Beatrix Potter Meets Lord of the Rings Knitted Baby Blanket

A cozy, storybook-inspired baby blanket combining soft Beatrix Potter-style animals and whimsical Lord of the Rings forest motifs. Worked flat in DK/light-worsted yarn with an intarsia character panel and a knitted leafy border inspired by elven leaves. Finished size, yarn quantities, needle sizes and clear row-by-row instructions included. Website: purljam.verde.uk. Support: team@verde.uk. Socials: #purljam

Finished Size

Approximate finished dimensions: 30" x 36" (76 cm x 91 cm). Can be adjusted by changing yarn weight, needle size, or number of pattern repeats.

Yarn (DK / Light Worsted)

• Main Background (soft meadow green): 450 yds / 412 m (~350 g / 12.3 oz)
• Contrast Earth Tone (moss/brown): 150 yds / 137 m (~120 g / 4.2 oz)
• Accent Pastels for animals (soft blue, cream, pale pink, soft gray): 4 colors x 80 yds / 73 m each (~4 x 25 g / 0.9 oz)
• Optional Metallic Accent for a tiny ring or star: 20 yds / 18 m (~10 g / 0.35 oz)

Notes: Yardage given as total approximate amounts. If substituting sport or worsted weight, recalculate yardage. Typical DK yarn: ~240 m / 262 yds per 100 g.

Needles

• US 7 / UK 7 / 4.5 mm circular needle, 32" / 80 cm (for blanket body; use long circular for Magic Loop or 80cm cable)
• US 6 / UK 8 / 4.0 mm circular or DPNs for slightly firmer gauge if you prefer (optional)
• Tapestry needle for weaving ends, stitch holders or waste yarn for intarsia bobbins
• Stitch markers, tapestry needle, blocking pins

Gauge

18 sts x 24 rows = 4" (10 cm) in stockinette stitch using US 7 / 4.5 mm needles. Adjust needle size to match gauge. Because of intarsia panels and border stitch patterns, swatch both stockinette and border stitch to predict finished size.

Abbreviations

• K = knit
• P = purl
• YO = yarn over
• sts = stitches
• RS = right side
• WS = wrong side
• MC = Main Color (meadow green)
• CC = Contrast Color (moss/brown)
• Intarsia: attach separate bobbins for color blocks; twist yarns at color joins to avoid holes

Stitch Glossary (important patterns)

• Moss/Seed Stitch Border: Row 1 (RS): *K1, P1* across. Row 2 (WS): *P1, K1* across. Repeat rows 1-2 for border width.
• Elven Leaf Lace (multiple of 8 + 1): Row 1 (RS): K1, *YO, K2tog, K3, SSK, YO, K1* repeat to last st, K1. Row 2: Purl all sts. Work rows 1-2 for a delicate leafy vertical panel.

Structure & Overview

This blanket is worked flat in one piece: a central intarsia panel (approx 18" / 46 cm wide) that contains three small motifs (rabbit, hedgehog, tiny hobbit door or ring emblem in simplified silhouette), flanked on each side by stockinette fields and vertical elven leaf lace columns, then a moss-stitch border around the whole blanket. The animal motifs are simplified silhouettes (pixel-style intarsia blocks) so they read well at baby size and can also be embroidered with duplicate stitch if you prefer.

Set-up

Cast on 138 sts using MC with long-tail cast-on. (This yields approx 30" width with gauge given.) Place marker for beginning of row if you wish to track RS/WS.

Lower Moss Border

Work moss/seed stitch for 12 rows (approx 1.5" / 3.8 cm): Row 1 (RS): *K1, P1* to end. Row 2 (WS): *P1, K1* to end. Repeat rows 1-2 six times total.

Body: Setup Row (establish pattern)

RS: Knit across in MC. WS: Purl across.

Body Layout (left to right on RS)

• Edge Moss Border: 6 sts (worked in moss stitch vertically)
• Left Stockinette Field: 30 sts in MC
• Left Elven Leaf Lace Column: 7 sts (work lace pattern, see below)
• Left Stockinette Spacer: 5 sts MC
• Central Intarsia Panel: 46 sts (charted intarsia silhouettes across these sts)
• Right Stockinette Spacer: 5 sts MC
• Right Elven Leaf Lace Column: 7 sts
• Right Stockinette Field: 30 sts MC
• Edge Moss Border: 6 sts

Total: 6 + 30 + 7 + 5 + 46 + 5 + 7 + 30 + 6 = 138 sts.

Elven Leaf Lace Column (7 sts)

Pattern repeat (over 2 rows): Row 1 (RS): K1, YO, K2tog, K1, SSK, YO, K1. Row 2 (WS): Purl across. Repeat these two rows every 4th row alongside stockinette fields for the height of the blanket. Offset the leaf columns on the right side by 2 rows for a staggered look if desired.

Intarsia Central Panel (46 sts)

The central panel is worked using intarsia technique. Design contains three simplified motifs across the panel: left motif (Beatrix-style rabbit silhouette), center motif (little hobbit door or ring emblem, approx 10 sts wide by 12 rows tall), right motif (hedgehog or duck). Because pixel charts do not render here, follow this method:

1. Divide the 46 sts into five zones for intarsia: 10 sts (left margin), 12 sts (left motif area), 6 sts (center spacer), 12 sts (right motif area), 6 sts (right margin). Adjust slightly to suit your chosen motif shapes.
2. Work in MC for the background. When you reach a motif area, pick up the CC or pastel yarn bobbin for color blocks. Carry only where colors touch; do not strand across large areas (use separate bobbins and twist at joins).
3. Recommended approach: chart motifs on graph paper at gauge (approx 4.5 sts per inch horizontally and 6 rows per inch vertically) before knitting. Use contrast colors for motif outlines and a single accent color for small features (eyes, tiny ring). Keep motifs simple—silhouettes of 10-12 sts wide and 12-18 rows tall read best.
4. If you prefer, work plain MC panel and later add animals and ring by duplicate stitch/embroidery using accent yarns; this is simpler and gives a softer reverse.

Working the Body

After lower moss border and two setup rows, continue pattern as follows until blanket measures approx 33" (84 cm) from cast-on edge (including border):

1. RS: Work moss border sts in moss pattern, work left stockinette field in K across, work left lace column row (follow lace row when at RS), spacer in MC, work intarsia panel row (or placeholder in MC if duplicating later), spacer, right lace column, right stockinette field, end moss border in moss pattern.
2. WS rows: Purl all sts in stockinette fields and purl across moss border as per seed stitch (P1, K1 pattern), work WS lace rows as Purl all sts, and work WS color changes in intarsia areas purlwise.
3. Repeat RS+WS rows until required length reached. If knitting intarsia, make sure to carry/attach new bobbins when motifs begin; twist yarns at joins on RS to avoid gaps.

Upper Moss Border

When blanket body reaches approx 33" (84 cm), work 12 rows of moss stitch to mirror the lower border: Row 1 (RS): *K1, P1*; Row 2 (WS): *P1, K1*. Repeat 6 times total. Bind off loosely in pattern on WS to retain stretch.

Finishing

1. Weave in all ends neatly, especially intarsia bobbin ends; use tapestry needle to bury ends along floats or margins.
2. If you worked backdrop-only and plan to duplicate-stitch animals: use a yarn needle and duplicate stitch to embroider the motifs on the MC panel, following a small printed chart for each animal.
3. Block lightly to shape: soak blanket in lukewarm water with gentle wool wash, press out excess water, pin to measured rectangle on blocking surface and allow to dry. Do not overstretch lace columns; gently shape to even dimensions.
4. Optional: Add a simple i-cord edging in CC or MC around the bound-off edge for a neat finish.

Motif & Charting Tips

• Make motif charts at 18 sts = 4" horizontally and 24 rows = 4" vertically (your gauge). A 10-st wide motif spans ~2.2" (5.6 cm).
• Keep motifs low-contrast for a vintage Beatrix Potter look (soft pastels vs. MC) or choose higher contrast for clear silhouettes.
• For a Lord of the Rings touch: add a small 4-st ring emblem in metallic accent at panel center, or knit a tiny knitted door with a round window using duplicate stitch.

Modifications

• To make larger/smaller: adjust cast-on by multiples to keep lace repeats and intarsia panel centered. Add/remove stockinette repeats in the side fields in multiples of 2 or 4.
• To avoid intarsia complexity: knit entire panel in MC and use duplicate stitch to apply animals and motifs; this also makes washing easier.

Care

Hand wash cold with gentle detergent, lay flat to dry. If using superwash DK you may machine wash on gentle cycle; follow yarn manufacturer's care instructions.

Pattern Notes & License

This original pattern is inspired by classic English storybook characters and high-fantasy forest motifs. Enjoy for personal and charity use. Do not reproduce for sale as pattern without permission. For commercial knitting of finished items please credit pattern source and contact: team@verde.uk.

Need help or want a chart made from a photo? Email team@verde.uk or visit purljam.verde.uk. Socials: #purljam

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