Quick Basketweave Knitted Throw Pattern
This fabulous throw makes a wonderful gift that you can be proud to give to your family or friends–If you know basic knitting techniques and have make things like scarves, you can make this throw!
Yield: 1 blanket
Calories:
Cost: $35-$40
Equipment
- 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) Note: 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.
- Pattern: seed stich edge with large basketweave center
Materials
- 1100-1500 yards 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). 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.
Instructions
- 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.
Notes
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.
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.
