Baby’s Favorite Blanket
Bury-your-face-in-it soft, this simple knit blanket in our Witch Hazel cotton yarn is so irresistible that we had no choice but to name it Baby’s Favorite Blanket!
You work this blanket knitting pattern diagonally, with a no-problem Centered Double Decrease (yes, we have a tutorial!) every other row. No picking up, no sewing, no intarsia, no shenanigans, just easy-peasy garter stitch and the magic of a well-placed decrease!
This plush and inviting fabric is truly as soft as it looks, thanks to Witch Hazel. Our 100% Pima cotton yarn is a burst of feathery strands, anchored by a braided cotton cord for easier knitting. It knits up quickly into a surprisingly lightweight fabric, ideal for babies but totally enchanting to the rest of us, too!
Pick two colors from Witch Hazel’s happy, mellow palette, like the fresh-as-a-daisy Heirloom White and Chamomile combination we chose.
More magic happens when this blanket goes through the washer and dryer for the first time, shrinking a bit and getting even cushier… The end of tummy time blues!
Cast on with your first ball of Witch Hazel, and you won’t be able to stop… Baby’s Favorite Blanket will be done before you know it and will surely be your favorite, too!
If you love the yarn used in this project, you’ll love all of our other yarn, too! Explore our 35+ lovingly created yarn collections, in nearly every natural fiber and spectacular color you can imagine… Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn shop!
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Hiromi Glover. See even more of Hiromi’s work on her Instagram!
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoBabysFavoriteBlanket, and #PurlSohoWitchHazel. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- Purl Soho’s Witch Hazel, 100% Pima cotton yarn. Each ball of this chunky/bulky-weight yarn is approximately 48 yards/50 grams.
- Color A: 7 balls; approximately 336 yards required. We used Heirloom White.
- Color B: 7 balls; approximately 336 yards required. We used Chamomile Yellow.
- US 10 (6 mm), 47-inch circular needles
- A stitch marker
- Scrap yarn or a removable stitch marker
NOTE: We used nearly every last yard for our blanket! To avoid running short, be sure to check your gauge, reuse your swatch yarn, and keep tails short. Or, consider ordering an extra ball of each color to be safe. If you don’t end up needing it, you can return it for a refund within 30 days of purchase, or within 6 months, for store credit. Our Return Policy has all the details!
GAUGE
10½ stitches and 21 rows = 4 inches in garter stitch, unlaundered
SIZE
- Finished Dimensions, Unlaundered: 29 inches wide and 35 inches tall
- Finished Dimensions, Gently Machine Washed + Dried: 26 inches wide and 31½ inches tall
NOTES
CONSTRUCTION
Having trouble envisioning how this blanket is knit? This image should help!
S2KP (SLIP 2, KNIT 1, PSSO)
Slip 2 stitches together knitwise with yarn in back, knit 1, pass slipped stitches over knit stitch and off right needle. [2 stitches decreased]
For additional help, please visit our s2kp Tutorial.
PATTERN
With Color A, cast on 169 stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Set-Up Row (wrong side): K91, place marker (pm), knit to end of row.
NOTE: Place a removable stitch marker or scrap yarn on next row to indicate right side.
Row 1 (right side): Knit to 3 stitches before marker, s2kp (see Notes), remove marker, k1, pm, knit to end of row. [2 stitches decreased]
Row 2 (wrong side): Knit to end of row, slipping marker as you come to it.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 twenty-three more times, until piece measures approximately 5 inches along selvage edge. [121 stitches remain; with right side facing you, 54 stitches remain to right of stitch marker and 67 stitches to left of stitch marker]
Cut Color A.
With Color B, repeat Rows 1 and 2 fifty-one times, until piece measures approximately 28¾ along selvage edge. [19 stitches remain; with right side facing you, 3 stitches remain to right of stitch marker and 16 stitches to left of stitch marker]
Bind-Off Row (right side): S2kp, remove marker, *k1, pass first stitch over second loosely to bind off 1 stitch, repeat from * to end of row.
Weave in the ends and gently wet block, or machine launder for a denser, fluffier fabric (our sample is gently machine washed and dried)!
Learn About Witch Hazel + All Our Beautiful Yarns
We designed this project to highlight the delightful sprouty-ness of Witch Hazel (yes, this fabric is indeed knitted!). This yarn brings not only whimsy and charisma but also an incredibly soft and cushy feeling. A uniquely textured chunky/bulky weight yarn, it is 100% super soft Pima cotton and an absolute joy to knit!
More Chunky/Bulky-Weight Yarns
- Shop our collection of chunky/bulky-weight yarn
- 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 all our beautiful cotton yarn
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!
Hi. I was planning to make the round bath mat using Witch Hazel but find it difficult in a way. It’s so hard to fix dropped stitches or even count stitches because of the “hairiness”. I’m just going to sew squares for washcloths and the bathmat or baby blanket.
Also, it seemed strange to cast on 9 stitches for a Magic Loop application when you are supposed to split the number of stitches in half. I wonder if others have the same frustrations.
This blanket looks so fun! Do you have suggestions on how this pattern could be adjusted to make a larger sized (maybe a throw size?) blanket? In my case, a 7-year-old.
Hi Sarah,
Thank you for writing in! To adjust the size of this pattern, first multiply the gauge (2.625 stitches per inch) by your desired width, and then, in a separate calculation, by your desired length, and round each resulting number to the nearest whole number. Cast on these two numbers added up, and then, on the Set-Up Row, you can place the stitch marker after you’ve worked the number of stitches for just the length. Finally, just follow the pattern as written!
All the best,
Gavriella
Thanks so much for the detailed guidances! I appreciate it!
Do you have any hints/suggestions regarding weaving in the loose ends.
I’m not used to doing it with such a bulky yarn. Also it’s difficult to identify stitches.
Thx
Hi Nicky,
Since this yarn is a bit more forgiving when it comes to the ends, you can weave them into what feels right. I’d recommend gently tugging the fabric to be able to better identify the spaces to weave in those tails and ends. This way you are able to get a better idea of the spaces in between stitches to sew in your ends.
All the best,
Gavriella
I’m confused! It says to repeat row 1 and 2 23 times but that would be 46 rows. Do you mean repeat 1 and 2 11 times and then 1 once, ending on a wrong side? Then do you do the decrease the other way? I tried to keep the decrease on the right side and it didn’t come together. My head hurts!
Hi Jennifer,
Thank you for writing in! You will want to repeat rows 1 and 2, 23 more times for a total of 46 stitches decreased. I hope this helps clarify but please let us know if you have any other questions!
All the best,
Gavriella