Step-by-Step Flat Panel Throw Blanket Knitting Tutorial

Create an elegant throw blanket with ease using this detailed knitting tutorial! Perfect for cozy home decor, this pattern uses flat panels for a thinner, lightweight design. With Loops & Threads Facets yarn in the rich Slate color, this project balances beauty and practicality. It’s the ideal comfort companion for every season, whether you want warmth draped over a chair or lightweight layering on your favorite couch.

Flat Panel Throw Blanket

This tutorial introduces a clever flat-panel knitting technique that offers a lightweight alternative to traditional double-layer tube blankets. You’ll also master seaming with mattress stitches for virtually invisible joins, making this project stitch-perfect on both sides. Using waste yarn for clean edges and easy removal ensures your final piece is polished, professional, and ready to showcase.

Pattern Highlights

Yarn Selection

• The tutorial features Loops & Threads Facets yarn in Slate, sought-after for its soft texture and stunning color vibrancy, creating unmatched elegance.

Flat Panel & Seam Techniques

• Learn how to cast on 43 needles for flat-panel knitting, ensuring a lightweight blanket with seamless edges, while using mattress stitch for thin, beautiful joins.

Credit Koala Knits and Knacks

Step-by-Step Pattern

Materials

To recreate this beautiful throw blanket, gather the following supplies:

• Yarn: 5 balls of Loops and Threads Facets Yarn in the color Slate (or a similar weight 4 yarn). Available at Michaels.
• Knitting Machine: 46-needle circular knitting machine (e.g., Addi, Sentro). Note: A 48-needle machine works as well.
• Waste Yarn: Use a contrasting color of yarn for the start and end.
• Crochet Hook: 4.0 mm for finishing and fringe attachment.
• Yarn Needle: For seaming and hiding ends.
• Stitch Markers or Bobby Pins: Essential for keeping track of stitches.
• Scissors: For cutting fringe and yarn ends.
• Optional: Aluminum foil (for machine adjustments) and lightweight, contrasting yarn for finer seaming.

Stitch Guide

Since this project is completed with a circular knitting machine, here’s a quick overview of the techniques used:

• Flat Panels: Unlike tubes, this project uses flat panels, meaning the machine will knit back and forth instead of in a continuous circle. You’ll work on 43 needles out of the 46 available (leaving 3 black needles for the turning room).
• Slip Stitch: Used to seam edges and to finish the border. A row of slip stitches creates a neat and polished frame.
• Single Crochet (Optional): Crocheted borders are added for structure or to create attachment points for fringe.

Notes

• Blanket Dimensions: The finished throw measures approximately 45 x 54 inches, perfect for a chair, couch, or bed accent.
• Tension Tips: Use gentle tension, especially along the edges of each row to ensure even stitches and clean edges. This is particularly important for the first and last needles of each row.
• Yarn Customization: You can choose any 4-weight yarn, but Loops and Threads Facets Yarn works exceptionally well in the machine due to its softness and gliding properties.

Pattern Instructions

Knit Four Flat Panels on Knitting Machine

1. Prep the Machine:
   • Cast 43 needles onto the machine, leaving 3 black needles unworked for the turning room. Use waste yarn for your cast-on rows (approximately 8 rows).
2. Work the Main Yarn:
   • Replace the waste yarn with your working yarn (Loops and Threads Facets Yarn). Make sure your tension is even, especially for the first and last stitches of each row.
   • Knit 230 rows in flat-panel mode.
   • Bind off by switching back to waste yarn for another 8 rows. Then remove the panel from the machine and secure stitches to prevent unraveling.
3. Repeat:
   • Complete three additional panels using the same method, ensuring consistent rows across all panels.

Seam the Panels Together

1. Align Panels:
   • Place two panels side by side with the right sides facing up.
   • Use stitch markers or bobby pins to keep the edges aligned. You should have 43 live stitches along both panels’ edges.
2. Mattress Stitch Seaming:
   • Use a lightweight yarn to minimize bulk and your yarn needle to join the panels.
   • Thread the needle and work the mattress stitch, grabbing two bars of each edge at a time. Work from one corner to the opposite end.
   • Gently tighten the seam periodically to keep it smooth without puckering.
3. Repeat:
   • Seam the third and fourth panels together in the same way.
   • Once you have two broad sections, seam those two together to form one complete blanket.

Add Border (Optional)

1. Single Crochet Edge:
   • Work a round of single crochet along the entire perimeter of the blanket for a polished edge.
   • Use a contrasting or matching yarn, and evenly space your stitches to avoid ripples—place 2 single crochets in each blanket corner to round the edge.
2. Alternative: If you prefer not to crochet, the unfinished ends of the knit panels already create a lovely, soft border. Skip this step if you’re fine with minimal finishing.

Add Fringe

1. Cut Fringe Pieces:
   • Wrap yarn around a 6-inch object (e.g., a book or a cardboard piece) and cut to create 12-inch strands.
   • Each fringe is made by folding two strands in half.
2. Attach Fringe:
   • Insert your crochet hook from the wrong side of the blanket to the right side at the edge of your blanket.
   • Pull the center of your 12-inch strands through to form a loop.
   • Pull the ends of the yarn strands through the loop, tighten, and secure.
   • Add fringe to every other stitch along the short edges of the blanket.
3. Trim:
   • Once all fringe pieces are attached, trim the ends evenly for a clean finish.

Pattern Question:

Q: Can I use a different yarn type for this blanket?

A: Yes! While the tutorial uses Facets Yarn, you can choose any yarn with a similar weight and texture to achieve a lightweight, soft finish.

Video Tutorial