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How to Knit the “Riley” Baby Blanket [Free Video Tutorial & written Pattern!]

***You can purchase an INEXPENSIVE AD-FREE PDF of this pattern by clicking HERE***

The Riley Baby Blanket knitting pattern was born because I wanted to create a blanket that was super easy to pick up and put down without having to worry about forgetting which row I was on when I next sat down to knit.

Sometimes when life gets busy the last thing you want to have to worry about when you sit down with you knitting is working out where you left off in the repeat.

My sample blanket was knitted during the height of spring when school, swim training and work were keeping me really busy. In honesty, I just didn’t have the energy to knit anything even remotely more complex.

I’ve always knitted to relax, so all my patterns and blankets are always born out of what my brain is craving at that particular moment in time. Mindless relaxation was the name of the game when creating Riley.

I’m a firm believer that knitted baby blankets don’t have to be complicated to be beautiful. Sometimes the simplest designs are the most effective ones and the Riley baby blanket is no exception.

This knitting pattern has a super simple 12 row repeat, giving it a lovely texture without being complicated, so you can relax and enjoy the process without having to worry about counting stitches.

Is this pattern reversible?

I get a lot of people asking if my blankets are reversible, so I thought it might be useful to include a little snapshot of what the back looks like.

As with a lot of my blankets, Riley is not a reversible design, the back is a lot plainer than the front. That being said, the reverse isn’t ugly or messy in any way, it just doesn’t match the texture of the front.

Right Side

Wrong Side

yarn and sizing tips & tricks

The Riley baby blanket pattern is knitted all in one piece, from bottom to top. In order to accommodate all your stitches, I recommend using a set of circular needles (at least 100cm long) as straight needles just won’t be long enough to fit your stitches on comfortably.

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.

My instructions produce a baby blanket approximately 60cm x 80cm, perfect for using as a cot, pram or travel blanket. But don’t let that stop you from knitting this blanket in any size you want! I think it would look great scaled up as a Sofa Throw, Quilt or Bedspread!

I’ve deliberately designed this knitting pattern to be super easy for you to adjust the size of your blanket to whatever size you want/need.

To make the blanket longer, you’ll need to work more repeats of the Middle Section (the top and bottom border are worked the same regardless of the size of blanket you knit).

To adjust the width of your blanket you’ll need to cast on more (or indeed less) stitches, it can easily be done using by casting on more, or less stitches. There is NO pattern multiple for this blanket, so just go ahead and cast on however many stitches you want.

I’ve chosen to knit this blanket in mustard shade instead of the pastel shades you often see baby blankets knitted in, but I think this pattern will work in any colour you like.

pin for later:

Not ready to knit the Riley baby blanket just yet? Why not pin this image to your Pinterest so you can find it easily when you’re ready to sit down and cast on!

Materials Needed:

Written Pattern:

Stitches 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 137 stitches.

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

Main Pattern Repeat

Repeat Rows:

Row 1: k9, pm, k across until 9 stitches remain, pm, k8, sl1pwyf. 

Row 2: k9, sm, p across until second marker, sm, k8, sl1pwyf. 

Row 3: k9, sm, k across until second marker, sm, k8, sl1pwyf. 

Row 4: k9, sm, p across until second marker, sm, k8, sl1pwyf. 

Row 5-12: k9, sm, k across until second marker, sm, k8, sl1pwyf. 

Work Rows 1-12 a total of 23 times. Then repeat rows 1-5 once more before moving onto top garter stitch edging.

Top Edge

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

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

I hope you love Riley just as much as I do! If you’re looking for more knitted baby blanket inspiration then why not take a look at Harvey, Taylor or Noah.

video tutorial:

Want to browse all of my free knitted baby blanket patterns and more? See them HERE!

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