purlJam

# Thank You, Mother Dragon Blanket

A cozy worsted-weight throw celebrating the mother dragon in your life. Worked flat in one piece with a simple seed stitch border framing a stockinette field, the dragon and lettering are added using **duplicate stitch** after the knitting is complete — a beginner-friendly way to create complex colorwork without managing multiple yarns while knitting.

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## MATERIALS

**Yarn:** Worsted weight (medium / #4)
- **Main Color (MC):** ~1,400 yards in a soft neutral (cream, oatmeal, or pale gray)
- **Contrast Color 1 (CC1):** ~150 yards in dragon body color (emerald green, deep red, or charcoal)
- **Contrast Color 2 (CC2):** ~50 yards for dragon details (gold, copper, or bronze) — wings, claws, eye accents
- **Contrast Color 3 (CC3):** ~75 yards for lettering (black, navy, or a bold accent)

**Needles:** US 8 (5.0 mm) — 32" or 40" circular needle (worked flat to accommodate wide stitch count)

**Notions:**
- Tapestry needle (large eye, blunt tip) for duplicate stitch and weaving in ends
- Stitch markers (optional, for marking chart placement)
- Scissors
- Removable stitch markers or waste yarn (to mark chart center)

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## GAUGE

**18 sts × 24 rows = 4" (10 cm)** in stockinette stitch, after light blocking.

*Take time to check gauge — a small variation multiplies across a blanket.*

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## FINISHED SIZE

Approximately **48" wide × 60" long** (122 cm × 152 cm) after blocking.

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## ABBREVIATIONS

- **k** — knit
- **p** — purl
- **st(s)** — stitch(es)
- **RS** — right side
- **WS** — wrong side
- **MC** — main color
- **CC1 / CC2 / CC3** — contrast colors
- **rep** — repeat
- **seed st** — seed stitch (k1, p1 across; on next row, knit purls and purl knits)
- **St st** — stockinette stitch (knit RS rows, purl WS rows)
- **dup st** — duplicate stitch (embroidery technique mimicking a knit stitch)

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## NOTES

1. The blanket is knit in one piece, bottom-up, in stockinette with a seed stitch border on all four sides.
2. The dragon motif and "Thank you mother dragon!" lettering are added **after knitting** using duplicate stitch. This is much easier for beginners than intarsia or stranded knitting.
3. Slip the first stitch of every row purlwise with yarn in front for a tidy edge (optional but recommended).
4. The seed stitch border requires an **odd** total stitch count so the pattern mirrors symmetrically.

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## ATTACHED STITCH CHART

The visual chart for the dragon motif and lettering is provided as a **separate attached chart panel**. Do not look for a grid in this pattern text — refer to the attached chart for the full visual.

**Where the chart is placed:**
The chart is centered horizontally on the blanket and positioned in the lower-to-middle vertical zone, with the lettering "Thank you mother dragon!" arching above or below the dragon (see attached chart for exact placement). The chart occupies approximately **80 stitches wide × 100 rows tall** within the central stockinette field.

**How to read the chart:**
- Each square on the chart = **1 knit stitch (1 st × 1 row)**.
- Read the chart from **bottom to top** (matching how your knitting grows).
- Read **right to left on RS rows** and **left to right on WS rows** — but because you are using duplicate stitch *after* knitting, you can simply orient the chart with the blanket RS facing you and stitch each square as you encounter it.
- The chart key (attached) identifies which color (CC1, CC2, CC3) goes in each cell. Blank cells = MC (no embroidery needed; the knit fabric shows through).

**Color/yarn management:**
- Work duplicate stitch one color at a time. Complete all CC1 stitches first, then CC2, then CC3.
- Cut yarn between non-adjacent areas of the same color to avoid long strands on the back.
- Leave 6" tails to weave in securely.
- Keep tension relaxed — duplicate stitches should sit on top of the knit stitch without distorting it.

**Stitch-count integration:**
- Total blanket width: 217 sts
- Seed st border: 8 sts each side → 16 border sts
- Stockinette field: 217 − 16 = **201 sts**
- Chart width: 80 sts → centered with **(201 − 80) ÷ 2 = 60.5** → place chart with **60 sts** of plain MC stockinette to one side of the chart and **61 sts** to the other (or vice versa); the half-stitch offset is invisible in the finished blanket.
- Mark chart placement with removable markers or waste yarn loops once knitting is complete.

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## CHARTS

See the **attached stitch chart** (Chart A: Dragon & Lettering Motif). All visual chart information is provided in the attached panel. No inline grid is included here.

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## PATTERN

### Cast On
With MC and US 8 (5.0 mm) needle, cast on **217 sts** using the long-tail cast-on (or your preferred stretchy method).

*Math check: 217 sts ÷ 18 sts per 4" × 4 = 48.2" wide ✓*

### Bottom Border (Seed Stitch)
**Rows 1–10:** *K1, p1; rep from * to last st, k1.

After 10 rows of seed stitch, the bottom border measures approximately 1.5".

### Main Body (Stockinette with Seed Stitch Side Borders)

Set-up — establish side borders:

**Row 11 (RS):** (K1, p1) 4 times, k1 *(9 sts of seed st — wait, recount)*. 

**Corrected setup — use 8 seed sts each side:**

**Row 11 (RS):** [K1, p1] 4 times *(8 seed sts)*, knit to last 8 sts, [p1, k1] 4 times *(8 seed sts)*.
**Row 12 (WS):** [K1, p1] 4 times, purl to last 8 sts, [p1, k1] 4 times.

**Repeat Rows 11 and 12** until the piece measures approximately **58.5"** from cast-on edge, ending after a WS row. This is approximately **340 rows of stockinette body** (Rows 11–350).

*Math check: 340 rows ÷ 24 rows per 4" × 4 = 56.7" of body + 1.5" bottom border + 1.5" top border = 59.7" ≈ 60" ✓*

### Top Border (Seed Stitch)
**Rows 351–360 (10 rows):** *K1, p1; rep from * to last st, k1.

### Bind Off
With RS facing, bind off all 217 sts loosely in seed stitch pattern (knit the knits, purl the purls as you bind off). A loose bind-off prevents the top edge from drawing in.

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## BORDER

The seed stitch border is **integrated** into the main pattern (8 sts each side, 10 rows top and bottom). No additional pick-up border is required. The seed stitch frames the blanket on all four sides and prevents the stockinette center from curling.

If you would like a deeper border, after binding off you may pick up stitches along each side edge (approximately 3 sts for every 4 rows) and work an additional 1–2" of seed stitch, mitering the corners. This is optional.

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## FINISHING

### 1. Block the Blanket
Before adding the duplicate stitch motif, **wet-block** the blanket:
- Soak in cool water with a wool wash for 20 minutes.
- Gently squeeze out excess water (do not wring); roll in a towel.
- Lay flat on blocking mats or a clean dry towel. Pin to **48" × 60"**, square the corners, and allow to dry completely.

Blocking opens up the stitches, evens out tension, and makes duplicate stitching much easier and more accurate.

### 2. Add the Duplicate Stitch Motif
Refer to the **attached stitch chart**.

- Locate the center of the stockinette field and mark the chart's bottom-right corner with a removable marker.
- Thread tapestry needle with CC1; work all CC1 stitches first, following the chart.
- Switch to CC2 and complete all CC2 stitches.
- Switch to CC3 and complete the lettering "Thank you mother dragon!"

**Duplicate stitch how-to:** Bring needle up from back through the base of a knit V, pass under the two legs of the V above, then back down through the same base hole. The yarn now mimics the knit stitch beneath it.

### 3. Weave in Ends
Weave all yarn tails into the back of the work, traveling along stitches of the same color where possible. Trim excess.

### 4. Final Steam (Optional)
Lightly steam the duplicate-stitched area from the WS to settle the embroidery flat. Do not press.

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## FINAL MATH VERIFICATION

| Element | Stitches/Rows | Inches |
|---|---|---|
| Cast on | 217 sts | 48.2" ✓ |
| Bottom border | 10 rows | 1.5" |
| Body | 340 rows | 56.7" |
| Top border | 10 rows | 1.5" |
| **Total length** | **360 rows** | **59.7" ≈ 60"** ✓ |
| Seed border each side | 8 sts | 1.8" |
| Stockinette field | 201 sts | 44.7" |
| Chart area | 80 sts × 100 rows | ~17.8" × 16.7" |

Enjoy your blanket — and give the mother dragon in your life a warm dragon-sized hug. 🐉