Blanket from thick yarn. How to knit by hand for beginners

In home interior design abroad, you can find blankets with fairly large loops that were knitted from thick yarn. In Russia, items of this type are rarely sold in bedding stores, however, it is possible to knit them yourself. On the Internet, you can find a large number of detailed instructions and recommendations for those who would like to create such an interior item with their own hands.

Choosing yarn and tools for knitting a blanket

There are 2 types of yarn from which blankets are made: merino yarn (made of sheep wool) and yarn made of polyester (Alize Puffy). The disadvantage of merino yarn is its high price and the fact that finished products can quickly lose their neat appearance, leaving pieces of wool on the surfaces. In addition, a blanket made of merino yarn is not recommended for children, as it can cause allergic reactions. Alize Puffy yarn is suitable for children.

Before buying yarn, you need to calculate how many skeins you will need to knit one blanket. Thick yarn is quite specific, so you should not buy it in reserve; if there is a skein left after knitting a blanket, it cannot be used to knit other items. Therefore, in order to save money, you need to determine what size the finished blanket made of thick yarn will be.

Knitting a blanket 1 m by 1 m wide from thick yarn by hand will require 5 skeins of Alize Puffy yarn. Yarn consumption also depends on how the pattern was chosen by the craftswoman. Thus, the least amount of yarn is required for blankets with face loops or with patterns based on twisted loops. So, for example, to create a blanket 80x80 cm, you will need 4 skeins of yarn, and to knit a blanket 120x150 cm, you need to buy 10 skeins of Alize Puffy.

To knit a larger blanket, for example, 200x200 cm, you need to buy 23 skeins of yarn. There is no strict division into sizes, everything is selected individually. A blanket with a braid pattern is considered more labor-intensive and requires the purchase of more skeins. To calculate the amount of Alize Puffy yarn, it is recommended to use the following formula: length * width * constant number (constant) = number of skeins of yarn.

The constant in the formula denotes the number of skeins per 1 square meter. There are about 7 skeins of Alize yarn in a square meter of the blanket. This formula can be used if the blanket is knitted with a braid pattern.

You can calculate how much merino yarn you will need to knit one blanket using the data in the table below:

Blanket size	Amount of yarn (in kg)
40x61 cm	0.5
40x120 cm	1
60x165 cm	2
90x90 cm	1.5
1x1.5 m	2,3
1x2 m	3.6
1.5x2 m	5.5
2.2x2.2m	9.5
2.5x2.3	11.3

However, it should be noted that the most popular yarn for hand knitting is Alize Puffy. When working with it, you do not need a hook or knitting needles, since the loops are already cast on in advance.

Therefore, before you start knitting, you only need to prepare 2 items:

• Yarn Alize Puffy;
• Scissors.

A blanket made of thick yarn can be hand-knitted from merino yarn. However, this will require purchasing a felting brush, a set of felting needles, and sets of blanket loops. The latter tool will make the blanket look neater.

Techniques for knitting a blanket from thick yarn

A blanket made of thick yarn can be knitted by hand either directly on your hands or on hard surfaces.

Knitting with merino yarn on surfaces

Before starting work, place the balls on a clean surface so as not to spoil the appearance of the finished product.

The first loop of the blanket is the basis of the future product, so it must be done carefully:

1. Cast on the first stitch in a row. To do this, wrap the end of the yarn ribbon around your finger and pass the released yarn ribbon through it. To prevent the base of the weave from unraveling, tighten the knot on it.
   
2. Pull the long end of the yarn through the resulting loop. Do not pull it out completely; when pulling the yarn, a new loop should form. To continue the row, you need to repeat the action described in point 2. It is important to remember that there should be more loops in the 1st row than in the following chains. The loops of the 1st row should be slightly looser than the loops in the following rows.
   
3. To move to a new row, pull a long thread with a ball of yarn through the last loop of row 1. It can be lowered down or up. The following loops are created in the same way: pull a thread with a ball of yarn through the loops of row 1.
4. It is important to remember that when starting a new row, you should move in the opposite direction. So, if the first row was knitted from left to right, the second is knitted from right to left, the third row is pulled through like the first. This rule is observed until the very last row in the product.
   
5. The last loop in the row should be looser than the previous ones. When moving to a new row, the first loop is not knitted. After the required number of rows have been knitted, the loop in the last row is closed. To complete knitting the blanket, it is necessary to knit 2 loops in 1. Touching the last loops, you should grab those loops that were not knitted in the previous rows.
6. Cut the thread from the skein of yarn after finishing knitting. Thread the thread through the last loops in the rows. At this stage, felting begins. The end of the thread is inserted into the last loop and pierced with a felting needle. Such a needle will allow the threads to be connected to each other and make the blanket look neater.

Knitting with merino yarn by hand

1. Find the end of the yarn, twist it, leaving a small gap. Pull the working thread through the loop. The working thread regulates the height of the loop. The loop is formed by hand, not on a hard surface, as described above.
   
2. Place the first loop on the hand that replaces the knitting needle, insert the working thread into the loop, making sure that the loop does not twist. After forming the loop, place it on the hand. Repeat this action for all loops of one row.
   
3. To finish the row, put the last loop in the row on another. In the new row, do not knit the very first loop, starting knitting from the second loop. Knitting is done correctly if with each new row the loops pass from the right hand to the left.
   
4. To finish weaving the product, you should pull the working thread through 2 loops at once. It is very important not to allow the product to twist.
   
5. The remaining yarn tails can be hidden in the loops of the previous rows so that they are not visible.

A blanket made of thick yarn can be knitted by hand using Alize Puffy yarn. The knitting techniques will differ from those used by craftswomen when working with merino yarn, since the loops on Alize are already cast on in advance.

Knitting a blanket with face loops

For those who have never knitted with yarn before, it is recommended to start working with this particular pattern – with face loops:

1. Lay out the thread of 1 skein, taking into account the width of the finished product, and turn all the loops upward.
2. Turn the thread and lay it out so that it is parallel to 1 thread with the loops down.
3. Pass the last loop of the row from the bottom into the extreme loop of the row from the top. It is important to ensure that the loops are not twisted. Twisted loops will worsen the appearance of the finished work.
4. Thread the loops of strand 1 through the loops of strand 2, directing the loose rings upward. Repeat this step until the row is complete.
5. Lay out the 3rd thread and repeat the steps described earlier with the 2nd and 3rd threads. Knit until you get a product of the desired length.
6. When the thread of 1 skein ends, cut the last loop, forming a tail. Cut 1 ring of 2 skein in the same way and tie the resulting threads with a strong knot. Trim the ends of the knot and continue knitting.
   
7. To complete the blanket, thread the remaining unused loops into each other from the left edge. Cut the end of the working thread so that 1 loop remains. Cut it, thread it into the last loop of the completed row several times and cut off the tail.

Knitting a blanket with a braid pattern

This pattern is one of the simplest and most common among needlewomen:

1. Since the braid is formed by loops crossed with each other, you need to count an even number of loops. Row 1 is knitted from right to left. Loops 1 and 2 are crossed so that the right loop is on the left. Repeat this action until the end of the first row.
2. Without turning the blanket over, knit the second row from left to right. 1 loop remains unknitted, 2 and 3 loops are crossed from left to right so that the left loop is above the right. The last loop in the 2nd row also remains without a pair, front.
3. The 3rd and following odd rows are knitted in the same way as row 1. The 4th and following even rows are knitted according to the principle of row 2.
4. To complete the blanket, cut the thread from the ball of yarn, leaving 1 loop. Cut this loop at the base and thread the resulting tail through the last knitted loop.
   
5. Cut off the loose thread or tuck it into the pattern threads.

Knitting technique of a blanket with a 2*2 braid pattern

This pattern is considered a type of simple braiding. It is knitted according to a pattern that is slightly different from the one described above.

A blanket made of thick yarn should be knitted by hand according to the following pattern:

1. In row 1, the working thread is on the right. Cross 2 loops from right to left so that the right loop is always above the left one. Repeat this action until the end of row 1.
2. In the 2nd row, the working thread should be on the left. 1 loop remains front, 2 and 3 loops are crossed so that the left loop is above the right, then 4 and 5 loops are crossed from right to left. This sequence of crossing loops is repeated until the end of the row. The last loop in the row remains unused.
3. In the 3rd row, the working end of the yarn should be on the right. 2 loops are crossed from left to right and knitted. This step is repeated until the end of the 3rd row.
4. Row 4 should be knitted according to the same principle as row 2. Starting from row 5, you should completely repeat the pattern described in points 1 - 4.

Knitting a 3-loop braid pattern

The pattern is considered more complex and is more suitable for large blankets. The basic principle is similar to the principle by which a braid is woven from 3 strands or ribbons. When crossing, the extreme right or left loops and the central one are always used. It should be remembered that the extreme loop is always above the central loop during crossing.

Instructions:

1. The first loops are knitted according to the principle of purl loops. After knitting 3 purl loops at the beginning of the 1st row, cross the right loop and the central one. Knit them. The 3rd loop in the braid is knitted without crossing with other loops. Repeat the described action until the end of the row.
2. In the next row, cross the left and central loops respectively. In this case, the left loop should be placed above the central one. The right loop should be knitted without crossing with the others.
3. Row 3 is knitted according to the same principle as row 1. Row 2 should be knitted as described in point 2.
4. A blanket made of thick yarn can be knitted by hand using 2 colors. To make the pattern more visible, you should use yarn of 2 different colors, for example, white and red.
5. Cross the loops of the white thread from right to left and knit them with a free thread.
6. In the new row, add 2 threads from the other edge (if knitting started from the left, the new thread is added from the right). Cross the 2 threads and knit them with a red thread.
7. Add a white stitch to the last stitch of row 2 and knit them.
8. Turn the 2nd thread to the other side and knit the row so that the working threads are crossed and supplemented with free loops. This action forms the 3rd row.
9. For row 4, take white yarn. The working loops are crossed and a free thread is threaded through them. The last loop in the row should be lifted in the same way as in row 2 when adding the second color.
10. Row 5 should be knitted with white thread in the opposite direction. Repeat the pattern until the blanket reaches the required width.

It should be noted that yarn hearts can be knitted from several colors at once, but this will require adding a new color after 2 rows.

A large color palette will allow you to please absolutely anyone with a hand-knitted blanket made of thick yarn. For example, Alize Puffy is produced not only in single-color skeins, but also in multi-color and melange shades. Despite the fact that the cost of yarn can be considered high, knitting from it will not take much time. Another advantage of thick yarn is the lack of need to purchase additional knitting tools.

Video on how to knit a blanket from thick yarn

How to knit a large blanket with your own hands: