Sea Star Knitted Baby Blanket Pattern

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Knitted baby blankets are such a joy to make and to give. To knit an adorable baby blanket that looks great all you need is to know are some basic knitting stitches. Knit baby blankets are also a great way to practice before you take on a large blanket.

Knitted baby blankets are great to make using circular knitting needles. Circular needles don’t take up a lot of room when working with them and you don’t have to worry about poking anyone sitting next to you. Even though straight needles still work great for smaller blankets, circular needles are easier to carry around, they are shorter and more portable and the cord that connects them allows you to work on as big of a blanket as you need. I use circular needles for all my knitting projects, including the Sea Star Knitted Baby Blanket.

The Inspiration

I got the inspiration for Sea Star Knitted Baby Blanket from the Red Heart yarn Soft. This yarn is true to its name and it is a perfect match for knitting needles. It comes in Worsted yarn weight which is great for any beginner project. It glides perfectly off the needles and makes it a great yarn to knit with. I’ve been wanting to make a baby blanket with this yarn for a while.

The part was the color it came in called Seafoam – how perfect is this name? I wanted to try a new stitch combination and I knew that this will be the perfect yarn to try and make a baby blanket.

I always keep an eye on a yarn that goes along with the coastal living, since that is my favorite thing and Red Heart yarn Soft in Seafoam + some knits and purls made a great inspiration for a knit baby blanket pattern.

The Stitch

When looking for stitches for this baby blanket, I wanted them to be easy for a beginner to use, but look chic and timeless.

I knew I wanted to use garter stitch for the border since it’s great for laying flat and not curling up.

For the body of the blanket I wanted to use the stitch combination that is relaxing and mindless to make, but looks adorable and amazing. I try to keep the designs beginner-friendly and the knit and purl stitches were just the right ones to use. To give this blankets its timeless look, I used the knit and purl stitch combination called a hurdle stitch, which is a 4 row stitch repeat.

Hurdle stitch gives a great textured look to the blanket and, once you get a hang of the 4-row repeat, it is a breeze to make.

The Yarn

The yarn used for this blanket is a perfect choice for a baby blanket. It is light and soft, not too thick or thin and makes the knitted fabric feel like a cloud. It is smooth and helps the knitting needles glide easily while you work.

For Sea Star Baby Blanket I went with a beach-themed yarn and what could have been better than Red Heart’s Soft in Seafoam? Wonderfully soft worsted-weight yarn in a variety of available colors, very affordable and available from many craft stores, this yarn is perfect for something soft like a knitted baby throw.

The Needles

I love working with circular needles, especially for the bigger projects like blankets. I actually in general do not work with straight needles. Circular needles are so much more practical in use – they are shorter, easy to carry in the bag, won’t poke the person next to you and are light on your wrists since they don’t carry the whole weight of your project.

My newest and most favorite knitting needles are 6mm needles from Knitter’s Pride. They come in a gorgeous seaglass color (love!) and they are marked up with inch marks along their whole length and can be used as a measuring tape when needed.

I also like 6mm circular needles by Loops & Threads (from Michaels Store) and 6mm ChiaoGoo Red Lace Circular 36-inch needles.

The Design

I wanted this little baby blankie to be an heirloom that can be used for years to come. I wanted the design to be timeless, classic, clean-lines and precious. I wanted it to be soft and squishy. I wanted it to be fun to make. By using pretty yarn and simple knit stitches, this knitted baby throw became a fun, easy-to-follow and enjoyable to make pattern.

The hurdle and garter stitches create a textured fabric making thing blanket soft, squishy and cozy. Even though this blanket only uses knit and purl stitches, it has a great patterned look that looks harder to make than it actually is.

The garter stitch is used for the borders. It is a great stitch to keep the edges and corners straight and prevent them from curling.

The Pattern

The pattern for Sea Start Knitted Baby Blanket is designed to give you a baby-sized blanket (30”x30”), but it has tips for making the blanket longer or wider.

The pattern comes with detailed, close-up photos and links to a playlist of knitting videos for every stitch used in the blanket.