How to knit a blanket from a shawl pattern

This project was an experiment. If a top-down triangular shawl, which starts at the center and radiates out to the edges, can be shaped into a diagonal half-square through blocking, could you use the same pattern to make a full square for a blanket? Oh yes, you certainly can.

I used Fledge, but you could use any shawl pattern that uses the same construction.

Compare: For the shawl
Cast on flat and make a garter stitch tab and start with 9
Stitch count: Edges x 2 + Body x 2 + Center Spoke (1)
Work back and forth
Increase 4 stitches every other row


Compare: For the blanket
Cast on using a circular cast on and start with 8
Stitch count: Body x 4 + Spokes (4)
Work in the round
Increase 8 stitches every other round

To make a Fledge blanket

Yarn: 12 skeins DK. I used Louisa Harding's Willow Tweed. (Yes, I had to go back for more even though I hadn't planned to buy the first 10.)

Needles: 5.0mm in your preferred method for working in a very small to very large round.

Gauge: After lace blocking, about 14 stitches and 24 rows over 5 inches

Finished size: About 54 x 54 inches (it's pretty stretchy, so that's approximate)

Cast on 8 (I used Emily Ocker's Circular Cast On). If you're not using a circular cast on, join for working in the round.

Place a marker for beg of round if you like (I find it's a bit fiddly to use markers so soon; I like to wait until Round 8).

Round 1: [Yo, k1] 8 times— 8 stitches increased, 16 stitches.

Round 2 (and all even rounds): Knit.

Round 3: [Yo, k3, yo, k1] 4 times—8 increased, 24 stitches.

Round 5: [Yo, k5, yo, k1] 4 times—8 increased, 32 stitches.

Round 7: [Yo, k7, yo, k1] 4 times—8 increased, 40 stitches.

On Round 8, I place my markers. At this point, you can see the 4 quarters of the blanket structure starting to take shape, separated by 4 columns of yo, k1, yo. You can place your markers how you like; either one before each "spoke" or one before and after each spoke. I recommend using a differently coloured marker for the beginning of round.

Continue as established, increasing either side of each spoke on every odd round, until you have 88 stitches (which translates to a column of 10 eyelets).

Work an even round (Round 20).

Rounds 21-34: [Yo, FledgeBand (starting between the bracket only and ignoring the edge stitches), yo, k1] 4 times—(8 x 7) increased, 144 stitches.

You get the idea. Work your next Fledge Band starting on Round 49, and repeat it twice.

I worked 1 Fledge Band, then 3 sets of [stockinette, 2 Fledge Bands], finished off with Fledge Border.

How do you block a behemoth like this? Check out How to Block Very Large Things