Knit & Crochet, Knitting, Patterns

Simple Striped Baby Blanket — Free Pattern

74 Comments

Knitting a blanket isn’t difficult. It can be a bit monotonous and seemingly endless. I much prefer knitting hats where there’s a definite start and end and it can be completed in an afternoon.

That being said, there is something special about giving someone a hand-knitted blanket. It shows you care enough for the person to spend a lot of time and sometimes money on a thing she will hopefully cherish for years and years.

Simple striped baby blanket --Free Pattern

Here’s a pattern for a lovely baby blanket that measures approximately 29″ x 32″. I recommend it to knitters of all levels. I used a worsted superwash wool so no matter what temperature the gift recipient washes it in, it will not shrink.

Simple striped baby blanket --Free Pattern

I based my pattern on two different designs from Altadena’s Baby Designs and the TLC Channel’s website (who knew they had knitting patterns?) You can make this pattern on whatever needle size you like and make it as long as you like. I randomly selected the color pattern and width of the stripes, but what follows is the exact rows and combinations for this particular blanket. Make the stripes the way you want. This is more of a guide.

Simple striped baby blanket --Free Pattern

Materials:

Long size 8 circular needle (mine is about 38 inches)

2-3 balls Ella Rae worsted superwash wool in light grey (I used exactly two balls, so you may want three just in case)

1 ball Ella Rae worsted superwash in limestone green

1 ball Ella Rae worsted superwash in moody blue

darning needle

Directions:

Except when you’re bringing in new color, slip the first stitch of every row.

Cast on 144 stitches. Knit in garter stitch for 16 rows.

Row 1: Knit across

Row 2: K8, P8, *K4, P8*, repeat * until 8 stitches remain. Knit 8.

Repeat rows 1 and 2 while following this stripe pattern:

14 rows grey, 6 rows limestone, 12 rows blue, 6 rows limestone, 26 rows grey, 4 rows limestone, 4 rows blue, 10 rows grey, 8 rows limestone, 30 rows grey, 12 rows blue, 10 rows limestone, 8 rows blue, 4 rows limestone, 20 rows grey, 6 rows limestone, 6 rows grey, 14 rows blue, 6 rows grey, 12 rows limestone, 6 rows blue, 6 rows limestone, 14 rows grey.

Knit 15 rows in garter stitch and bind off using the stretchy method.

Simple striped baby blanket --Free Pattern

Now the fun part! Weave in all ends. This is the downside to stripes. A whole lot of ends. I don’t have any scientific method of weaving in ends, so do what works for you.

Simple striped baby blanket --Free Pattern

You could also block your blanket, but I figured this one won’t be shrinking much so I didn’t bother. If you have a good reason why I should block it, please leave me a comment. 🙂

Simple striped baby blanket --Free Pattern

Hope you find this pattern helpful and good luck knitting a blanket. You’ll feel a great sense of accomplishment and relief when you’ve finished.

-Natasha

Here’s baby George all bundled up and cozy with his new blanket:

Simple striped baby blanket --Free Pattern

74 thoughts on “Simple Striped Baby Blanket — Free Pattern”

  1. Hi, Your baby blanket is beautiful………..love the colors.. I am a beginner knitter, so always looking for easy patterns. I am allergic to wool, what other types of yarn could I use. Thank you..

    Reply

      1. I just started knitting your blanket! It’s not clear to me if I knit 16 rows in garter stitch with the grey and then start the pattern of 14 rows also with the grey?? Thank you.

      2. Patricia,
        I believe I knit in garter stitch for 16 rows in the grey and continued in stockinette for 14 rows also with the grey. But this pattern is really flexible. You can make the stripes as wide or as narrow as you’d like.
        Best of luck and I hope you’ll send me a photo of the finished product!
        -Natasha

    2. I’m allergic to wool also – I have found that Caron’s “One Pound” skeins are easy to work with (I can make a good-sized baby afghan with just one skein if I want to!) and wash up SO soft. Bonus that I found out COMPLETELY by accident (because I spilled half a cup of coffee WITH cream on a white “work in progress”), it’s very stain-resistant!

      Reply

    1. Peggy,
      That just means you place the right needle into the first stitch on the left needle as if you’re going to knit it, but then just transfer the stitch from the left needle to the right needle. This creates a clean, straight edge throughout the work. It is not necessary to do this step. You can knit the first stitch normally and the pattern will turn out fine. It’s just my preference.
      Natasha

      Reply

      1. Natasha, Thank you for the prompt and detailed reply. It’s ingenious. I look forward to trying it. So many possible color combinations for the stripes. I’m trying to move the pattern to my cell phone so I can bring it to my yarn store. Thank you again.

      2. I love the look that comes of slipping the first stitch in each row – especially when it comes time to bind off because the last stitch ALWAYS looks wrong otherwise.

    1. Karen,
      It took me several weeks to complete, but only because I have the attention span of a mouse. I only knit an hour at a time. The “stretchy” bind off, if you follow the link, is an alternative to the bind-off method I learned as a child. The bind off method I know leaves the edge tight with little give. This version has more give and more closely resembles the cast-on edge.
      Thanks for your questions,
      Natasha

      Reply

  7. Gorgeous! I’ve been knitting since I was 9 years old and am knitting for my two infant granddaughters now. Good patterns and ideas are greatly appreciated. Great job, Natasha!
    Norma Jean

    Reply

  9. What a gorgeous blanket! Thanks for sharing. Cannot wait to try this pattern…as soon as I finish a sweater in progress.

    Reply

  13. this is an eye a catching blanket because of the colors you used. very pretty. I’m thinking of making an adult size afghan from your pattern. with a size 8 would you suggest casting on about 200 or should I go to a larger needle and the just knit til it’s as long I want it.

    Reply

    1. Dear Jackie,
      Thanks for your kind comment. I’m not much of a mathematician, but another person asked me as similar question last week and I determined if you wanted to double the width of the blanket, you should double the internal stitches and add 16 for the border. My blanket has 128 internal stitches, so it stands to reason that if you doubled that and added 16 the blanket would be 272 stitches. Then you can knit it as long as you like. Of course you could always buy bulky yarn and knit the whole thing on size 10 or 11 needles according to the pattern. I don’t know if it would double the size, but it would be significantly bigger.
      I hope that was helpful. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
      Thanks,
      Natasha

      Reply

      1. To increase the size the formula is Multiples of 12 stitches plus 24 stitches. Since yarn weight and brand and needles sizes vary its hard to state the finished size of blanket. So, you may have to experiment a bit with swatches. Hope this helps, I like the pattern and plan to work it out to a crib size at least 36″ wide, using Caron Simply Soft and size 8 (US) needles.

    1. Adele,
      Any cast on method would work for this blanket. I don’t know the specific name for the way I cast on, but I’d recommend looking on YouTube for videos on how to cast on.
      Thanks for commenting,
      Natasha

      Reply

  15. I’m a fairly new knitter so this might sound kinda basic but why are you ending the blanket with only 15 rows in garter instead of an even number?

    Reply

    1. The reason is that when you bind off, that counts as a row. If you were to knit 16 rows and then bind off, it would look a little longer.
      Thanks for asking!
      -Natasha

      Reply

  16. I am going to knit this blanket and Iam thinking of using pastel pink and purple,so do you think white would go good with this or should I use another colour? love to have your opinion on this as I am doing this for a baby girl..love the colours you have choosen for a boy!!

    Reply

    1. Dear Mary,
      Thank you for your kind words. I think white would look lovely with pink and purple. Peach might look nice too. I’d love to see your finished product. Please let me know when it’s completed.
      Thanks for commenting,
      Natasha

      Reply

  17. Beautiful Pattern. I am going to use 100% cotton. I am curious about the blanket size 29 x 32, it seems a bit small for a crib blanket but my kids are all grown and I do not remember blanket sizes. Looking at other patterns baby blankets are all different sizes. As a Mom how has this size worked for you?

    Reply

    1. Dear Tessa,
      This is a great question. This blanket is not crib sized. I believe it would be categorized as stroller sized. I didn’t have the patience to knit a full crib size, hah! The reason I chose to make my pattern this size was that my son’s favorite and only blanket is about the same dimensions. My friend whose son I made this for told me the size was smaller than she expected, but she likes it just fine and her one-year-old sleeps with it every night. When he was younger she was able to wrap him up in it like a perfect baby burrito.

      Hope this helps and thanks for commenting,
      Natasha

      Reply

  18. I would like to use this pattern for a prayer shawl. Can you give me directions that are narrower? I am a new knitter.

    Reply

    1. Dear Carol,
      I am unfamiliar with the dimensions of a prayer shawl, but I assume it’s like a wide scarf. I would suggest casting on 80 stitches and following the same pattern. I’m not positive it will work (I am terrible at math) but I believe if you subtract the 16 stitches for the borders and divide the internal stitches in half (128/2 = 64) then add the border stitches back, you’ll have 80 stitches total, which would be about half the width of the blanket. Then I would knit the pattern till it is a length you prefer. Hope this helps!
      -Natasha

      Reply

      1. Thanks….your instructions will probably be exactly right. A prayer shawl is indeed a wide scarf.

  20. Why “Except when you’re bringing in new color, slip the first stitch of every row.” I’m fairly knew to knitting. Thank you

    Reply

    1. Geraldine,
      I slip the first stitch of every row because the edges looks more even this way. But if you were to slip the first stitch of a row where you’re bringing in new color you’d have one stitch in the previous color and the rest would be the new color. So in the case where you’re knitting a row with a new color, just knit the first stitch with the new color instead of slipping the first stitch.

      Hope this helps,
      Natasha

      Reply
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    1. Dear Ashley,
      I just cut the yarn and draw it through the last loop. Nothing special. I think it’s the same way I bind off the last stitch when I cast off regularly.

      Kindest regards,
      Natasha

      Reply

  27. Hi Natasha
    I just finished making your blanket pattern. I used Caron’s Simply Soft in Soft Blue, Soft Green and Grey Heather. I don’t recommend this yarn unless you use very pointy needles as it tends to split. I also had to have a crochet needle handy as I kept screwing up the garter stitch inserts. But all in all it came out nice and I would make it again with better yarn and change the garter insert to the purl stitch for my sanity!

    Thanks for your pattern!

    Reply

      1. Hi Natasha,
        In June I made your blanket. I wanted to do it again but this time I used chaio goo very pointy needles and I knitted Portuguese style.
        I’ve been knitting for 29 years and I always thought my stockinette stitches were too loose or tight and so I would change pattern stitches to moss e.t.c. So I did a search on you tube and found Portuguese knitting, what a difference, the stitches are so much better and easier to make. Also I found on you tube a lesson on changing colors that is so great! Here are the you tube addresses: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjMcVXXf9ss

        P.S. Also I learned another trick, you do the garter stitch by purling only, it’s so much easier. I did it on this blanket.

  29. Should it be 146 to cast on? I’ve ended up with 6 at the end of row 2 not 8. I’ve checked numbers and pattern and haven’t missed any….

    Reply

    1. Dear Vicky, unfortunately it’s been several years since I’ve made this pattern. I haven’t had anyone else comment on an error in stitch numbers but it could be possible that I miscounted. Normally I subtract the number of stitches for the border on each side and calculate the pattern in between. I’m sorry I can’t be more of a help.
      Thanks for commenting,
      Natasha

      Reply

  30. I just found this pattern that I plan to make for my new grandbaby- we don’t know yet if it will be a boy or girl!! exciting.
    I have never knitted w/ different colors- when you finish with one color – do you just pick up the new color and kinda leave the yarn hanging?
    or do you try to carry the “old” color along up the side? Or is there a video I could watch explaining what to do? Thank you so much

    Reply
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  32. Thank you so much for the pattern. What color did you start with to do the 16 rows in garter after the CO and also the first row 1 and 2?

    Thank you
    Anna

    Reply

  34. I love this pattern! Four babies being born in the family this year and I have two blankets done! One of my nieces prefers grey-teal-orange and dang if there is NOT a color combo out there I could find so I’m going with stripes! This is going to be fun! I think I saw a knitting tip on how to blend in/knit-weave in yarn strands as you go along instead of having to weave everything in at the end. IF I can find the link and IF it works I will re-post for all!

    Reply

  35. luv the idea – i will try this will my left over yarns (blending the colors) because it really doesn’t matter how wide the stripes are – u can divide the yarn example a-b-c-d-e-d-c-b-a etc (depending on how many colors you have – did this with a jacket and it looked gr8 –

    Reply

  36. Just found this lovely pattern. Can you tell me the stitch multiple? I’d like to make it wider. Thank you in advance 🙂

    Reply

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