I just loved Emily’s Vivid blanket from the moment I saw it. So I made a pretty version for myself, and put together a tutorial to show you how!
Vivid Blanket Materials ::: for my blanket I used:
Yarn: Tanis Fiber Arts Yellow Label DK in her Signature Palette and Natural for the borders
Needles: 4mm double pointed needles and 16 inch circular needle for the borders
Pattern:Vivid by Emily Wessel
Of course you can use any yarn for this blanket, refer to the pattern for yardage requirements and recommended needle sizes.
The Process ::: (refer to pattern for exact stitch counts)
Note: there are many ways to knit in the round, this is the way I knit the Vivid blanket but you may prefer using one long circular needle and the magic loop technique.
Using a the pinhole cast on method, cast on and distribute your stitches over 4 double pointed needles.
You are now ready to follow Chart A. You will be working Chart A twice over each of the 4 needles (a total of 8 times each round). You can place your marker to indicate the beginning of the round and the repeats in 2 ways:
Note: there will be yarn over’s a the ends of the needles. Not to worry! As long as you don’t mistake them for a mistake, they will just sit on your needle like any other stitch.
Option 1: Single Marker
This is how I marked the round. Because you are knitting on double pointed needles you can’t actually place your marker at the beginning of the round, as it would just fall off the needle. I place the marker after the first repeat of Chart A so I know that my round starts at the beginning of the needle with the marker on it. Chart A is worked twice on each needle.
Option 2: Marking each repeat
You may want to mark each pattern repeat so you will have 1 marker on each needle (I recommend using a different color on the first needle so you know where the beginning of your round is). Each needle will have 1 repeat of Chart A, a marker, and a second repeat of Chart A.
Once you have completed Chart A, your proceed to work Chart B. This chart is worked once on each needle (a total of 4 times each round). You can remove all of your markers except the one that marks the beginning of the round.
At the end of Chart B I switched to working with a 16 inch circular needle (If you prefer, you can work the entire square on double pointed needles – just treat the end of each needle as your marker). I worked the last round of chart B by knitting onto the 16 inch circular and placing a marker at the end of each needle. There are now 4 markers (one indicating the beginning of the round).
For the border I worked in a contrast color (the original Vivid sample is worked in the same colour for lace and border), following the instructions for the increases. To bind off I used a regular bind off but worked it a little loose. If you leave a long tail you can use it later for seaming.
Before you go wild, square after square, take a moment to block your first square. This will tell you how big your blanket will be, how the finished blanket will turn out, and whether or not you need to change needle size.
Finishing the Vivid Blanket :::
To finish your Vivid blanket there are 2 steps: blocking your squares and sewing them together.
It may be tempting to sew ’em all up first, but wait! It’s so much easier (and looks so much better) if you block your squares first.
1. Soak your squares: if you are using more than 1 colour be sure to add a tablespoon or so of vinegar to your soak to avoid colour bleeding.
2. Pin your square to the blocking board: make sure to measure your square so that they are square and they are all the same (makes seaming a breeze)
Seaming: To put together my blanket I butted the squares together, right sides facing. I threaded the needle and pulled the yarn through the tops of the cast off stitches. The yarn then goes over the top and through the next stitches. This is called the whip stitch or overhand stitch.
Weave in your ends and enjoy your blankie!
Love our designs and in-depth tutorials? Get our email updates to stay in touch, and use the facebook, twitter, or pintrest buttons to share with a friend if you think they’ll like this. The Vivid blanket would make a perfect project to share among friends!
Other blanket patterns with similar construction:
Knit Your Own Little Lullaby | Tin Can Knits
April 29, 2021 @ 6:01 am
[…] squares and then sew them together to make a Vivid knitted quilt. The pattern is supported by our Vivid Blanket Tutorial, and it’s great for stash-busting or playing with […]
July 9, 2019 @ 11:19 am
I am on round 15 and have 24 stitches on each of the 4 dbl pnt needles. I have ripped it out twice and always come out the same. It says I should be starting with a ttl of 64 stitches. Can someone please get back to me.
July 15, 2019 @ 9:47 pm
Hi Barbara – it’s a bit hard to diagnose the problem. Any chance you could email us a pic of your progress? tincanknits@gmail.com
Blanket Policy – Knits from a Small Island
April 17, 2017 @ 6:39 am
[…] given the pattern name is Vivid but it looks lovely. Haven’t sewn them up yet, I read the Tin Can Knits blog about the pattern and it’s made me think that blocking is probably the way to go so, […]
August 21, 2015 @ 2:15 pm
Beautiful fine knit blanket not just for babies. I have been knitting them for our local children’s hospitals in Glasgow and Edinburgh for premature babies.
June 20, 2015 @ 5:09 pm
OMG, I bought the pattern because it said it was a ‘beginner’ pattern, now I’m terrified!!! Will need to make full use of the tutorial!!
June 22, 2015 @ 3:58 am
Hmmmm can you tell me where it say it’s a beginner pattern? We should change that! Don’t be terrified though, just try following the tutorial, and if you have questions, send us an email, and tell us specifically what is holding you back! We’ll do our best to help. Good luck, Emily
September 19, 2014 @ 11:53 am
I found it works very well using 2 12″ or 24″ circular needles (I’m using the latter). I’m blocking mine to 7″ to give a slightly lusher, ‘squooshier’ blankie.
I love this pattern–and I can always take a working square and a ball for the next one with me on the subway–great subway knitting! (Brooklyn–Manhattan) Thank you Emily!
My very own POP! | Tin Can Knits
May 2, 2014 @ 6:54 pm
[…] Tanis of course! You can read more about my obsession with colourful Tanis blankets here and here. That bin of rainbows is a never ending source of inspiration to me and I thought: why fight it? […]
Yet another Vivid | Tin Can Knits
April 23, 2014 @ 6:55 pm
[…] Looking for a tutorial? Check out our in depth Vivid tutorial here. […]
April 6, 2014 @ 11:12 pm
Putting a piece of checked fabric – I use an old duvet cover – on top of your blocking board makes blocking squares a breeze. It’s easy to make sure all the edges line up and the corners are square.
I’m afraid that soaking with vinegar to stop dye running is an urban myth. Yes, vinegar is sometimes used by home dyers when they dye wool and other protein fibres, but it’s done in hot water at at least 60 degrees C.
April 6, 2014 @ 2:34 am
Love the blanket. Cant wait to make mine. Hope it isn’t too hard!
November 2, 2013 @ 11:11 pm
Thanks awefully !
July 30, 2013 @ 12:38 am
Thanks very much, I learned a new technique to cast on. :-) Lovely.
July 1, 2013 @ 5:18 am
That’s great! I just ordered the palette in the Forest colours, to start this exact same blanket! Had no idea on how to join the squares yet, but this comes in handy :)
It’s lovely.
June 21, 2013 @ 11:23 am
Wow that’s such a fab blanket – and interesting cast on method – would love to have the patience to make such a lovely baby blanket.
June 21, 2013 @ 9:48 am
Thanks for the tutorial! I love this blanket, but found it intimidating to make.