Your step-by-step guide to knitting the Elle Baby Blanket
Hey there, stitch superstar! You’ve just unlocked the secret sauce to making your very own Elle Baby 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:
🕺 5mm circular needles |
We'll use 5mm circular needles for this pattern. |
🧶 3 or 6 balls Cardigang Premium Lite Yarn |
Depending on the size you're making - small or large. |
👆 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 ELLE BLANKET
If done correctly, your 10x10cm knitted swatch should be 14 stitches wide and 24 rows high when knitted in stockinette stitch on your 5mm needles.
Ready to take your knitting and crochet game to the next level?
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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
It's time to dive into our pattern. The Elle blanket is perfect for beginners. In fact, we designed her specially for newbies who want to learn to knit with something as impressive as a whole blanket - no gate-way scarves for us!
Our blanket has a border of garter stitch which we create by using only knit stitches. Inside that border we’ll alternate knit rows and purl rows to create the stockinette stitch pattern.
BLANKET
STEP 1:
Using your 5mm needles cast on the correct number of stitches.
You can knit your blanket in a size small or large. If you're making the small size you'll follow the number before the bracket. If you're making the larger size you'll follow the number inside the bracket.
💭 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 knitting in garter stitch for 11 rows. This is where we knit all the stitches every row. Easy!
💭 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 & 4:
We'll knit up the majority of our blanket in stockinette stitch. Stockinette stitch is made when we knit all the stitches in one row, then purl all stitches in the next. We continue to create the garter stitch boarder by knitting the first and last 10 stitches in every row - no matter whether you're working on a knit or a purl row.
STEP 5:
Continue the 2 row sequence working through all your yarn until you only have around a quarter of your last ball of yarn left.
STEP 6:
We'll finish with 10 rows of garter stitch. Epic work! The finish line is in sight.
STEP 7:
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.
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. 💅🧶
