Y-Frame Textured Throw

Two-Color Intarsia Blanket, Intermediate Level

Finished Size

50" wide × 59.5" long (127 × 151 cm), after blocking.

Materials

• Yarn: Bernat Blanket Big Ball (100% polyester; 10.5 oz / 300 g; 220 yd / 201 m per ball), super bulky #6.
  • MC (Main Color): 4 balls (about 700 yd used, plus a safety margin).
  • CC (Contrast Color): 2 balls (about 280 yd used, with extra for intarsia tails).
• Yarn weight note: Bernat Blanket is a super bulky (#6) yarn, not worsted. This pattern is written for the yarn you specified. Do not substitute a worsted-weight yarn without recalculating every number.
• Needles: US 11 (8 mm) circular needle, 32" (80 cm) or longer, used flat.
• Notions:
  • 9 bobbins, or yarn butterflies
  • Stitch markers (4)
  • Large-eye tapestry needle

Gauge

8 sts × 11 rows = 4" (10 cm) in stockinette, after blocking. Seed stitch works up at nearly the same gauge in this yarn. Check your gauge carefully, because a small gauge error multiplies across 100 sts.

Abbreviations

Stitch Patterns

• Seed st (even number of sts):
  • Row 1: *K1, p1; repeat from * to end.
  • Row 2: *P1, k1; repeat from * to end.
  • On any partial section, "seed st as established" means you knit the purl sts and purl the knit sts as they face you.
• Stockinette (St st): Knit RS rows, purl WS rows.

Design Layout (Schematic)

+--------------------------------------------+
| MC seed border (6 sts / 8 rows)            |
|  +--------------------------------------+  |
|  | CC seed frame (6 sts / 8 rows)       |  |
|  |  +--------------------------------+  |  |
|  |  |  MC St st field  76 sts x 132 r|  |  |
|  |  |      \\        //              |  |  |
|  |  |       \\      //   CC "Y"      |  |  |
|  |  |        \\    //   60 sts wide  |  |  |
|  |  |         ||||||    100 rows     |  |  |
|  |  |         ||||||                 |  |  |
|  |  +--------------------------------+  |  |
|  +--------------------------------------+  |
+--------------------------------------------+

Color Management

• Technique: Work the color sections in intarsia. Do not strand yarn behind the work; floats in chenille snag and pucker.
• Changing colors: At every change, drop the old color. Bring the new color up from under the old one so the two strands twist, then continue.
• Bobbins needed in the field section:
  • Stem rows: 7 bobbins (MC border, CC frame, MC field, CC Y, MC field, CC frame, MC border).
  • Separated-arm rows: 9 bobbins. Add 1 CC bobbin for the second arm and 1 MC bobbin for the center gap.
• Fasten off: Use the ball for the MC field on the left and keep the other bobbins short (2–3 yd each) to reduce tangling. Weave ends into same-color areas. Chenille ends can "worm" out of the fabric, so weave each end in 3 directions and leave 1" tails.

Reading the Charts

• Charts are read from the bottom up.
• RS (odd) rows are read right to left; WS (even) rows are read left to right.
• Field columns are numbered 1–76, starting from the right edge of the field as you look at the RS.

Chart key: □ = MC (St st) ■ = CC (St st)

Chart A: Y Stem (76 sts × 2-row repeat; worked on field rows 17–64)

Row 2 (WS): □×33 ■×10 □×33  ← purl
Row 1 (RS): □×33 ■×10 □×33  ← knit
           [col 1–33][34–43][44–76]

Repeat these 2 rows 24 times (48 rows).

Chart B: Y Arms (field rows 65–116)

Use the step value k = 0 to 25. Each value of k covers 2 rows: field rows (65 + 2k) and (66 + 2k).

• Left arm (CC): columns (34 − k) to (43 − k).
• Right arm (CC): columns (34 + k) to (43 + k).
• All other columns are MC.

Formula check: (33 − k) + 10 + (2k − 10) + 10 + (33 − k) = 76 ✓

Rows 115–116: Repeat the k = 25 layout. This flattens the arm tips. Total arm rows: 26 × 2 = 52 rows ✓.

Compressed visual of Chart B (each square = 4 sts × 4 rows; key as above):

116 □□■■■□□□□□□□□□■■■□□
 96 □□□□■■■□□□□□■■■□□□□
 80 □□□□□□■■■□■■■□□□□□□
 66 □□□□□□□□■■■■□□□□□□□
    (stem continues below)

Instructions

Bottom Border

With MC, cast on 100 sts, using a long-tail cast-on.

Rows 1–8: Work in seed st across all 100 sts.

• Row 1 (RS): *K1, p1; repeat from * to end.
• Row 2 (WS): *P1, k1; repeat from * to end.
• Repeat Rows 1 and 2 three more times. (8 rows; about 3")

CC Frame (Bottom)

Rows 9–16:

• RS rows: MC seed st 6, pm; join CC, seed st 88, pm; join a new MC bobbin, seed st 6.
• WS rows: Work the same sections in reverse order, keeping seed st as established and twisting yarns at each change.
• Stitch count: 6 + 88 + 6 = 100 ✓

Center Field (132 rows)

Row setup:

• MC border: seed st 6.
• CC frame: seed st 6, pm.
• Field: St st 76 sts, following the field-row plan below.
• Then pm, CC frame seed st 6, MC border seed st 6.
• Stitch count: 6 + 6 + 76 + 6 + 6 = 100 ✓

Work the field rows as follows:

1. Field rows 1–16: All MC.
2. Field rows 17–64: Chart A (the Y stem).
3. Field rows 65–116: Chart B (the Y arms).
4. Field rows 117–132: All MC. Cut the CC Y bobbins.

The border and frame sections stay in seed st throughout.

CC Frame (Top)

Work as for the bottom CC frame for 8 rows. Cut the CC.

Top Border

With MC, work 8 rows of seed st across all 100 sts. Bind off loosely in pattern.

Total rows: 8 + 8 + 132 + 8 + 8 = 164 ✓ (about 59.6")

Finishing

1. Weave in all ends, tightening any loose stitches at color joins as you go.
2. Blocking: Polyester chenille must not be steam-blocked or ironed, because heat flattens the pile permanently. Lay the blanket flat, gently pat it to 50" × 59.5", and mist it lightly with water. Let it dry fully.
3. Check that the Y arms are symmetrical, then ease any puckered intarsia joins flat with your fingers.

Tips for Success

• Re-sort your bobbins after every WS row to prevent twisting.
• Place a removable marker at field columns 34 and 43 to track the stem edges.
• Keep a tally of rows. A row counter on Chart B is essential.