Your step-by-step guide to knitting the Billie Blanket
Hey there, stitch superstar! You’ve just unlocked the secret sauce to making your very own Billie Blanket — and we’re excited to be stitching it out with you.
This guide will be your BFF through the entire journey. Whether you’re brand new to knitting or just here for a refresh, we’ll take you from “how do I hold these sticks?” to “look what I made!” — one cozy row at a time.
Firstly, let's look at what's covered in this blog.
INCLUDED IN YOUR KIT
Your kit comes with everything you need to make your masterpiece. Inside your drawstring bag you'll find:
🕺 15mm circular needles |
We'll use 15mm needles (or sticks as we like to say!) for this pattern. |
🧶 9 x balls Cardigang Chunky Yarn |
In either Everyday or Premium depending on your order. In a rainbow of colours. |
👆 A darning needle |
To weave in your ends. |
🤓 Your printed pattern |
We assume you've got that since you made it here! |
🫶 A 'Made By Me' tag |
You can sew into your finished piece. |
You'll also want to have a pair of scissors, a pen and a tape measure handy.
Let’s Start with Some Practise
Before we dive into the good stuff, let’s warm up those hands and needles. Think of this like stretching before a workout — except comfier, cuter, and way more fun.
Grab some of the yarn from your kit (just a little, you’ve got enough to spare!), and get familiar with the motions. Try out the stitches you’ll be using in this pattern. This is your time to mess it up, try again, and feel things out — no pressure, no judgement, just you and your new fave hobby.
Bonus: practising now = fewer headaches later (trust us on this one).
Here’s what you’ll need to know for this pattern — we’ve linked each tutorial so you can follow along step-by-step:
Take your time, replay the videos as many times as you need, and don’t stress if it feels a little awkward at first — every knitter starts here 💖
Time to Test Your Gauge
Once you’re feeling comfy with the stitches, it’s time to check your gauge. We know, we know — it sounds technical, but it’s really just about making sure your tension matches the pattern.
Why? Because different knitters = different stitch tightness. And we want your finished masterpiece to end up just the right size.
So grab your measuring tape, knit up a little swatch (there’s a guide for that at the link below!), and let’s make sure you’re on track before the main event begins.
THE BILLIE BLANKET
If done correctly, your 10x10cm knitted swatch should be 7 stitches wide and 9 rows high when knitted in stockinette stitch on your 15mm needles.
FAQs A.K.A. Fast Answers, Quick!
⚡ No time to purl? We got speedy support for you over on our FAQs page. No gatekeeping, no silly questions — just fast, friendly help to keep you stitching with confidence. It's the best place to go to get answers quick-smart so you'll be knitting again in a flash.
Ready to take your knitting and crochet game to the next level?
Join The Cardigang Click on Facebook. It’s THE place to share your creations, ask for advice, and get inspired by fellow yarn lovers. Whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned pro, you’ll find a supportive and fun community eager to help and cheer you on.
Stitch out in style.
Whether you’re deep in a knitflix binge or vibing with your needles on a Sunday arvo, we’ve curated the ultimate Spotify playlists to match your mood and your project. From mellow loops to main-character anthems, it’s the soundtrack to your next DIY moment.
Let's Knit Up A storm
Let's dive into the blanket. Firstly, a note on your colours 🌈 This style comes in a number of different colour-ways. So depending on whether you've ordered a Rainbow, Neutral or Botanica you'll have a set of different colours to use.
We encourage you to free-style your use of colours and colour changes - that's part of the fun!
BLANKET
STEP 1:
Using your 15mm needles and your first colour, cast on the correct number of stitches.
💭 Circular needles are a blanket maker’s bestie—even if you’re knitting flat! Instead of cramming a mountain of stitches onto two straight sticks, circular needles let the project sit comfortably on a flexible cord, taking the weight off your hands and wrists.
💡 Your blanket will grow as you knit so don't be concerned if after you've cast on the piece doesn't look wide enough.
STEP 2:
We're going to start by getting comfortable with the stockinette stitch pattern. You already know how to do a knit stitch and a purl stitch from your practice session - so let's put them together. We make stockinette by knitting all the stitches in one row, then purling all stitches in the next - we repeat this sequence.
💭 One of the things we found the hardest when we were learning to knit was keeping track of our rows. Before we were able to easily identify a row of stitches we used a pen and paper to keep track. That's why we've included handy circles in our patterns - you can tick them off as you go.
STEP 3:
Here we're going to change from our first colour to a new colour.
STEP 4
Continue knitting in stockinette stitch using the new colour.
STEP 5
Let's learn how to do a raised row now. To make the raised contrast row you’ll swap out a purl row for a knit row, or vice-versa.
Instead of making row 11 a knit row, we’ll do a purl row, then another purl row, then a knit row. You’ll see that creates a row of ridges.
To get more fancy, for the next raised row you knit, try changing colour before the second repeated knit or purl row. You'll create a row where both colours are visible.
Continue knitting and changing colours until you've got a handful of yarn left (around enough for 2 more rows). You'll use this yarn to complete the cast off row.
CAST OFF
Cast off your stitches.
When you've got just one stitch left on your right needle, simply cut your yarn from the ball (leaving about 20cm) and thread it back through your last stitch to secure it.
TASSELS
You'll use the yarn left over to make your tassels. You'll add a tassel at each colour change - adding the tassel into the same place where you've made a knot.
STEP 1
Cut approximately 40 equal-length strands of yarn in a variety of colours. Make the lengths about twice as long as you want your tassels to be.
STEP 2
Grab 2 strands, fold them in half, and pinching the loop, use your fingers to pull the piece through the stitch just before one of your colour change knots. Then, pull the ends through the loop and tug to secure.
Repeat for every knot. Trim to tidy up any uneven bits—and voilà, tassel magic!
The last thing we do is weave in any loose ends in the blanket - from where a new ball was joined mid-way through a row or where you encountered a knot in the yarn. You use your darning needle and weave those ends back into the blanket so they are nicely hidden away.
BLOCKING
The final step in finishing a knitted piece is to block it. This step is optional and not all beginner knitters will block their work (we didn't! 🤣) but it can improve the overall shape and finish of your piece.
Blocking your knitting is a process where you wet your piece to set the finished size and even out the stitches.
Blocking a blanket can be a little tricky because you need a large enough space to lay your blanket out (flat) as it dries.
STEP 1
Soak your knit in cool water. You only need to let your piece sit in the water for a few minutes and make sure the full piece is completely wet.
💡 You can also use a spray bottle and spritz the blanket with cool water if you'd prefer.
STEP 2
Remove your knit from the water and dry it off by rolling it in a towel. You want to get us much of the moisture out of the knit as possible at this point but be gentle! You don't want to stretch the blanket.
STEP 3
Transfer your damp knit to a flat surface to block it on. If you've got a blocking mat - great! otherwise a towel will work. The surface needs to be somewhere where your knit can lie flat and can stay there until it fully dries so that the shape sets properly. Make sure it's not a surface that can be easily damaged by having something wet sitting on it!
STEP 4
Arrange your piece so the right side is facing up and the shape is as you'd like it. If you've got a measuring tape you can measure and adjust the piece so it's the correct size.
STEP 5
Allow the knit to air dry - this can take a few days. You can also use a hair dryer to speed up the process, just use a light heat and don't concentrate the air in one spot.
In a bind and need a little more help?
Email us at stitchup@cardigang.com.au and we'll be able to help! Whether you're just starting out, or you've got a specific question or problem (dropped a stitch, no stress!), we're here to get you out of a bind.
WEAR, SHARE AND FLAUNT YOUR MASTERPIECE
You stitched it. You slayed it. Now it’s time to share it! 💖 Tag us @cardigang_knits so we can lose our minds over your masterpiece. Compliments guaranteed. 💅🧶
