The Boulevard Blanket - Free Blanket Knitting Pattern for Super Bulky Yarn
In May 2015, I published my first blanket knitting pattern - The Boulevard Blanket. When I designed this blanket I had no idea it would be the start of my near obsession with designing blanket patterns!
The Boulevard Blanket knitting pattern is FREE everyday. I’m thrilled that over the last few years this pattern has been downloaded and enjoyed by thousands of knitters from around the world!
See details below on how to download this free pattern!
Pin the image below to save it on your Pinterest knitting board! Click here to see my Pinterest page.
This blanket is quick and easy to knit with super bulky yarn.
At first glance, you may think that The Boulevard Blanket is knit with simple garter stitch... but look again! An easy K3, P3 repeat pattern creates a subtle vertical striping effect. The result is a completely reversible blanket! It looks exactly the same on both sides.
This is a great pattern for any level of knitter. I love hearing from beginner knitters who say this pattern helped increase their confidence in knitting!
This warm, cozy, chunky blanket is very easy to knit with super bulky yarn.
Like most of my blanket knitting patterns there are instructions for six blanket sizes so you can pick the size that suits the user of the blanket and your budget for the project.
SIX BLANKET SIZES:
Baby/Infant Blanket: 28" wide x 28" long
Small (Crib/Lap): 35" wide x 40" long
Medium Throw: 38" wide x 46" long
Large Throw: 44" wide x 50" long
XL Afghan: 47" wide x 55" long
XXL Afghan: 53" wide x 60" long
SUPER BULKY YARN:
Baby: 320 - 330 yards
Small: 590 - 600 yards
Medium: 730 - 740 yards
Large: 925 - 940 yards
XL: 1100 - 1150 yards
XXL: 1350 - 1400 yards
It's very easy to make any of the blankets longer! Simply keep knitting and you can bind off on any row. In the pattern I have included estimates of how much yardage is needed to add 2" in length to each blanket size.
SUPER BULKY YARN #6 WEIGHT YARN OPTIONS:
Lion Brand Hometown (100% Acrylic) - For the blue blanket shown in the photos I used Lion Brand Hometown in 'Washington Denim'. This yarn is very soft… but also has great stitch definition so the pattern really ‘pops’. It’s easy to knit with and very economical. See all the pretty colorways available and shop for Lion Brand Hometown on the LionBrand.com (US) and LoveCrafts.com.
Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick (80% Acrylic / 20% Wool) - I have used this yarn for many blanket projects including my Winter Dance blanket and Game Time blanket. Great stitch definition. Get more details and shop for this yarn on LionBrand.com or LoveCrafts.com.
Lion Brand Re-Spun Thick & Quick (100% recycled polyester) - This yarn is spun from recycled plastics. It’s surprisingly soft with fantastic stitch definition. Generously sized skeins each contain 223 yards (340 grams). Attractive collection of muted colorways. I particularly like ‘Night Sky’, ‘Whipped Cream’, ‘Pumice Stone’ and ‘Olive Branch’. Shop: LionBrand.com
Plymouth Encore Mega (75% Acrylic / 25% Wool) - A great choice for blanket projects. Here’s two attractive examples shared on Ravelry: a River of Dreams bed runner blanket and a cozy Boulevard Blanket. Get more details and shop for Plymouth Encore Mega at Yarn Barn of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas (ships to US locations), local yarn shops in the US and on LoveCrafts.com.
YARN NOTES:
For The Boulevard Blanket I usually recommend a solid color yarn so the texture of the knitting shows up best. However, sometimes multi color yarn can have fun results. One Ravelry knitter used two strands of Aran weight multicolored yarn knit together and it looks so cute!
If you are a beginning knitter... I would suggest sticking with solid color yarn.
And, you might want to avoid a really dark color as it can be challenging to see your stitches.
KNITTING KITS FROM LION BRAND YARN:
Several of my knitting patterns are available as knitting kits from Lion Brand Yarn. The kits include the PDF digital knitting pattern and all the yarn needed to make the project. Customize the knitting kit by selecting your favorite yarn color(s). Shop all of my knitting kits on LionBrand.com.
DOWNLOAD FREE KNITTING PATTERN:
Click here to download the PDF pattern file for The Boulevard Blanket.
GET THIS FREE PATTERN ON RAVELRY:
Or, click here to download the pattern FREE on Ravelry and add it to your Ravelry library.
If you prefer to use worsted or Aran weight yarn... please see my Meadow Lane blanket knitting pattern. It's also free to download on Ravelry.
IF YOU NEED EXTRA HELP - FREE PDF TUTORIAL:
The Boulevard Blanket is easy to knit and is a great pattern for a confident beginner.
If you know how to knit and purl... and switch back and forth between knit and purl... you can knit this blanket!
This pattern is very easy but once in a while knitters need a little extra help getting on track with the stitch pattern. Download my free PDF tutorial for The Boulevard Blanket that addresses the most common questions.
MORE BLANKET KNITTING PATTERNS:
Over the last few years, I have designed and published a lot of blanket knitting patterns! Click here to see my entire collection here on my website.
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!
SIGN UP FOR THE FIFTY FOUR TEN STUDIO NEWSLETTER:
If you would like to receive the Fifty Four Ten Studio newsletter, which includes notifications on new pattern designs... click here to sign up. Expect to receive one or two newsletter emails per month.
Click the links below to see some of my Fifty Four Ten Studio newsletters:
February 2023 - Memories in Making
January 2023 - Temperature Blanket Knitting
December 2022 Newsletter - Five best selling knitting patterns of the year.
February 2022 - Knitting for little ones.
KNITTING NEEDLES:
The blanket is knit in one piece on circular knitting needles.
I used US size 13 circular knitting needles for this blanket. You could also try US size 15 knitting needles. Exact gauge is not important. However, this stitch pattern looks best with fairly tight knitting. The vertical stripe effect will not show up as distinctly with loose knitting.
When knitting blankets, I recommend using long circular knitting needles to accommodate all of the stitches easily. Work back and forth just as you would with straight needles. At the end of the row simply turn the knitting and start knitting the next row. Click here to see my blog post about knitting a blanket with long circular needles.
INSPIRATION FOR THE PATTERN NAME:
The name for this blanket is inspired by my hometown... Kansas City. The subtle stripes made me think of all the beautiful streets we have in Kansas City. An old promotional slogan for the city said: "More boulevards than Paris, more fountains than Rome." I can't confirm if either of these claims are true but we do have many attractive tree lined boulevards in my hometown… thus The Boulevard Blanket.
2021 UPDATE - CUSTOMER PROJECTS:
Since I published this free knitting pattern in May 2015, this pattern has been downloaded by many knitters! I won’t reveal the exact number… but let’s just say it’s a lot!
I love seeing the projects that knitters have created with this easy blanket knitting pattern.
As of February 2023, Ravelry knitters have shared more than 700 projects. This pattern has a rating of 5 out of 5 stars on Ravelry for clarity of instructions.
Susan made the stunning blanket (below) with Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick in the ‘Spice’ colorway. She taught herself to knit about three years ago and now is working on knitting a blanket for each of her 13 nieces and nephews… using a different blanket pattern for each project. Such a sweet idea!
Click here to see all of the projects that Ravelry knitters have shared over the years.
If you make The Boulevard Blanket… I would love to see your project! Share your project on Ravelry and on Instagram with tags:
#TheBoulevardBlanket
#fiftyfourtenstudio
@fiftyfourtenstudio
Thanks so much for reading and for your interest in my knitting patterns! Happy knitting!
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