How to Knit the “Arlo” Baby Blanket [Free Video Tutorial & Written Pattern!]
***You can purchase an INEXPENSIVE AD-FREE PDF of this pattern on Ravelry HERE or Etsy HERE***
Its been a while since I had a blanket pattern that creates vertical stripes of texture rather than horizonal ones (I think Eric was the last blanket I used this style of texture with!).
With the Arlo knitting pattern I’ve created a baby blanket that has raised diamonds that track vertically up the blanket. Then to add a bit of separation to those blocks of texture, I’ve used a single column of garter stitch that helps the design to stand out even more.
Although Arlo isn’t a complicated design, the longer stitch repeat in each row makes it more suited to knitters with a little bit of experience. However, a confident beginner could definitely still tackle this design, it just involves a little more counting of stitches than some of my simpler designs.
yarn & sizing tips and tricks
The Arlo blanket pattern is knitted all in one piece, from bottom to top. In order to accommodate all your stitches, I recommend using a set of circular needles (at least 100cm long) as straight needles just won’t be long enough to fit your stitches on comfortably.
I’ve chosen DK (aka Double Knitting, Light Worsted, 3 Weight) yarn for this project, but don’t let that stop you from knitting it in your own preferred weight of yarn.
My instructions produce a baby blanket approximately 60cm x 80cm, perfect for using as a cot, pram or travel blanket. But don’t let that stop you from knitting this blanket in any size you want! I think it would look great scaled up as a Sofa Throw, Quilt or Bedspread!
I’ve deliberately designed this knitting pattern to be super easy for you to adjust the size of your blanket to whatever size you want/need.
To make the blanket longer, you’ll need to work more repeats of the Middle Section (the top and bottom border are worked the same regardless of the size of blanket you knit).
To adjust the width of your blanket you’ll need to cast on more (or indeed less) stitches, it can easily be done using the pattern multiple of 13+12 for the middle textured panel, and an additional 18 stitches (9 for each side) for the garter stitch edging.
Pin for Later
Not ready to knit Arlo just yet? Why not pin this image to your Pinterest so you can find it easily when you’re ready to sit down and cast on!
Materials Needed:
- 4mm Circular Needs (to recreate this blanket 80-100cm is a perfect length)
- 400g of DK Yarn – I used King Cole Cherished in Stone.
- 2 Stitch Markers
- Scissors & Tapestry Needle for sewing in ends
Written Pattern:
Stiches Used
- k – knit
- p – purl
- sl1pwyf – slip one purlwise with yarn in front.
- Pm – place marker
- Sm – slip marker
Bottom Edge
Foundation Row: Cast on 134 stitches (I like to use the Long Tail cast-on)
Knit 15 rows as follows: K until final stitch, sl1pwyf.
Main Pattern Repeat
Row 1 (RS): k9, pm, k until 9 stitches remain, pm, k8, sl1pwyf.
Row 2 (WS): k9, sm, p12, *k1, p12* repeat from *to* until next marker, sm, k8, sl1pwyf.
Row 3: k9, sm, k until 9 stitches remain, sm, k8, sl1pwyf.
Row 4: k9, sm, p2, k8, p2, *k1, p2, k8, p2* repeat from *to* until 2nd marker, sm, k8, sl1pwyf.
Rows 5-7: Repeat Rows 1-3.
Row 8: k9, sm, p3, k6, p3, *k1, p3, k6, p3* repeat from *to* until 2nd marker, sm, k8, sl1pwyf.
Rows 9-11: Repeat Rows 1-3.
Row 12: k9, sm, p4, k4, p4, *k1, p4, k4, p4* repeat from *to* until 2nd marker, sm, k8, sl1pwyf.
Rows 13-15: Repeat Rows 1-3.
Row 16: k9, sm, p5, k2, p5, *k1, p5, k2, p5* repeat from *to* until 2nd marker, sm, k8, sl1pwyf.
Rows 17-19: Repeat Rows 1-3.
Row 20: k9, sm, p4, k4, p4, *k1, p4, k4, p4* repeat from *to* until 2nd marker, sm, k8, sl1pwyf.
Rows 21-23: Repeat Rows 1-3.
Row 24: k9, sm, p3, k6, p3, *k1, p3, k6, p3* repeat from *to* until 2nd marker, sm, k8, sl1pwyf.
Repeat Rows 1-24 (I worked 10 repeats in total) until project is slightly shorter than desired length (to allow for garter edging).
Before starting the top Garter Stitch edge work rows 1-7 once more.
Top Garter Edge
Knit 15 rows as follows: K until final stitch, sl1pwyf.
Final row (Row 16): Cast off knit wise with right side facing.
I hope you love Arlo just as much as I do! If you’re looking for more knitted baby blanket inspiration then why not take a look at Toby, Emma or Harvey.
video tutorial
Want to browse all of my knitted baby blanket patterns and more? See them HERE!