purlJam

# Fairway Dreams Golf Throw Blanket

A 4' × 5' (48" × 60") intermediate throw featuring a classic golf scene: a tee box at one end, a manicured putting green with flagstick at the other, and a soft cloud-dotted sky in between. The sky uses textured seed-stitch clouds on a smooth stockinette background, while the tee box and green use garter-ridge texture for grassy depth. Color blocks are worked in intarsia.

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## Finished Measurements
- Width: 48 inches (122 cm)
- Length: 60 inches (152 cm)

## Materials

**Yarn (DK weight / Light Worsted, CYC #3):**
- **MC – Sky Blue:** approx. 1,100 yds (1,006 m)
- **CC1 – White (clouds):** approx. 200 yds (183 m)
- **CC2 – Grass Green (fairway/green):** approx. 450 yds (412 m)
- **CC3 – Sand Tan (tee box):** approx. 150 yds (137 m)
- **CC4 – Dark Brown (tee peg):** approx. 30 yds (28 m)
- **CC5 – Red (flagstick flag):** approx. 30 yds (28 m)
- **CC6 – Black or Gray (flagpole, hole):** approx. 40 yds (37 m)
- **CC7 – Optional White (golf ball):** approx. 15 yds (14 m)

**Needles:**
- US 8 / 5 mm — 32" or 40" circular (worked flat for width)
- US 7 / 4.5 mm — 32" circular for border pick-up

**Notions:**
- Yarn bobbins (10–14 recommended for intarsia)
- Stitch markers
- Tapestry needle
- Blocking mat and pins

## Gauge
- 22 sts × 30 rows = 4" (10 cm) in stockinette on US 8 / 5 mm, blocked
- 22 sts × 40 rows = 4" (10 cm) in seed stitch, blocked

*Gauge check: 264 sts ÷ 22 sts per 4" × 4" = 48" width ✓*

## Abbreviations
- **k** – knit
- **p** – purl
- **st(s)** – stitch(es)
- **RS / WS** – right side / wrong side
- **St st** – stockinette stitch (k on RS, p on WS)
- **Seed st** – *k1, p1; rep from *; on next row, knit the purls and purl the knits
- **Garter** – knit every row
- **CC / MC** – contrast color / main color
- **Intarsia** – separate color block worked from its own bobbin; twist yarns at each color change on WS to lock

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## Stitch Patterns Used

**Stockinette (sky):** RS knit, WS purl.

**Seed Stitch (clouds, optional cloud puff texture):** Row 1: *k1, p1; rep. Row 2: knit the purls and purl the knits.

**Garter Ridges (tee box & green, for grassy texture):** 4 rows St st, 2 rows garter — repeat as a textured background within those color blocks.

**Border:** 6 rows garter stitch picked up around the entire blanket.

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## Attached Stitch Chart

A separate Golf Scene Stitch Chart is provided as an attached panel with this pattern. **Do not attempt to work the colorwork from the written text alone — the visual grid is essential.**

**Where the chart fits in the pattern:**
- The chart represents the **entire 264-stitch × 444-row body** of the blanket (before border pick-up).
- It is referenced beginning at **Row 1 of the Main Body** (after the lower garter setup) and continues through the final body row before the upper garter setup.
- Each square = 1 stitch × 1 row.

**How to read the chart (flat knitting, intarsia):**
- Read **RS (odd-numbered) rows from RIGHT to LEFT.**
- Read **WS (even-numbered) rows from LEFT to RIGHT.**
- Chart squares are color-coded to match the yarn key (MC sky, CC1 white, CC2 green, CC3 tan, CC4 brown, CC5 red, CC6 black, CC7 white ball).
- Symbols overlaid on the chart indicate **texture**: a dot = purl on RS / knit on WS (used for seed-stitch clouds and garter ridges in grass sections). Blank squares = stockinette in the indicated color.

**Color/yarn management notes:**
- Wind a separate bobbin for **each color block** encountered in a row. The tee end uses ~6 bobbins; the sky middle uses 3–8 bobbins depending on cloud row; the green end uses ~7 bobbins.
- **Always twist the old and new yarn around each other on the WS** at every color change to prevent holes.
- For small isolated elements (the golf ball, the flag, the tee peg tip), you may use **duplicate stitch embroidery** after the fact instead of intarsia — this is recommended for the golf ball and flag to reduce bobbin count.
- Keep cloud (CC1) bobbins short (3–4 yds each) since clouds reappear in stacked rows.

**Stitch-count integration math around the chart:**
- Total body stitches: **264** across every row.
- Chart row 1 corresponds to **Body Row 1** below.
- Border is added AFTER chart completion by pick-up; the chart itself contains **no border stitches**.
- If your row gauge differs, the proportions will still read correctly — the chart locks horizontal placement, but vertical scene height will shift with your row gauge.

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## Construction Notes
- Worked flat, bottom (tee box end) to top (green end), in one piece.
- Color blocks worked in intarsia from the attached chart.
- After body is complete, garter border is picked up and worked around all four edges.

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## Pattern Instructions

### Lower Garter Setup (Tee Box Edge)
With US 8 / 5 mm needle and **CC3 (Sand Tan)**, cast on **264 sts**.

Work 6 rows in garter stitch (knit every row). End with a WS row complete.

*Stitch count check: 264 sts ✓*

### Main Body — Follow Attached Chart (444 rows)

Beginning with a RS row, work **Rows 1–444 of the attached Golf Scene Chart** across all 264 sts.

**Scene breakdown (for orientation only — follow chart for exact placement):**

| Chart Rows | Approx. Inches | Scene Element |
|---|---|---|
| 1–60 | ~8" | Tee box (CC3 tan) with garter ridges; brown tee (CC4) rising at center-right with optional white ball (CC7) on top |
| 61–80 | ~2.5" | Transition: tan grades into sky; final cloud shadow line |
| 81–360 | ~37" | Sky (MC blue) with seed-stitch clouds (CC1 white) scattered in 3–4 cloud clusters |
| 361–384 | ~3" | Distant horizon line; sky meets green |
| 385–444 | ~8" | Putting green (CC2) with garter ridges; flagstick (CC6 black) with red flag (CC5) rising left-of-center; dark hole (CC6) at base of flagstick |

**Texture reminders while working chart:**
- In **tee box and green blocks**, every 5th and 6th row (as marked with dot symbols on chart) are worked as **knit on WS** to create garter ridges within the color block.
- In **clouds**, the cloud-colored stitches marked with dot symbols are worked as **seed stitch** (purl on RS / knit on WS as charted) to create puffy texture.
- All other stitches are plain stockinette in the charted color.

*Stitch count check: 264 sts maintained every row ✓*

### Upper Garter Setup (Green Edge)
After completing chart Row 444 (a WS row), with **CC2 (Grass Green)**, work 6 rows in garter stitch.

**Bind off** all 264 sts loosely knitwise on the RS.

*Total body row count: 6 (lower garter) + 444 (chart) + 6 (upper garter) = 456 rows.*
*Row math check: 456 rows ÷ 30 rows per 4" × 4" = 60.8" — blocks down to 60" ✓*

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## Border

With US 7 / 4.5 mm circular needle and **MC (Sky Blue)**, RS facing, beginning at one corner:

1. **Pick up and knit** along the side edge at a rate of **3 sts for every 4 rows**: 456 rows × 3/4 = **342 sts** along each long side.
2. At corner, place marker, pick up **1 corner stitch**, place marker.
3. Across cast-on/bind-off edges, pick up **1 st for each st**: **264 sts**.
4. Place corner markers at each corner (4 total corners, 4 corner sts).

**Total picked up:** (342 × 2) + (264 × 2) + 4 corners = 684 + 528 + 4 = **1,216 sts**

**Border rounds** (joined in the round):

- **Round 1:** Knit, working (k1, m1, k1) into each corner st (adds 2 sts per corner = +8 sts → 1,224 sts).
- **Round 2:** Purl, working (p1, m1, p1) into each corner st (+8 sts → 1,232 sts).
- **Round 3:** Knit, with corner increases (+8 → 1,240 sts).
- **Round 4:** Purl, with corner increases (+8 → 1,248 sts).
- **Round 5:** Knit, with corner increases (+8 → 1,256 sts).
- **Round 6:** Purl, with corner increases (+8 → 1,264 sts).

**Bind off** loosely knitwise.

*The mitred corner increases keep the border lying flat.*

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## Finishing

1. **Weave in all ends** on the WS, working ends along color-block boundaries for invisibility. Intarsia produces many ends — set aside 1–2 hours.
2. **Optional duplicate-stitch embellishment:**
   - Embroider golf ball dimples on the white ball with light gray.
   - Embroider yardage marker "150" on the flag (optional).
   - Add a few darker green "shadow" stitches under the flagstick base for dimension.
3. **Blocking:** Soak in cool water with wool wash for 20 minutes. Squeeze (do not wring) out water, roll in a towel, then pin out on blocking mats to exactly **48" × 60"**, squaring all corners. Allow to dry completely (24–48 hours).
4. Trim any remaining ends after blocking.

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## Care Instructions
Hand wash cool, lay flat to dry. Do not tumble dry — intarsia joins can distort with agitation.

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## Designer Notes

- **First-time intarsia?** Practice with a 30-st swatch using 3 colors before starting. The skill clicks within an hour.
- **Reduce bobbin count:** Work the flagstick pole, flag, tee, and golf ball as **duplicate stitch** after blocking instead of intarsia. This cuts active bobbins from ~12 to ~6 in busy rows.
- **Yardage buffer:** Estimates include a ~10% safety margin. Buy from the same dye lot.
- **Want to upsize to 5'×6'?** Add 24 sts each side (312 sts total) and 60 rows in the sky section. Adjust chart placement accordingly.

*Note: For more advanced golf-themed motifs (realistic landscape shading, cabled grass texture, lace cloud patterns, or detailed chart-based scenic intarsia with shading), request an advanced difficulty blanket for comprehensive stitch pattern support with detailed charts and instructions.*

Enjoy your round! ⛳