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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 yarn, 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!
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!
Pattern designed and written 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. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Want to print this pattern? On desktop, find the “print” icon in the right margin, and on mobile, scroll to the end of the pattern for it. Use the on-screen instructions to remove anything you don’t want to print!
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 9¼ 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 Free Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our growing collection of Witch Hazel knitting patterns and cast on!
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 and our Yarn Substitution article for lots of helpful information.
More Yarns With Similar Fibers
- Shop cotton yarn (What helps cotton keep its cool? Learn all about this soft, natural fiber in our guide to cotton yarn!)
- Shop machine-washable yarn
- Shop plant-based yarn
Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our knitting patterns (including tons of 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
How important is gauge here? I am having a hard time counting stitches and rows.
Hi Cathy,
That’s a great question! With highly textured yarns where stitches can be a bit harder to see, we recommend using a tape measure or ruler as you knit to make sure your dimensions are on track, as this is is a bit easier than counting stitches per inch or rows. We hope this helps, and please let us know if you have any other questions!
All the best,
Cat
Does this end up being an odd shape with dropping stitches all the way across?
Hi Gigi,
Thank you for writing in! Could you please send a photo of your project to [email protected] so we can have a deeper look? We’ll be able to better visualize what’s going on that way!
All the best,
Gavriella
I am in love with the yarn, Witch Hazel…haven’t purchased any yet. Can you make other pattern suggestions for knitting a baby blanket?
Thank you very much.
Hi Robin,
Thank you for writing in! Witch Hazel would also be a great option for our Coziest Blanket Ever or our Piece of Cake Blanket! I hope this helps!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
I am really enjoying knitting this blanket, but the instructions that say you finish Color A when the selvedge is approximately 5 inches would mean after only 20 rows or so (using the gauge listed ), or only roughly half the 23 pairs of rows, 46 total, in the instructions. Or am I misunderstanding this somehow?
Hi Elaine,
Thanks so much for writing in! I’m afraid that the 5-inch measurement is a typo, and it should read 9 1/4 inches. We’re so sorry for the mistake, and we’ll be fixing it as soon as possible. Thanks again for bringing this to our attention!
All the best,
Lili
I’m thinking about making this blanket with Home Life since most Witch Hazel shades are sold out.
I know it’s a different weight yarn so if I could get some help figuring out how many skiens, how much to cast on, and how to do the set up row I would really appreciate it!
Hi Kristen,
Witch Hazel is back in stock now!
All the best,
Lili
Hi can I just check that if I want to knit the crib size coziest blanket in witch hazel I would need just over 8 balls so 9? I have taken the yardage for the total blanket using fiddlehead then divided it by the yardage for witch hazel? Thanks, it just seems a smaller amount rather than the 16 for the baby’s favourite blanket.
Hi Fay,
I’d recommend getting at least 14 skeins of Witch Hazel to make the Coziest Blanket Ever in that yarn! Witch Hazel is a very different yarn from Fiddlehead, so it knits up very differently in terms of yardage and gauge. If you want to make a blanket that’s approximately the same size as the Baby’s Favorite Blanket though, then you’ll need about the same amount of yarn, since the stitch pattern is very similar between the two blankets.
All the best,
Lili
I would love to make this a little bigger than the pattern, any guidance on how? I bought 10 balls of each color and was wondering if it would make sense to just increase the cast on by a percentage? I have about 140% more yarn than the pattern calls for, so can I just increase the cast on by 140% and have enough yarn?
Hi Whitney,
Thanks for writing in! I did some calculations based on surface area and yardage, and you’ll be able to create a blanket that’s about 34 by 42 inches with 10 balls of each color. That would mean a cast-on of about 201 stitches! I’d also recommend placing the stitch marker after about 109 stitches.
All the best,
Lili
Thank you so much for this helpful and speedy reply! I swatched last night and can’t wait to cast on!
I’m having a very difficult time casting on with the yarn – it is so feathery. Do you have a video of someone either casting on or even knitting with the witch hazel? I’ve cast on only a couple of stitches and it’s a big mess – I can’t see any stitches to knit for the set up row. A video would be helpful. Thanks.
Hi Laura,
We’re so sorry you are running into issues with your cast on. We used a basic long tail cast on for this pattern and you can see a video of how to do that in our Long Tail Cast On Tutorial. I’m afraid we don’t have a video with this exact yarn but the steps are the same. One thing you could try is placing a marker after every 10-20 stitches you cast on to help you keep count.
I hope this helps!
All the best,
Gavriella
Hello, I have about 140 yards of 2 color, it’s about 280 yards totals. Would like to knit a smaller version of this blanket for my granddaughter’s dolly.
Can you please help me with the cash on and the setup stitches?
Sincerely,
Maggie Wong
Hi Maggie,
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
Hi – I just purchased 9 balls of each color can you share the approx size that the blanket would be and how many stitches I should cast on / where to put the stitch marker. Like what you provided for Whitney in an earlier comment. Thanks so much for the help!
Hi Amy,
Thanks for writing in! With 9 balls of each color, you’ll be able to make an approximately 33 by 40-inch blanket. You would cast on 191 stitches and place the marker after about 105 stitches. Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
Do you recommend blocking the piece if the final edge is a bit stretched out from the weight of the blanket while knitting? Or can I go ahead and machine wash / dry and the blanket will shrink to a consistent shape?
Hi Kate,
Machine washing and drying should bring the entire blanket back into shape! If you’re experiencing some irregularities even after that though, then I’d recommend wet blocking the blanket and pinning it in shape before letting it air dry flat.
All the best,
Lili
I purchased 8 balls of each color. I only used 5 of the white color and 6 1/2 of the yellow. I made this blanket twice and ripped it out each time (boy does it make alot of fuzz) because it was so much wider at the finished end then the starting edge. I am determined to try this one more time. Has anyone else had this issue? Any advice? I am waiting to see if you have any advice before I start again. Thanks.
Hi Janet,
We’re so sorry you are running into this issue. It sounds like you may have a tight cast on edge at the start causing the blanket to pull in. If that is the case, I’d recommend casting on much looser and maybe going up a need size or two just for the cast on.
I hope this helps but please let us know if you have any other questions!
All the best,
Gavriella
I did use larger needles and cast on loosely and I guess the third time was the charm. It’s very soft and came out the appropriate size and not misshapen. I am returning my extra yarn for credit for my next project. I really do like the different cotton yarns.
That is wonderful news! Thank you for the update and happy knitting!
I am totally confused by the instructions to re: s2kp. the pattern states to knit to 3 stitches before the marker, but the tutorial states to knit to only 1 stitch before marker. I am following the pattern ( on Row 13/46) but it seems I am decreasing on only one side of the marker. I don”t know if I should continue and hope for the best or start over following the tutorial instruction.
Hi Donna,
We are so sorry you are running into issues here! You will want to indeed work your s2kp 3 stitches before the marker as in the pattern rather than in the location of the tutorial. The marker in the tutorial is for the video specifically but you will want to place it in the correct spot for this pattern. I hope this helps clarify but please let me know if you have any other questions!
All the best,
Gavriella
I am in the middle of making this adorable blanket. Quick question to make sure I understand. The pattern says that the blanket finished size (unwashed) is 35 inches tall. But the pattern also says that the color A selvage is about 9 1/4 inch and the color B is aprox. 28 3/4 inches. This totals 38 inches. What am I missing? Thanks for the help.
Hi LeAnn,
Thank you for asking! When you repeat Rows 1 and 2 twenty-three more times, your piece should measure approximately 9¼ inches along selvage edge. After that you will switch to color B and work rows 1 and 2 until your piece measures approximately 28¾ along selvage edge. You want to be sure you are measuring your full piece though, not just the specific color sections. That way when you bind off, your project will be exactly 29 inches wide. I hope this helps clarify but please let me know if you have any questions!
Happy knitting!
Gavriella
Hi! I just started knitting this and am pretty confused. How does a pattern that consistently decreases by 2 every RS row, with no increases, end up being a rectangle? Wouldn’t the edges slope inward as you go, creating a sort of trapezoid? Thanks for helping me understand!
Hi Emily,
Thank you for reaching out! It’s definitely an unusual way to construct a rectangle, but we promise it all comes together beautifully. Since you’re casting on stitches for both the length and width of the blanket, the centered decreases will gradually bring the piece down to the corner of the yellow section opposite your cast-on edge.
If you’d like to see the shaping in action, I’d recommend making a small swatch with a more defined yarn—it’s a great way to visualize the construction on a smaller scale. I hope this helps, and please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any other questions!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Thank you Gavriella! I think it just now clicked for me that the cast on edge wraps around both the bottom and the side. That’s a great idea too – I will swatch on a smaller scale with more defined yarn to get my brain around it.
No problem! We are always happy to help so please let us know if any other questions come up! Happy knitting!
hi- I have started knitting baby’s favorite blanket, and at point where I am switching to color B. I am confused… isn’t color B going to be smaller amount of stitches? Do I knit color B up to marker, then switch back to color A?
Hi Terry,
We’re sorry this has been confusing! For this blanket, you’ll knit all of the Color A section and then you’ll work all of the Color B section. You won’t need to switch back and forth at all!
Here’s how it works: You’ll cast on with Color A and then work each right-side row with a s2kp decrease, so that Color A makes two edges (and a corner) of the blanket at the same time. It’s a really interesting construction! When you’re finished with Color A, you’ll already have fewer stitches because of all the decreases you’ve worked. Once you switch to Color B, you’ll just follow the pattern, working each row entirely in Color B for the rest of the blanket.
We hope this helps clarify the instructions! Let us know if you have any questions.
Kindly,
Allison
Hi I just got through color A. I only used 6 balls of yarn, shape looks fine, but selvedge edge measures 12”. I do block as I go.. but I’m surprised to not have used all my yarn and to have a longer than expected edge. What did I do wrong. Does it matter? Tia
Hi Sarah,
Thanks so much for asking an excellent question! It sounds like most likely your gauge is not matching the one recommended in the pattern. For something like a blanket, that is fine! You’ll end up with a blanket that is a different size than the measurements given in the pattern, but since a blanket doesn’t need to fit, that is ok. We do recommend popping this blanket into the washer and dryer after knitting which will make it shrink a bit and get fluffier!
I hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any other questions!
Warmly,
Andrea
Hi – I purchased 8 balls of each color instead of 7 balls and would like to make it as large as possible. Can you share how many stitches I should cast on and where to put the stitch marker? If you could also provide the approx size that the blanket would be, like what you provided for Amy in an earlier comment, that would be very helpful. Thanks so much for the help!
Hi Angela!
Thank you for writing in! For 8 balls of each color, you can scale the blanket up from the original as follows: cast on about 181 stitches and place the stitch marker after 100 stitches. This should give you a finished blanket of approximately 30 x 36 inches.
In general, increasing the cast-on by about 10–12 stitches per additional ball per color and shifting the marker proportionally will keep the shaping balanced while maximizing size. If you’re right on the edge of yardage, it’s always smart to stop a repeat early and bind off rather than risk running out. I hope this helps!
Warmly,
Megan
I am a moderate novice at knitting but would love to knit this blanket. Can anyone tell me how to change pattern for a left hander? Many thanks.
Linda
Hi Linda!
Thank you for writing in! Good news, knitting patterns don’t need to be changed for left-handed knitters. You can follow the pattern exactly as written.
The only difference is your knitting style. Are you knitting Continental (holding the yarn in your left hand) or English (holding the yarn in your right hand)? Either method works perfectly with the pattern. It just affects how you tension and move the yarn, not the instructions themselves. You’ll be able to knit the blanket just as it’s written. I hope that clarifies things!
Happy knitting!
Megan