Easy Knit Checkerboard Blanket
This knit blanket was a breeze to make and knits up in a flash. The checkerboard pattern is simple and repetitive, which means you can knit it will watching a movie. (Hooray!) Or watching the kids run through the backyard.
With one ball of yarn (867 yards), you can make a nice little lap-ghan (basically baby blanket sized) that is perfect for drinking tea under on the back deck in the spring, or for a kid to snuggle with while watching cartoons.
How to Knit a Simple Checkboard Blanket
This is a really basic pattern repeated over and over again. Which means it's great for knitting in front of the TV, while out for coffee, at meetings...
I used one big ball of yarn for this and made it a lap-ghan size: basically the size of a baby blanket. Perfect for draping over your lap while reading a book and drinking tea. Or for the kids to snuggle under while watching cartoons.
Materials
- worsted weight yarn (I used 1 ball of Red Heart Comfort Yarn, 867 yards)
- 5.5 mm circular needles
Finished size: 41" x 33.5"
This size is a perfect little lap blanket.
Note: to make this blanket bigger, just buy more yarn, cast on more stitches (in multiples of 8) and knit more rows. To make it a blanket you can nap under, just double the size.
Gauge: 14 stitches and 24 rows make a 4x4" square
*Gauge is not crucial for this project.
Easy Knit Blanket Pattern
The pattern for this blanket is fairly simple and repetitive, which means that once you get the hang of it, it's a breeze.
Cast on 144 stitches.
Row 1: K1, P1 across.
Row 2: P1, K1 across.
Rows 3-4: Repeat rows 1 and 2 once more.
This will give you a seed stitch border.
Row 5: *K1, P1* twice; *K8, P8* repeat until last 4 stitches; *K1, P1* twice.
Row 6: *P1, K1* twice; *P8, K8* repeat until last 4 stitches; *P1, K1* twice.
Row 7-12: Repeat rows 5-6.
Row 13: *K1, P1* twice; *P8, K8* repeat until last 4 stitches; *K1, P1* twice.
Row 14:*K1, P1* twice; *K8, P8* repeat until last 4 stitches; *K1, P1* twice.
Rows 15-20: Repeat rows 13-14.
Repeat rows 5-12 and 13-20 until you have a total of 21 rows of checkerboard (i.e. rows 5-12 and 13-20 a total of 10 times each and then rows 5-12 once more, before ending with the seed stitch border).
Once you have 21 rows of checkerboard pattern (may be more or less depending on yardage and gauge): Repeat rows 1-3 to finish seed stitch border. Cast off in seed stitch pattern.
Rebecca is a chaplain at a girls’ school, a mom to boys, and a crafter of all things. She crochets in every free moment she has, and she spends much of her time gluing cotton balls to toilet paper rolls and mopping up glitter.
