I have a real craving for comforting knits. The weather has been freezing here and I just want to hunker down on my sofa and wrap myself up in a large blanket. I have a few blankets at home that decorate my living room, but you can always have more right? This blog post is looking at some fun blanket projects. Although a blanket is an epic undertaking the results are so rewarding. Recently in this chilly weather there is not an evening that goes by without the blanket on our knees when we are curled up on the sofa. There are various ways to tackle a blanket, lots of squares you stitch together, casting on lots of stitches and just knitting through it, or building it up with lots of crochet stitches. Take a look below for some inspiration and yarn options.

Modern Mountain Throw Blanket (link to ravelry) by Jessica Reeves Potasz. I thought I would start with a chunky project thats not so intimidating to knit. This one is done on 10mm needles, so should be a fairly quick one. Knit in one piece means there is also no sewing up. Lightly textured to keep the knitting interesting and also adds a nice design detail. I would knit this up in a bright colour of &Make Super Bulky for a cheery home accessory.

Square Share (link to ravelry) by Kate Davies and Felicity Ford. I had to include this one as I have had so much fun knitting these squares for my own blanket. This free pattern is so simple, what you get is not the designs you see above but a blank chart allowing you to create as many different squares as you like. I love colourwork so I did a lot of colour work squares for mine (see below), but it would be equally stunning in lots of plain colours. What I really liked about the squares is that they are all worked from the outside in, meaning they just get quicker and quicker. I knit mine in Hillesvåg Sølje and Vilje and some yarn club yarns that I saved specifically. It’s the biggest blanket I have ever made and I love it. The original blanket by Kate Davies and Felicity Ford (above) was created to celebrate 30 diverse creative women and was completed n March 2019 for International Women’s Day. You can read about them at www.balanceforbetterblanket.com.

Ten Stitch Blanket by Frankie Brown. This is a cute idea for a blanket and its only knit over 10 stitches. Starting in the middle you spiral around, joining as you go. No seams! It looks simple to knit but also quite addictive. This sort of design would look great in Noro Silk Garden Lite. The colour changing in the yarn will really highlight the construction.

Battenberg Blanket (link to ravelry) by Sandra Paul. The simplest blankets I know are made from crocheted squares. These simple squares can look very striking and give you an almost infinite number of options for size and shape. These little squares are perfect for 4ply leftovers and this design cleverly uses a neutral colour to unite all the random ones turning it into a cohesive design. I would choose Garthenor Preseli for this, it has some nice neutrals and lots of fun colours that would combine beautifully.

Bounce (link to ravelry) by tincanknits. This classic design is worked in stripes across the entire width of the blanket. No pieces that need sewing together at the end. The lace repeat is small and easy to remember and creates a nice wavy stripe. I like these gradient versions so would be tempted to go for lots of different colours of Socks Yeah DK a soft and sturdy Merino/Nylon blend that is ideal for a blanket.

Radvent Throw (link to ravelry) by Ambah O’Brien. These squares have a similar construction to the Square Share blanket but instead of working from the outside in you work from the inside out. I really like the geometric eyelets that really come to life when the squares are joined together. I’m really being drawn to G-uld No. 4 minis for this and would probably choose a slightly smaller needle size with the lighter yarn.

Painting Honeycombs Blanket (link to ravelry) by Stephen West. Stephen West will often adapt some of his design motifs into blanket. This one is from his Painting Honeycombs series and is a really fun way of introducing colour. Slip stitches create the little honeycomb sections that are surprisingly simple to knit. I would try different colours of Vivacious DK.

Persian Tile Blanket by Jane Crowfoot. I love how intricate crochet blanket designs can get. This one is stunning. Four different motifs combine so you can make it as big as you like. Using chain, slip stitch, double crochet, treble crochet and double treble crochet stitches. Crocheted in a DK weight I think I would choose Socks Yeah DK again.

If you are interested in knitting homewares I would recommend Dee Hardwicke’s The Knitted Fabric: Colourwork Projects For You And Your Home. The book includes 20 nature-inspired patterns for gorgeous knitwear and joyful pieces for the home. This creative and original book invites you to step inside Dee Hardwicke’s world.