Open Country Blanket – Beginner Blanket Knitting Pattern
A new striped blanket pattern, the Open Country Blanket, is now a beginner blanket knitting pattern here on the blog. Read all about the yarn, the garter stitch border, and how to size it up or down, scroll down to view the full free pattern or purchase an ad free PDF from the links below.
No time right now? Pin this beginner blanket knitting pattern for later!
*This post contains affiliate links (only for products I love, use and spend my own money on obviously). This means I earn some yarn money if you make a purchase through one of these links (of course at no extra cost for you!), which I promise to use to create more awesome patterns like this one. All opinions are my own. See my full disclosure here.
Worsted Yarn Held Double for an Easy Beginner Blanket Knitting Pattern
The Open Country Blanket uses Lion Brand Pound of Love, a worsted weight yarn, held double throughout. Working two strands together on big 8 mm/US 11 needles builds a soft, substantial fabric fast, and it means you are knitting with an easy to find, budget friendly yarn rather than hunting down true bulky skeins.
Holding the yarn double also makes this a forgiving project for a first blanket. The gauge is loose and quick to check, mistakes are easy to spot, and the stitches are large enough to knit comfortably while you watch a show or chat with a friend.
A Garter Stitch Border and Bold Striped Body
This garter stitch blanket pattern is knit flat, in one piece, from the bottom up. The garter stitch border is worked at the same time as the body, so there is no picking up stitches or adding an edging later, and slipping the first stitch of every row keeps every side neat and even.
The middle of the blanket is simple stockinette worked in bold color block stripes. Every time you switch to a new color, you knit one wrong side row in the new shade first, which creates a single garter ridge. That little ridge is what gives this striped blanket knitting pattern its crisp, textured transition between colors, and it only takes one row to make.
Eight Sizes You Can Make Your Own
The Open Country Blanket comes in eight sizes, from a small security/cuddler blanket right up to a king size throw for your own bed. You can easily adjust the width by casting on more or fewer stitches, no multiple necessary, and adjust the length by adding or removing stripe repeats in the main body.
If you love a good stripe, you will also want to see the Slipstream Striped Knit Blanket Pattern for another color block design in a different stitch combination.
Techniques Used in the Open Country Blanket Knitting Pattern
If you can knit and purl, you already have the skills for this blanket. Here is everything the pattern asks you to do, with a tutorial for the couple of bits that are much easier to watch than to read.
- Garter stitch: knit every row, on both sides of the work. It gives you the wide borders and the single ridge that separates each stripe.
- Stockinette stitch: knit on the right side, purl on the wrong side. This is the smooth fabric that makes up the striped body.
- Easy garter stitch selvedge edge: you slip the first stitch of every row purlwise, so the blanket finishes with a neat, even edge all the way around and there is nothing to pick up or add later. Watch how to work the sl1p edge on garter stitch.
- Clean color changes: every time you switch color you knit one wrong side row in the new shade, which sets a crisp garter ridge at each stripe transition. Watch the garter border and color change tutorial.
- Holding yarn double: the whole blanket is worked with two strands of the same color held together, which turns worsted weight yarn into a thick, cozy fabric on 8 mm/US 11 needles.
- Blocking: the step that straightens your edges and flattens the corners, and it makes a real difference on a piece this size. Read my blocking tutorial.
Downloadable PDF for Open Country Blanket Knitting Pattern
Grab the printable PDF of the Open Country Blanket Knitting Pattern now in my shop, Etsy shop, on Ravelry shop or as a Lion Brand Kit:
Open Country Blanket Knitting Pattern PDF & Lion Brand Yarn Kit
Thick, soft and completely beginner friendly, the Open Country Blanket is the kind of project you can knit your way through a whole season of something on TV. The kit brings you Lion Brand Pound of Love in Olive, Stone and Elephant Grey, the three shades that make those wide, quiet stripes, and you hold the yarn double throughout for that deep, squishy fabric. Everything you need for your blanket arrives in one box.
More Blanket Knitting Patterns You'll Love
Before You Start Your Open Country Blanket Knitting Pattern
Materials
- 8 mm/US 11 needles. You may be able to fit the smaller blankets on long straight knitting needles but you’ll need a long circular needle to be able to fit all the stitches for bigger sizes. If using interchangeable circular needles, I recommend using swivel cords as they’ll help reduce strain on your wrists.
- Lion Brand Pound of Love (held double) (Worsted weight 4, 100% acrylic, 454g/16oz, 932m/1,020 yd) in the following:
- 1 (1, 2, 2, 3, 5, 5, 5) skeins in color Olive [550-172T]
- 1 (1, 2, 2, 3, 5, 5, 5) skeins in color Stone [550-119D]
- 1 (1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 3) skeins in color Elephant Grey [550-151N]
- Tapestry needle to weave in the ends.
- Tape measure
Size
The blanket pattern comes in eight sizes, noted: Security/cuddler (receiving, crib, throw, twin, double, queen, king) throughout the pattern. Pictures illustrate the receiving blanket size.
Width: 60 (105, 114, 132, 168, 229, 244, 250) cm/24 (41, 45, 52, 66, 90, 96, 98)”
Length: 60 (105, 150, 150, 195, 285, 285, 285) cm/24 (41, 59, 59, 77, 112, 112, 112)”
You can easily adapt your blanket to any width by increasing or decreasing your cast-on stitches, no multiple necessary. To adjust the length, you can add or remove main blanket body stripe repeats (one repeat is 45 cm/17.75″).
Gauge
The gauge for this pattern, in stockinette is 11 st by 16.5 rows for a blocked 10 cm/4″ square.
Abbreviations
- st = stitch
- k = knit
- Sl1p = slip one stitch purlwise
- p = purl
- WS = wrong side
Special Stitches & Techniques
- Garter stitch = knit on both sides of the project
- Stockinette stitch = knit on the right side, purl on the wrong side
- Easy Garter Stitch Selvedge Edge = For a more polished finish, you’ll be slipping the first stitch of every row purlwise (except when changing colors). This is detailed in the pattern below but here’s a detailed video tutorial to show you how to make that edge and handle the color changes.
- Holding yarn double = work the entire project holding 2 strands of the same color together. This creates a beautiful chunky fabric. To avoid tangles it is easier to work from 2 different skeins than each end of the same skein. If you only have one skein, I recommend winding half into a ball and cutting the yarn in 2 separate balls.
Check out my video tutorial for a Perfect Garter Stitch Border + Clean Color Changes here:
Notes
The final number of stitches is indicated at the end of the row/round between < >.
Construction
Sick of all the yarn jargon and conversions?
US vs UK, abbreviations, imperial vs metric, yarn weights, etc?
You’ll knit the Open Country Blanket flat, in one piece, from the bottom up. The garter stitch border is worked at the same time as the body, so there’s no picking up stitches or edging to add later.
You’ll also slip the first stitch of every row for a neat, even edge all around.
The middle is simple stockinette with bold stripes, and every time you switch to a new color you’ll knit one wrong side row in the new color to create a single garter ridge. That little ridge gives each stripe a crisp, textured transition, and all it takes is one knit row.
The Actual Blanket Knitting Pattern
Border Section
With your 8 mm/US 11 needles and Stone color yarn held double, cast on 66 (115, 125, 145, 185, 252, 268, 275) stitches.
Row 1: Sl1p, knit across. <66 (115, 125, 145, 185, 252, 268, 275) st>
Repeat for 5 cm/2″.
Row 2: Sl1p, knit across
Row 3: Sl1p, k5, purl until last 6 st, k6.
Repeat Row 2-3 until total length is 15 cm/6″
Repeat Row 2 one more time.
Main Blanket Body
Switch to Elephant Grey color.
Row 4 (WS): Knit across.
Note: skip the first slip purlwise stitch to ensure the color change aligns well
Repeat Row 2-3 until grey section measures just under 5 cm/2″.
Repeat Row 2 one more time.
Switch to Olive color.
Repeat Row 4.
Repeat Row 2-3 until olive section measures just under 20 cm/7.75″.
Repeat Row 2 one more time.
Switch to Elephant Grey color.
Repeat Row 4.
Repeat Row 2-3 until grey section measures just under 5 cm/2″.
Repeat Row 2 one more time.
Switch to Stone color.
For the size security/cuddler, skip to the Bottom Border. For all other sizes:
Repeat Row 4.
Repeat Row 2-3 until stone section measures just under 15 cm/6″.
Repeat Row 2 one more time.
Repeat from start of Main body section 0 (1, 2, 2, 3, 5, 5, 5) times omitting last Stone color section.
Bottom Border
Switch to Stone color.
Repeat Row 4.
Repeat Row 2-3 until stone section measures just under 10 cm/4″.
Repeat Row 2 for 5 cm/2″.
Blocking
You’re done with the knitting part. Make sure to weave in all the ends.
To make your stitch pattern even prettier, help straighten your edges and flatten the corners, block your project.
Don’t skip this step as it can make a huge difference. Read my detailed tutorial on why block, how-to, and all my tips and tricks if you need help.
Please Respect My Work
You may not share, sell or claim my patterns as your own. You can make finished items to sell (i.e. on Etsy, at craft fairs) from my patterns but I ask that you link back to my blog knittingwithchopsticks.com and provide credit for the pattern.
I love to see your projects, tag them #knittingwithchopsticks so I can see and share what you make.
