the border! Hope this helps.
All the best,
Lili
that definitely helps! thank you so much!
How many cast on stitches would that be to achieve the 26-28 using the US 19 needle?
Hi Tali,
Thanks for writing in! Since this blanket is knit on the bias, you would still follow the pattern exactly as written, starting off with casting 3 stitches onto your circular needles. You will continue to follow the BEGIN + INCREASE repeating Rows 1 and 2 until the piece measures 26-28 inches instead of 30. From there you can then move on to the next section!
I hope this helps!
Gianna