Maxwell Blanket – Free Knit Pattern for a Beginner, Quick Blanket

This beginner-friendly knit plaid blanket is worked in one piece, making it a simple meditative knit. The woven plaid effect is created by adding vertical stripes at the end, avoiding the time-consuming methods usually required for plaid. With yarn held double for extra coziness and speed, a full video tutorial, and three sizes to choose from—baby, lapghan, and throw—this project will be a cozy addition to your home.

Looking for an beginner knit pattern that is perfect as a meditative knit?

The Maxwell Blanket is an easy, beginner pattern that has a full video tutorial to help you.

It is knit with yarn held double stranded, so it works up quickly.

This cozy blanket is a perfect way to add some plaid into your house without the typical time-consuming plaid techniques that are typically used.

DESCRIPTION

The Maxwell Blanket is a cozy, plaid blanket that gets me so excited for fall.

Green and blue are my favorite colors, and I love how the colors complement each other so well in this design.

Garter stitch is used throughout the entirety of the blanket, so you just need to know how to do the knit stitch.

The main color in this blanket is olive, and there are navy horizontal stripes. The blanket is worked in one piece with horizontal stripes.

The plaid vertical stripes are made at the end using a woven technique that works up quickly.

The vertical striped ends are tied off and left as tassels on the edges.

There are 3 sizes included in this knit blanket pattern.

Baby (30″ x 35″), Lapghan (40″ x 44″), and Throw (45″ x 54″)

The size pictured is the lapghan size.

YARN

For this blanket, I used Lion Brand Wool Ease DK yarn because it is such a pretty, cozy yarn.

Wool-Ease DK yarn is machine wash and dry as long as you do it on gentle cycle.

It is 80% acrylic and 20% wool, so it has that extra warmth that wool provides.

232 yards in a 3 oz skein, so a fair amount of yardage in a skein.

It comes in 18 different colors, and I love the colors offered. Very earthy, but a good variety.

I really love the color “olive” in this line. So much so that I used it for the Triple Cord Cardi, which is a free pattern on my blog.

You can get the free pattern for the Triple Cord Cardi HERE.

The Triple Cord Cardi is a beginner-friendly, top-down cardigan with no seaming, making it an easy and enjoyable project. It features 3 I-cord removable closures allowing for a customizable cardigan – wear it open, all the way closed, or somewhere in between. A full video tutorial, along with additional helpful videos, ensures a smooth knitting experience for all skill levels.

And if you want to stay up to date on yarn sales and when to get a good price to make the Maxwell Blanket or the Triple Cord Cardi, join my newsletter where I’ll clue you in on when there is a good sale.

I love a good sale, so I want gate keep. But I also won’t spam you.

DIFFICULTY

The Maxwell Blanket is considered a Beginner Level knit pattern, but it is good for all skill levels.

There is only one stitch used for the pattern, the knit stitch, or garter stitch, so you will not have to concentrate too hard when you are making this blanket.

It is made in one piece, which is different than some knit plaid blankets are. It is not made in pieces and seemed together.

Only one color is used at a time, the horizontal stripes are made as you work, and then the vertical stripes are added with a tapestry needle at the end.

I also have a full video tutorial to aid you in making this beginner knit blanket pattern!

You can watch it below.

So let’s begin this easy-level blanket.

MATERIALS

920 (2405, 3000) yds/4 (11, 15) balls, Lion Brand Yarn Wool-Ease DK Yarn, “Olive” (636-172T), weight 3, 80% acrylic, 20% Wool, 3oz/85 g (A)
100 (190, 300) yds/1 (1, 3) balls, Lion Brand Yarn Wool-Ease DK Yarn, “Navy” [636-110], weight 3, 80% acrylic, 20% Wool, 3oz/85 g (B)
US 9/5.5 mm circular knitting needles (40”)
Scissors
Tapestry Needle

GAUGE

With yarn held double,

14 sts in garter stitch = 4″

26 row in in garter stitch = 4″

SIZE

There are 3 sizes:

Baby – 30″ x 35″

Lapghan – 40″ 44″

Throw – 45″ 54″

TERMINOLOGY

A – color A
B – color B
BO – bind off
CO – cast on
k – knit
rep – repeat
RS – right side
st(s) – stitch(es)

NOTES

Pattern is written for 3 sizes: Baby (Lapghan, Throw). Highlight your size throughout the pattern to avoid confusion. Pictures are shown in the Lapghan size.
You will be knitting holding two strands at a time for double thickness.
Slip the first stitch purlwise in each row for a clean edge.
The vertical plaid contrasting stripes are sewn/woven in at the end.
The blanket is made double sided, so there is no right or wrong side.

SPECIAL STITCHES

Step 1: cut three lengths of yarn twice the length of the blanket

Step 2: using a tapestry needle, 3 strands of yarn, and starting at bottom edge of blanket, go up into a st, down in to the next st

Step 3: skip 2 rows

Step 4: rep Steps 2 & 3 until you reach the top edge

Step 5: knot strands on both edges to make a tassel

If you want to get the concise, ad-free, printable pattern. I have three different shops you can purchase it from:

If you want the ad-free, printable PDF pattern, you can purchase it through my ETSY, RAVELRY, and MY SHOP.

you can get the Lion Brand Yarn kit HERE which includes all of the yarn to make the blanket (options for the 3 different sizes) as well as the digital download of the pattern.

PATTERN

Using the Long Tail Cast On and using two strands held double of A, CO 106 (140, 158) sts

Row 1 (RS): k across [106 (140, 158) sts]

Rows 2-23 (29, 35): k across

Using two strands held double of B,

Rows 24 (30, 36)-29 (35, 41): k across