Stay on the Ridge - New Blanket Knitting Pattern

I'm so happy to introduce my new blanket pattern - Stay on the Ridge.

This blanket knitting pattern is easy to knit with worsted weight (or similar) yarn.  The design features a seed stitch border and an easy to remember 8-row repeat pattern for the center of the blanket.

Stay on the Ridge blanket knitting pattern is available on FiftyFourTenStudio.com, Ravelry, Etsy, and LoveKnitting.

Stay on the Ridge blanket knitting pattern by Fifty Four Ten Studio

Click here to see the updated version of this blog post on my new website FiftyFourTenStudio.com.

INSPIRATION FOR THE NAME OF PATTERN

The name for my Stay on the Ridge blanket knitting pattern is inspired by the historic wagon trails that crossed through what is now known as Kansas City...my hometown.

In the early 1800’s the Santa Fe Trail served as the ‘road’ to transport goods back and forth from the Kansas City area to Santa Fe, New Mexico, both central hubs for supplies.  Without railroads, the only way to transport goods was by covered wagon.  A well-worn rut in the earth showed travelers the way across the 900 mile trail (60+/- days of travel!) through Kansas, Colorado, and New Mexico.  Traders from Kansas City packed their wagons with items to trade - popular items included cloth such as calico, chambray, flannel, gingham, linen and muslin, as well as needles, thread and buttons. From Santa Fe, the traders brought home silver coins, processed gold, wool, and mules. 

Can you imagine traveling across the country in a covered wagon?  Remaining safe through the entire trip was a tremendous challenge: inclement weather, starvation, dehydration, illness, wild animals...these were just some of the pitfalls they faced.  Bumping along over rocks, navigating across creeks and small rivers - there were spots on the trail where the wagon trains had to stay on the ridge to avoid rough terrain and muddy low spots.

As I designed this blanket I thought about this phrase: stay on the ridge.  When traveling by covered wagon it meant staying safe on the trail, but the phrase is good advice for life… even today.  Stay safe, stay out of trouble, avoid pitfalls, and take the high road.  

Stay on the Ridge blanket knitting pattern for worsted weight yarn.

SIX BLANKET SIZES

Approximate blanket sizes after blocking:

Baby Blanket: 28.5" wide x 33.25" long
Small Crib/Lap Blanket: 31.75" wide x 36" long
Medium Throw: 35" wide x 47" long
Large Throw: 38.25" wide x 48.5" long
XL Afghan: 41.25" wide x 50" long
XXL Afghan: 48" wide x 52.5" long

It's easy to make any of the blanket sizes longer (or shorter) by adjusting the number of pattern repeats.  Each additional pattern repeat adds about 1.25" - 1.5" to the overall length of the blanket.  The pattern includes estimates for how much additional yarn is needed to make each size longer.

Stay on the Ridge blanket knitting pattern

WORSTED WEIGHT YARN

I used worsted weight yarn for this pattern.  The pattern can be easily adapted for yarn that is slightly heavier or lighter.  Just pick the needle size that works best for your yarn and knitting tension.

Amount of yarn needed for each blanket size:

Baby: 610 - 650 yards
Small: 740 - 790 yards
Medium: 1050 - 1100 yards
Large: 1200 - 1270 yards
XL: 1360 - 1440 yards
XXL: 1630 - 1730 yards

Keep in mind that the amount of yarn needed could vary if your gauge is significantly different.

I used US 9 knitting needles and my gauge in stockinette stitch with this yarn was about 15 stitches x 21 rows = 4" (after blocking and allow the knitting to relax).

Circular knitting needles are recommended to accommodate the large number of stitches.

The texture of this pattern will show up best with a solid color yarn.

If you are interested in using super bulky weight yarn...see my Flint Hills Blanket knitting pattern which uses the same stitch design.

Stay on the Ridge blanket - texture shows up best with solid color yarn.

PLYMOUTH SELECT WORSTED MERINO SUPERWASH

I made my Stay on the Ridge blanket with Plymouth Select Worsted Merino Superwash that I bought at The Yarn Shop & More in Overland Park, Kansas.  This cute yarn shop is just a few miles from my house.

I love how this earthy shade called 'Gravel' fit with the theme for this design...both in name and color!  And...I love this yarn!  It's very soft and has a pleasing springy texture.  It was a pleasure to use for this project and I will look forward to using it again.

Plymouth Select Worsted Merino Superwash in 'Gravel' colorway.

I worked on this blanket in April when the crab apple trees bloomed in our backyard.  I cut a few branches packed with pretty pink blooms to enjoy indoors...

I loved knitting my 'Stay on the Ridge' blanket!

WHERE TO GET THE PATTERN

Stay on the Ridge blanket knitting pattern is available to purchase on FiftyFourTenStudio.com, Ravelry, Etsy, and LoveKnitting.

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Warm spring weather has arrived in Kansas City so I have been enjoying time outside.  It's a great time of year to eat dinner outside on the deck!  And, I love meeting friends to go for a walk, especially when we meet at one of our local parks and enjoy views of beautiful gardens, flowering trees and famous Kansas City fountains.  The tulips were in full bloom the day we visited the Kauffman Gardens a few weeks ago...

Kauffman Gardens in Kansas City, Missouri - May 2018

Thanks so much for stopping by and for reading!

Happy knitting!

Mary Lee
Fifty Four Ten Studio

Stay on the Ridge blanket knitting pattern