I’m so excited to share this quick basketweave knitted throw with you today as the next project in our current handmade gift series. I haven’t shared any knitting projects with you before and I’m not sure why because I knit almost every day. I find it very calming and really look forward to my knitting time each night. I don’t watch a movie or tv show without a knitting project anymore (well, unless I’m at a theater – I can’t knit in the dark, though I’ve read some who can!).
The thing is, I’m really a very simple knitter (surprised?) – I don’t get ‘bored’ knitting the same thing, probably because I just enjoy the process of knitting. Since it’s a calming thing to me, I usually don’t want to have to spend a lot of time learning a pattern. I’ve knitted for years and have made sweaters and cardigans for many in my family, but I’ve never created cables or other complicated patterns and I find sock patterns WAY overwhelming. Three to four needles at one time and markers everywhere? No thank you.
So you can be sure that when I titled this project ‘quick’ it’s true. I also could’ve added easy, but there are so many ‘quick & easy’ projects out there, I just wanted to be different this time. The basketweave knitted throw pattern I’m sharing with you today is simple, yet the edging and basket-like center provides just enough interest.
More importantly, this fabulous throw makes a wonderful gift that you can be proud to give to your family or friends – I know I am. And it requires only knowing (or learning) a simple seed stitch (basically, knit-purl-knit-purl, etc.) and the basic stockinette stitch. I think the basketweave pattern looks more complicated than it really is, which is just alternating blocks of knitting and purling. Yep, my kind of pattern.
If you know basic knitting techniques and have make things like scarves, you can make this throw!
Material Notes
- What makes this quick is using a bulky yarn. I found a deal on cones of wool (from DNBY – my favorite place to get quality yarn at prices I can actually afford), but they weren’t bulky so I held two strands together to create the gauge of a bulky yarn. So any bulky yarn or worsted-weight yarn doubled up to create a bulkier yarn will work in the pattern.
- The wool I used was a bit scratchy, but it became nice and soft when washed and machine dried without felting too much which hid the weaved-in ends really well. Some wool doesn’t felt (i.e., shrink up) as much as others – it’s just something you’ve got to test or use any instructions, if given, on the yarn.
- Regular straight needles will not work with this throw because it’s too big. You’ll need circular needles with either a 40″ or 60″ cable (mine is 60″). The needles shown are Options Interchangeable Needles from Knit Picks and I pretty much knit everything with them now, they are so flexible and easy to knit with.
Throw Pattern Tips
- To make this throw even easier, use simple circular markers at each edge to help (mindlessly) remember where the seed stitch ends and the stockinet begins.
- Simply move the marker from one needle to the next and change the stitch whenever you do. You can also use markers in row 11 to help you get the basketweave pattern established, removing them when you don’t need them anymore.
- The pattern used to create the basketweave effect is simply purling one block of stitches and then changing and knitting the next block. Once the pattern is established, like pictured, it’s really easy to continue.
Here you can see the whole throw and what the full pattern looks like (update: my throws turn out roughly 40″ x 45″ though yours may be different depending on the yarn you use). As you can see I don’t bother blocking these throws since they’re, well, throws that are usually folded, bunched up, or warming a lap.
Quick Basketweave Knitted Throw
NOTE: Updated 12-11-13 to fix counting row mistake! Each block in the pattern should be 18 stitches wide by 24 rows tall. Sorry for the confusion!
Needle Size: US 13 long Circular Needles, 47″ or 60″ (I use Options Interchangeable Needles – which I love – in Harmony wood from Knit Picks on a 60″ cable)
Yarn: 1100 to 1500 yds. of bulky weight wool or wool-blend yarn, depending on how long a throw you want (see ending note); I used a cone wool that I found at DNBY (my favorite place to find quality, discount yarns!!), but a yarn like Woolease Quick & Thick or any bulky yarn will work (or even a standard worsted wool yarn held with two strands together to create the weight of a bulky yarn).
Note: gauge is not really needed for throws, since precise sizing is not required (Yeah! Am I the only one who hates figuring out gauge?)
Pattern: seed stich edge with large basketweave center
Cast on 124 sts.
Knit a seed stitch pattern for 10 rows.
Row 1 of pattern: seed St. for 8 stitches (to create border), place marker (PM) and start basketweave pattern: knit 18, purl 18, knit 18, purl 18, knit 18, purl 18 (=6 blocks of 18 stitches each, PM between each block as needed to help set pattern); seed st. last 8 stitches.
Rows 2-24 of pattern: seed st. first and last 8 stitches and continue knitting blocks by knitting the knit stitches and purling the purl stitches.
Row 25 (right side): seed stitch first and last 8 stitches and then reverse the block stitches to create the basketweave pattern – for this row, purl the knit stitches and knit the purls.
Rows 26-48: knit in the newly established pattern to create the next set of blocks, always keeping the seed st. edges.
Row 49 and remaining rows: reverse knit and purl again – purl the knits and knit the purls; knit for 24 more rows, switch again, always keeping the seed stitch borders until you have the amount of blocks you want (see end notes).
Last 10 rows: knit all in seed st. pattern to finish the edge of the throw and bind off loosely. Weave in your ends.
End Note:
-The throw pictured is 6 blocks long by 6 blocks wide. The throw can be as long as you want, though – simply make sure you have enough yarn and keep making rows of blocks until you reach the length you desire. I like to make the throws 7 or 8 blocks long x 6 blocks wide, but ran out of yarn for the throw pictured.
Don’t forget to follow my Handmade Gifts Pinterest Board for a lot more ideas that I add to all the time!
Disclosure: I am not affiliated with any of the companies I linked to – they are simply what I use, love, and am happy to share!
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Helen Barragan says
April 18 at 5:47 pmHi Jami, I don’t know if my response got through, I don’t see it posted so I will repost it. Thank you for getting back to me. Since I am not very experienced I would like to clarify what you have written. Are you saying that to widen the afgan pattern I need to add 18 stitches but you recommend two squares so 36 stitches. So when I cast on I should add the two squares:ie cast on as the pattern request 124 + 36 = 160 st to cast on? I am very grateful for your help thank you.
Helen
Jami says
April 22 at 8:22 amYes!
Helen Barragan says
April 22 at 10:20 amThank you so much I can’t wait to start this blanket for my husband. Again you are so generous to share your lovely pattern and take time from your day to answer questions.
God Bless
Helen
Jami says
April 25 at 9:32 amYou’re so welcome, Helen!
Helen Barragan says
April 17 at 12:39 pmHi Jami, I would like to thank you for the lovely pattern and am wandering if it is possible to make the blanket wider. and if so how would I go about, as I am not very experienced I don’t know where to begin. Your help would be very appreciated. Than you very much.
Helen
Jami says
April 18 at 9:50 amIt’s pretty easy – all you need to do is to add more basketweave sections – at least two so the pattern would continue.
Susan Wardman says
March 24 at 4:45 amJust a question. I am new to knitting but can knit and purl. I’m doing the seed edge then 18 knit 18 purl 18 k 18 p etc….. When I start row 2 I do the seed edge then if I finished row one block on purl would that block then be a purl still or knit?
Thanks
Jami says
March 24 at 10:49 amYou will do the same stitch until the block is complete – so purl on the purls and knit on the knits until the height of the block is good. It’s then that you switch and knit the purls, purl the knits to start a new set of blocks, then you’ll knit the knit stitches, etc. until that set of blocks is complete and so on. Hope that answers your question, Susan!
Amy says
July 5 at 2:53 pmHi Jaymi, can you tell me exactly the brand of wool you used or the link where I can find it? I’m looking at the dbny site and am totally lost. Especially not finding anything around $2/skein for 100 yds. And can’t find “cones”. Thank you! 🙂
Jami says
July 6 at 11:30 amWell, the thing about the discount sites, Amy, is that the stock comes and goes. The yarn I bought from them was years ago, and it was from a closed wool rug factory – why everything was on cones. It’s long gone, which is why I mention that you can use any bulky-weight yarn and if you want to save money, you can use a worsted weight (or even sport weight) and make it bulky by holding two strands together. This is what I did because the yarn on the cones wasn’t thick enough. Hope that helps! You just have to keep on the look out on the discount yarn sites, the deals come and go. Have you tried Smiley’s? They have a minimum purchase of $50, which I don’t like, but they have great deals sometimes, too.
Rileigh says
May 17 at 7:43 pmHi Jami! Can you provide the exact link for the needles! I used the linked you provided but could only provide rainbow wood needles is that the same as the harmony wood? Any help would be appreciated!
Jami says
May 18 at 11:23 amHere’s the link to the main needle page, Rileigh: http://www.knitpicks.com/needles/knitting_needles.html
Any of the wood-based needles work the same for me – and I have some of each. It’s a better deal to usually get a set, as they often go on sale, but of course I bought a few here and there. 🙂
Isabelle says
April 30 at 2:18 pmHi,
If I wanted to make the blanket longer, maybe like 2-3 extra rows – how much yarn would I need? It’s my first time attempting a throw so I’m not sure how to calculate this. Thanks 🙂
Jami says
April 30 at 4:14 pmWell, adding 3 more rows would make it 1/3 longer, so buying 1/3 more yarn should do it, Isabelle. That said, the range of yarn I give goes up to 1500, which would do a 7-8 row throw for me (the 6 row throw pictured used the lesser amount of yarn). This is one of those things that will be different depending on the thickness of your yarn and how you knit it up, so I’d say you want 1500 to 1800 yards to be safe. Better to have yarn left over than not enough, I always think! 🙂
Isabelle says
April 30 at 4:26 pmThank you for the info! I was going to use Brava Bulky Yarn – Cobblestone Heather (I was trying to get a good yarn for not too expensive…) What do you think of this yarn? I don’t know much about the different types… haha
Jami says
April 30 at 9:57 pmI haven’t used that yarn, but I’ve really liked the other Knit Picks yarn I’ve gotten. It should work well!
Isabelle says
May 1 at 2:17 pmAnother couple questions: If I were to add 2 rows wide and in length (making it an 8 by 10 throw)…
a) would it fit on a 60″ cable?
b) would it be too big/disproportionate?
c) i averaged maybe 2500 yd of yarn for this, does it make sense?
PS. Sorry for all the questions 🙂
Jami says
May 1 at 4:22 pmI’m not sure about it fitting on the cable, Isabelle – I haven’t tried one that big. But, you can always squish, it’s just not as pleasant to knit if you’re squishing. 🙂 I don’t think it would be too big – as long as you have the ability to knit it that big, go for it! Hopefully 2500 yds. will be the right amount – sounds like it should.
Isabelle says
April 30 at 5:15 pmAnother couple questions: If I were to add 2 rows wide and in length (making it an 8 by 10 throw)…
a) would it fit on a 60″ cable?
b) would it be too big/disproportionate?
c) i averaged maybe 2500 yd of yarn for this, does it make sense?
PS. Sorry for all the questions 🙂
Bonnie Schantz says
January 1 at 9:09 amHi Jami,
I dislike doing gauges, too. And, yet, I want to know the approximate width and length of this Quick Basket Weave throw, please.
I’m looking forward to making one for my son who now resides in Colorado, brrrr.
Also, thanks for the tips on finding lower priced yarns and needles with interchangeable cables.
Thanks again, Bonnie
Jami says
January 1 at 7:42 pmSorry I didn’t include that in the original write-up, Bonnie, I’ve updated the post with my throw measurements. 🙂 My throws turn out about 40×45, though that may vary depending on the type of yarn, etc. I hope you enjoy making these like I did!
Megan says
December 4 at 2:37 pmHi!
I can’t wait to try this! I’m still kind of new to knitting, what exactly do you mean by doubling the yarn to knit? Is that necessary? Will it look the same if I just use single strands, just not as thick?
Thanks
Jami says
December 4 at 4:27 pmYes, Megan – this will create a thick, warm throw when knitted with a bulky yarn, but bulky yarns are expensive. You can get the same look by holding 2 strands of a worsted weight yarn together and knitting. You can use one strand of worsted, but you’re right – it will be thinner.
Kimberly says
July 11 at 6:03 pmI found thus pattern on Pinterest. I’m attempting to make it but I’m doing something wrong. I’m up to row 4 of the first set of blocks. I do the knit 18 purl 18 etc on the rows yet all the stitches look the same. I’m not able to see the difference, as I can see in your picture.
Should I do knit 18 purl 18 on odd rows and all knit on evens to see the stitch differences?
Please help!
Jami says
July 13 at 10:01 amHmm, not sure what could be happening, Kimberly, with out seeing it. Knit stitches shouldn’t look the same as purl. Basically each block is a stockinet stitch, you’re just seeing the front (knit side) or back (purl side) of it in each block, which is alternated to get the basketweave pattern. You want to do the same stitch (either the knit or purl) for the entire block – switching to all knit won’t work. Maybe give me a bit more information as to how you’re knitting? Sorry I can’t be more help!
Wendy Watts says
March 14 at 11:18 amI looked and looked for a larger basket weave pattern and finally found yours. I am excited about making this pattern into a throw for my brother in law who gets chilly in the winter time, likely because my sister loves having windows open a bit even in winter 🙂 Thank you so much for making this pattern available.
Meg says
December 15 at 7:26 amAs soon as I got to the 14th row and saw that it was rectangular, I figured you just missed the extra 10 to make the first block of 24. This happens often with online patterns – no biggie! Thanks for updating! 🙂
Jami says
December 15 at 4:23 pmThanks so much for soothing my ego, Meg – I appreciate it, as it was a ‘duh’ moment for me. 🙂
Julia says
December 11 at 1:51 pmThanks, I get it now:) But I’m halfway thru with 18×14, looks good so far:)
Jami says
December 11 at 1:56 pmOh, shoot! Well, I’m sure it looks fine – you can just do more blocks to get to a good size. 🙂
Julia says
December 11 at 11:33 am“Rows 26-48: knit in the newly established pattern to create the next set of blocks, always keeping the seed st. edges.”
You meant 38 instead of 48, right? So the size of one block would be 18×14?
Love the throw, making it right now for Christmas:)
Jami says
December 11 at 12:13 pmNo, the blocks are 18 stitches wide by 24 rows tall – we want us a good sized throw, ha! I’m glad you are making it – I know you’ll love it. 🙂
Julia says
December 11 at 12:24 pmThen why you finish first row of blocks on row 24? It makes 14 rows blocks…
“Rows 12-24: seed st. first and last 8 stitches and continue knitting blocks by knitting the knit stitches and purling the purl stitches.
Row 25 (right side): seed stitch first and last 8 stitches and then reverse the block stitches to create the basketweave pattern – for this row, purl the knit stitches and knit the purls.”
Jami says
December 11 at 1:35 pmACK! My apologies, Julia – can you tell this is my first time writing out a pattern? 🙂 I’m going in to fix the pattern now, but my problem was counting the seed stitch rows in with the pattern rows. I’ll just treat them as separate so the counting works out. Each block really should be 18 stitches by 24 rows. Sigh.
Lynda says
November 28 at 10:38 pmI understand how the pattern is created, but found the explanation confusing. If you continue to “knit the knit rows and purl the purl rows” on both right and wrong side, it’s going to end up as a knit every row look rather than a stockinette and reverse stockinette stitch. An inexperienced knitter might wonder what they are doing wrong. Did I misread?
Jami says
November 29 at 1:31 pmHmm, I don’t know, Lynda, as I never use the phrase you’ve quoted. I establish the pattern with:
“start basketweave pattern: knit 18, purl 18, knit 18, purl 18, knit 18, purl 18 (=6 blocks of 18 stitches each, PM between each block as needed to help set pattern); seed st. last 8 stitches”
and then say to “continue knitting blocks by knitting the knit stitches and purling the purl stitches” (not rows) before reversing the pattern to create the basketweave. I thought it was clear – do you have another suggestion for wording?
Heather Nowak says
November 21 at 11:25 amHello! I am new to knitting so I have a question. I was looking up the amount of yarn needed to make this blanket and buying Lion Brand Wool-ease at $4.79 a roll, I would be paying $65 before taxes for just the yarn. Is that normal? That just seemed a little high to me but like I said, I haven’t done this before. 🙂
Jami says
November 22 at 2:15 pmAh, sadly, Heather, what you have found is true, yarn can be VERY expensive – especially if you want natural fibers. That’s why I buy most all of my yarn online at the site I linked to (DNBY) and buy whenever I see a good deal (anything with about 100yds for $2 or less a skein), then I have yarn available for projects. Smiley’sYarn.com is also a good online source, but you need to have a minimum purchase and they have a lot of junky fibers, though they carry others, too. Sign up for emails from them and then you’ll be on the list for sales. Hope this helps some!! 🙂
Heather Nowak says
December 1 at 9:51 amYes, thanks for the help! I have another questions….I am not having a hard time finding the size 13 circular needles but they all come with a 29″ or 36″ cable? Does that sound right? I saw that yours is 60″? Help! 🙂
Jami says
December 3 at 10:51 amIs this in the stores, Heather? I linked to the online source I use for needles – Knitpicks – just for this reason. You can get lots of different cable lengths and they are interchangeable, so you don’t have to have size 13 needles with 24″, 36″ and 60″ – only one set of needles and then sets of different sized cables. I’m not sure what they offer in stores, but they aren’t that expensive online, especially since they’re so versatile. 🙂
Heather Nowak says
December 3 at 2:08 pmI just bought some from knitpicks! Thanks! I also got a pretty good deal on some Woolease on cyber Monday so I am going to tackle this project!! 🙂
Jami says
December 3 at 2:59 pmSo great to hear, Heather! I hope you (or your recipient, ha!) enjoys a warm lap. 🙂
Angi says
November 20 at 1:22 pmok, I really want to KNOW how to knit, not learn how to knit. I’m hoping one day I’ll get the will power to learn how to knit and when I do I’ll be coming back for these instructions.
Love the throw!
Heather Jackson says
November 20 at 5:55 amWhat a great simple throw pattern! I need some of those long interchangable needles now! This would be a great winter project for me, since it would keep me warm while I work! 🙂
Ani says
November 13 at 9:59 amI really love to knit — I have a chronic illness that can totally stop me from doing anything for days at a time, and I like to cheat that illness and knit little bits at time and voila! Productivity against the odds! It’s also one of my favorite things to do to prevent flare-ups, to knit for thirty minutes or so between activities so that I rest and re-gain some energy. I like to spin my own yarn too…this looks like a perfect project to save up my homespun for. I’ve got a sweater and hats and scarves to finish for this delightful Ohio winter, and will keep accumulating the homespun in the meantime. It’s not 100%, um, even yarn, so a slightly formless thing like a throw would be perfect!
Charlotte Moore says
November 12 at 1:58 pmThis is so pretty. No way I could ever learn to knit or crochet. I am not crafty or talented at all. I wish I was, but the LORD did not bless me with those things. Both my sisters can sew, etc.
Sakura says
November 15 at 5:46 pmThe secret is You Tube. That’s how I learned.
Jones says
July 14 at 5:57 pmHow do you think this would be in cotton? Specifically:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/COTTON-PUFF-SMOKE-BOUCLE-700-YPP-BULKY-WT-CONE-YARN-1-LB-NATURAL-BLUE-WRAP-C37-/361204711686?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item54197a8106
Thanks, I’m looking forward to making this lovely blanket.
Jami says
July 14 at 8:59 pmThat sounds like it would work wonderfully and be perfect for warmer months, unlike wool.
Jones says
July 15 at 4:03 pmThanks. 🙂 I forgot to ask, did that cotton seem bulky enough that I wouldn’t need to hold two strands together? And related to that, is your yardage based on double strands (i.e., if using bulky yarn and knitting with one strand, would the blanket use 550-750 yards instead of 1100-1500?
I also found a deal on a 1400-yard cone of sage-grey worsted weight wool and and one of a purple merino superfine weight (5000 yards!) that I think would look super knit together in a throw. Can’t decide which to do first.
Jami says
July 15 at 5:47 pmYes, you shouldn’t need to hold 2 strands of a bulky yarn, and maybe the worsted (though I might do a small gauge swatch on that to see if I liked it better with 2 strands), but definitely hold 2 strands for the superfine. And they all sound great!! Choices… 😉 Oh, and the yardage listed is for the bulky weight holding 1 strand – you’d need more for 2 strands.
Sakura says
November 12 at 9:10 amI just taught myself how to knit and crochet in january of this year. I’m so excited to try this. I’m not very good, but I really enjoy it. Like you I do knit or crochet every night. Lately my projects have been knit/crochet hats for my kids. Thanks for sharing this pattern. Have a great day!