On the Porch Blanket: A simple, modern design that's easy to knit!
The On the Porch blanket is one of my favorite designs in my collection because it is simple and easy to knit. Using a neutral yarn color enhances that simplicity. Modern with clean lines, this pattern has been a popular choice for baby blanket projects.
I’m thrilled that so many knitters, including beginners, have enjoyed using this pattern! Scroll down to see several customer projects.
The pattern was named for childhood memories of summer evenings on my grandparents’ screened porch. The simple textured stripe design reminds me of the old, painted wood floor of their porch.
Pin the image below to save it on your Pinterest knitting board! Click here to see my Pinterest page.
The knitting pattern includes instructions for six blanket sizes. Read all the details below!
The pattern is also available from my Etsy shop.
As of November 2023, this pattern has a rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars on Ravelry for overall results and clarity of instructions. Ravelry knitters have shared more than 350 projects using this pattern!
“I really like this pattern. It is super simple but knits up beautifully.”
This blanket is designed with a wide garter stitch border. The border is designed to be wider at the top and bottom...and just a bit narrower on the sides.
On the Porch blanket is very easy to knit. The pattern includes instructions for 6 blanket sizes. Purchase the pattern on my website or on Ravelry.
EASY TO KNIT:
The On the Porch pattern is very easy to knit! This is a great pattern for beginners who know how to knit and purl confidently. Experienced knitters also enjoy using this pattern because it’s relaxing and easy to knit.
You will need to know how to cast on stitches, knit and purl confidently, read a row by row knitting pattern, bind off stitches and weave in ends.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SIX BLANKET SIZES:
Approximate sizes after blocking:
Baby: 28” wide x 30.5” long
Small: 30” wide x 35” long
Medium: 33.5” wide x 38” long
Large: 38” wide x 41” long
XL: 42” wide x 47” long
XXL: 46” wide x 50” long
Finished size may vary depending on yarn weight and gauge used.
Any of the blanket sizes may be made longer by adding pattern repeats. Each pattern repeat adds about 1.5” to the length of the blanket. The pattern includes estimates for additional yardage needed to make blankets longer.
This blanket is very easy to knit! Click here to buy the PDF knitting pattern.
WORSTED #4 WEIGHT YARN:
Baby: 600 - 620 yards
Small: 730 - 750 yards
Medium: 880 - 900 yards
Large: 1100 - 1150 yards
XL: 1400 - 1450 yards
XXL: 1600 - 1700 yards
Be sure to buy additional yarn if you plan to add length to your blanket.
I used Blue Sky Fibers Organic Cotton Worsted in the ‘Drift’ colorway. This yarn is soft and luxurious… and the stitch definition is fantastic!
SHOP FOR BLUE SKY FIBERS ORGANIC COTTON WORSTED: The Woolery | The Loopy Ewe in Fort Collins, Colorado | Jimmy Beans Wool | Local Yarn Shops
I used Blue Sky Fibers 'Organic Cotton' Worsted in the color 'Drift'. This yarn is absolutely gorgeous! It’s so soft and luxurious. Look for it at your favorite local yarn shop.
Another yarn option from Blue Sky Fibers is their ‘Sweater’ yarn. This yarn is 50% organic cotton and 50% superwash wool. It has excellent stitch definition that blocks beautifully. There’s a reason why I have turned to this yarn again and again for my blanket designs… it’s simply lovely. Look for Blue Sky Fibers Sweater worsted weight yarn at local yarn shops. It is also available on LoveCrafts.com.
Another great option for the On the Porch blanket pattern is Blue Sky Fibers ‘Sweater’ yarn. This is one of my favorite yarns for blanket knitting! Beautiful colorways, excellent stitch definition, and outstanding final appearance of the project. Look for this yarn at local yarn shops and on LoveCrafts.com.
If you prefer a natural wool yarn… here’s a couple of suggestions…
Cascade Ecological Wool (100% Natural Peruvian Wool – Undyed) – If you are looking for a natural, undyed, straight from the sheep wool… this might be the one! Generous sized skeins have 478 yards. It’s categorized as ‘bulky’ but has a very similar suggested gauge as the ‘heavy worsted’ cotton yarn I used for the On the Porch blanket. Hand wash cold and lay flat to dry. Shop: Jimmy Beans Wool | The Woolery | Local Yarn Shops | LoveCrafts | WEBS Yarn Store
Here’s an On the Porch blanket made with Cascade Ecological Wool in the ‘Taupe’ colorway. This beautiful project was made by @bibliojoknits on Ravelry.
![On the Porch blanket knit with Cascade Ecological Wool in the ‘Taupe’ colorway. This beautiful project was made by @bibliojoknits on Ravelry. [photo shared with permission]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ddee0943d393a7e06173756/1614953141614-UT6A2VOZTS3VL8P5CF55/On+the+Porch+Blanket+by+bibliojoknits+on+Ravelry+2021+%282%29.jpeg)
On the Porch blanket knit with Cascade Ecological Wool in the ‘Taupe’ colorway. This beautiful project was made by @bibliojoknits on Ravelry. [photo shared with permission]
Cestari Mt. Vernon (100% Fine Merino Wool) – Sue and Linda… co-owners of Yarn Bar in Billings, Montana… rave about this yarn! (See yellow blanket below!) It’s 100% natural, traditional wool… and it’s surprisingly machine washable… but it’s not “superwash”. Lay flat to dry. Fabulous selection of vibrant, modern colorways. Shop: Yarn Bar of Montana (in person or online shopping) | Local Yarn Shops
This cheery On the Porch blanket was made as a store sample using Cestari Mt. Vernon 100% Fine Merino Wool for Yarn Bar in Billings, Montana. This vibrant colorway is ‘Daffodil’. On their Yarn Bar website… Sue and LInda shared this story: Our friend Teddy zipped in to knit a second one as soon as she got the request from "hipster" niece who had received the original one Teddy made, gets the "where did you get that blanket" comment from fellow hipster parents, and wanted another one in different color. Click here to buy the PDF knitting pattern.
LOOKS GREAT WITH A MULTI-COLOR YARN:
My dear friend made this one-of-a-kind baby blanket (below) with about two and a half skeins of Juniper Moon Farm Cumulus Dappled (94% cotton / 6% nylon) in the 'Lily by the Sea' colorway (#109). It’s gorgeous!! This blanket was made using the directions for the "Baby" size, and US 7 knitting needles. Since this yarn is a bit lighter weight than the yarn I used for the original design... the blanket turned out a bit smaller than noted in the pattern. The finished dimensions are approximately 23" wide x 28" long.
The ‘On the Porch’ blanket works great with a gently variegated yarn. It’s shown here in Juniper Moon Farm Cumulus Dappled in the 'Lily by the Sea' colorway (#109). This 'Lily of the Sea' colorway is available online from Maker + Stitch in Colorado where they say "we have machine-washed and dried this yarn with great results"... though the label does say to hand wash and lay flat to dry. Click here to buy the PDF knitting pattern.
NEEDLES AND GAUGE:
The project is worked flat, back and forth on circular knitting needles. Circular knitting needles are necessary in order to accommodate the large number of stitches for a blanket. Read my blog post on this topic if you need more information.
I used US size 9 knitting needles and had a gauge of about 15 stitches x 20 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch.
I found Blue Sky Fibers 'Organic Cotton' Worsted to be a bit thicker than some worsted weight yarns.
Be sure to do some test knitting with your yarn with at least two needle sizes. Pick the needle size that gives the best appearance for your yarn and knitting tension. The blanket will look best with fairly dense stitches.
USING PATTERN WITH A DIFFERENT WEIGHT YARN:
This pattern will work well with many worsted, Aran or DK weight yarns.
Do some test knitting with your yarn and knitting needles. Pick the needle size that gives the best appearance for your choice of yarn and your knitting tension.
Don't worry if your gauge has one or two stitches more...or less...per 4 inches.
If your gauge is 17 or more stitches per inch you may want to follow the directions for one blanket size larger than your desired finished size.
If your gauge is 13 or fewer stitches per inch… follow the directions for one size smaller than your desired finished size.
In either case, if your gauge is significantly different than 15 stitches = 4 inches (10 cm) you many end up needing more...or less...yarn than noted in the pattern instructions.
On the Porch blanket knitting pattern for worsted or heavy worsted weight yarn. Click here to buy the PDF knitting pattern.
STITCH MARKERS:
I like using two small ring style stitch markers to keep track of the transition between the garter stitch border and the center stockinette stitch pattern.
BLOCKING RECOMMENDED:
For best appearance, blocking of the finished blanket is highly recommended! It really helps straighten up all the stitches and flatten out the stockinette stitch sections. A worsted weight blanket only takes about a day to dry...it's really worth the time and effort!
Click here to see all of my blocking tips including step-by-step photos.
CUSTOMER PROJECTS!
One Ravelry knitter used the wool sheered from Sheep #144 to make this priceless blanket for her family. When she went to observe sheep shearing in January of 2017, this knitter had no idea she would return home with a fleece. One year later, after the wool was spun into ten 200 yard skeins and a 47” x 50” blanket was knit…the knitter returned to visit Sheep #144 to show her how the wool was used. I think she approves!
On the Porch blanket knit with wool sheared from Sheep #144.
Emily in the U.K made this On the Porch blanket using Knit Picks Brava acrylic yarn in the 'Dublin' colorway. This is one of at least five attractive blankets that she knit to send to family and friends she could not see during the pandemic. Such special gifts! Get more details and shop for this yarn exclusively from Knit Picks. [photo shared with permission]
Marcia knit this lovely blue baby blanket (below) as a gift for her new great-nephew. She used Lion Brand Color Made Easy bulky weight yarn in the 'Kingfisher' colorway. The pattern is designed for worsted yarn….but It's very easy to adapt the pattern for a heavier weight yarn such as bulky weight. Follow the directions for one or two sizes smaller than you would like the blanket to turn out.
Marcia’s blue On the Porch blanket as a gift for her great-nephew. It looks fabulous!
I love this close-up photo of Sherri's cheerful, green On the Porch blanket that she shared on Instagram. She used Blue Sky Fibers Organic Cotton worsted weight yarn in the 'Pickle' colorway.
Sherri’s pretty green On the Porch blanket in Blue Sky Fibers Organic Cotton worsted - ‘Pickle’ colorway.
Here's a couple more On the Porch blanket projects that have caught my eye:
A sweet little pale pink baby blanket made by Diana and shared on Ravelry.
A lovely gray blanket Sara shared on Instagram. Her stitches are gorgeous!
A beautiful teal blanket made by a Ravelry knitter with Malabrigo Rios.
And, this stunning orange blanket made by Kathy - a Ravelry knitter.
“Great pattern. Easy to understand!”
“Easy to follow for a beginner!”
I would love to see your On the Porch blanket knitting project! Share your project on Ravelry and on Instagram with tags: #ontheporchblanket #fiftyfourtenstudio and @fiftyfourtenstudio.
On the Porch blanket knitting pattern - click here to buy the PDF pattern.
WHERE TO PURCHASE THE PATTERN:
FiftyFourTenStudio.com: Click here to purchase.
Ravelry: Click here to purchase on Ravelry.
NEW!! CUTE GIFTS FOR KNITTERS:
Fifty Four Ten Studio now has a Zazzle Shop that offers cute, thoughtful gifts for knitters including knitting project bags, coffee mugs, inspiring journal notebooks, and more! I’ve had so much fun designing graphics for my Zazzle Shop products. Click here to visit the Fifty Four Ten Studio Zazzle Shop. Thanks for taking a minute to check it out!
My new shop on Zazzle has cute knitting themed project tote bags and coffee mugs, as well as other gifts for knitters and makers. Thanks for taking a minute to check out the collection in my Fifty Four Ten Studio Zazzle Shop!
Thank you so much for reading!
Happy knitting!
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