Willow Leaves 8ply Blanket Knit Kit
Willow Leaves 8ply Blanket Knit Kit
Falling leaves run through this merino blanket in repeating lace panels, framed by garter-stitch borders. A rewarding nursery keepsake or handmade baby gift, with soft Italian merino and clear stitch definition.
Skill level and construction
Intermediate: be comfortable knitting and purling, following a repeated lace sequence and reading your stitches. Practise yarn-forward eyelets, knit-two-together, slip-knit-pass-over and double decreases. Stitch markers help keep the leaf panels aligned.
Work flat as one piece with seven leaf panels across the rectangle and a 14-row repeat. Borders are knitted in, with slipped stitches for neat side edges. Cast off loosely, weave in the ends and block gently.
Size and yarn
This kit is for the rectangle, approximately 58 × 85 cm. It supplies 6 × 50 g balls of Sesia Nordica Italian Merino 8ply at 125 m each: 750 m total, worked with one strand. The rectangle pattern requires approximately 650 m.
The pattern also contains an 85 × 85 cm square requiring approximately 975 m. The supplied kit quantity is not enough for that square; extra yarn is required separately.
Kit contents and needle options
The listing includes six Nordica balls in your chosen shade, the printed Willow Blanket 8ply pattern, a Handmade with Love leather tag and stitch markers. The Handmade with Love leather tag and stitch markers are included with both needle options. The “With Needles” option includes 4 mm, 80 cm circular bamboo needles; “Without Needles” requires separate knitting needles.
Use 4 mm straight or 80 cm circular needles; the blanket is knitted flat either way. A tapestry needle is required separately.
Tension
The pattern does not specify a numerical gauge. Swatch in the leaf pattern to check fabric and size. Yarn-label stocking-stitch tension is not a substitute for checking the lace.
Yarn and care
Nordica is 100% extrafine virgin merino, made in Italy. Machine washable at 30°C; follow the ball band, avoid tumble drying and reshape flat. Read our wet-blocking guide for gentle finishing.
More blankets
For a simpler knit-and-purl project, try the Willow Baby Blanket Knit Kit, or browse blanket kits.
Frequently asked questions
Can this kit make the square blanket?
The kit supplies 750 m for the rectangle. The square requires approximately 975 m, so you need extra yarn.
Are the leaf panels knitted separately?
No. The leaf panels and garter borders are worked together in one flat piece.
Why does the pattern use stitch markers?
They help locate the borders between the leaf panels and garter sections as you follow the lace repeat.
Do circular needles mean knitting in the round?
No. A circular needle can hold the blanket’s stitches while you knit back and forth. The pattern also permits straight needles.
Is a numerical gauge provided?
No. Swatch in the leaf stitch pattern and check the fabric before starting; the finished dimensions are approximate.