How to Knit the “In Fours” Baby Blanket

***You can purchase an INEXPENSIVE AD-FREE PDF of this pattern on Ravelry HERE or Etsy HERE***

I make no secret of the fact that I love to knit to relax, and that means I’m drawn to patterns that provide me with clean, modern texture, with easy to follow repeats that don’t compromise on the finished project.

I like to think that this blanket falls into this category. It uses a rhythmic pattern repeat to create clean diagonal lines of texture, and the inbuilt garter stitch border means you have a beautifully finished blanket worked all in one piece.

I’ve named this blanket the “In Fours” Blanket, as I found myself counting to 4 whilst knitting it to remind myself of where I was in the pattern repeat, so it felt the obvious choice when it came to naming! I don’t claim to have created anything particularly unique, but it’s a blanket that I really enjoyed knitting and I’m excited to share it with you all. 

I’ve popped a link to the video tutorial at the bottom of this post for those of you who prefer to have a video to follow whilst you knit.

yarn & sizing tips & tricks

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. You will just need to adjust your cast on and number of repeats you work to accommodate the change in weight of yarn.

My instructions produce a Blanket approximately 60cm x 80cm, but for those of you wanting to adjust this size, it can easily be done using the pattern multiple of 8+4 for the middle illusion panel, and an additional 18 stitches for the garter stitch edging.

Materials Needed:

• 4mm Circular Needs (to recreate this blanket 80cm is a perfect length)
• 400g of DK Yarn – I used Stylecraft Bambino in Ocean Blue
• Scissors & Tapestry Needle for sewing in ends
• 2 Stitch Markers

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.

Knit 16 rows as follows: K until final stitch, sl1pwyf

Main Pattern Repeat

Row 1: k9, pm, p4,*k4,p4* repeat from *to* until 9 stitches remain, pm, k8, sl1pwyf. 

Row 2: k until 1 stitch remains (sm as you come across them), sl1pwyf

Row 3: k9, sm, p3, *k4,p4* repeat from *to* until 10 stitches remain, k1, sm, k8, sl1pwyf. 

Row 4: k until 1 stitch remains (sm as you come across them), sl1pwyf

Row 5: k9, sm, p2, *k4,p4* repeat from *to* until 11 stitches remain, k2, sm, k8, sl1pwyf.

Row 6: k until 1 stitch remains (sm as you come across them), sl1pwyf

Row 7: k9, sm, p1, *k4,p4* repeat from *to* until 12 stitches remain, k3, sm, k8, sl1pwyf.

Row 8: k until 1 stitch remains (sm as you come across them), sl1pwyf

Row 9: k9, *k4,p4* repeat from *to* until 13 stitches remain, k4, sm, k8, sl1pwyf.

Row 10: k until 1 stitch remains (sm as you come across them), sl1pwyf

Row 11: k9, sm, k3, *p4,k4* repeat from *to* until 10 stitches remain, p1, sm, k8, sl1pwyf.

Row 12: k until 1 stitch remains (sm as you come across them), sl1pwyf

Row 13: k9, sm, k2, *p4,k4* repeat from *to* until 11 stitches remain, p2, sm, k8, sl1pwyf.

Row 14: k until 1 stitch remains (sm as you come across them), sl1pwyf

Row 15: k9, sm, k1, *p4,k4* repeat from *to* until 12 stitches remain, p3, sm, k8, sl1pwyf.

Row 16: k until 1 stitch remains (sm as you come across them), sl1pwyf

Repeat Rows 1-16 a total of 16 times (or until project is desired Length). Finish with one more “Row 1” before moving onto top edge, removing the stitch markers as you come across them.

Top Edge

Knit 15 rows as follows: K until final stitch, sl1pwyf.

Final row (Row 16): Cast off knit wise with right side facing.

Video Tutorial

If you’ve found this pattern helpful then why not leave a comment and say hi!