North of the River Blanket
North of the River Blanket
INSTANT DOWNLOAD PDF KNITTING PATTERN
North of the River chunky cable blanket knitting pattern features big, bold cables and a simple seed stitch border.
Super bulky #6 weight yarn gives classic cables a modern look.
The PDF pattern includes instructions for four blanket sizes including a small lap blanket, cozy throw and very large afghan.
Basic cable knitting experience is recommended.
My hometown of Kansas City is divided by the Missouri River. As a child, when my parents referred to “north of the river” it seemed far away and mysterious. As an adult, I have many fond memories of excursions “north of the river”…picking friends up at the airport, camping with my family or shopping at a unique local store.
“I loved making this blanket for my daughter. She loves the cables, and the coziness of the blanket.”
As of April 2026, this pattern has a rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars on Ravelry for overall results and 4.9 out of 5 stars for clarity of instructions.
DIRECTIONS FOR FOUR BLANKET SIZES:
Approximate sizes after blocking…
Small Blanket(3 cables): 30.5” wide x 42” long
Medium Blanket (4 cables): 38” wide x 49” long
Large Throw (5 cables): 45” wide x 56” long
XL Afghan (6 cables): 52” wide x 63” long
Any of the blanket sizes may be made longer by adding pattern repeats. Each pattern repeat adds about 7” to the length of the blanket. Pattern includes estimates for additional yardage needed to make blankets longer.
SKILL LEVEL: Intermediate
Experience with basic cable knitting is highly recommended. You will also need to know how to cast on stitches, knit and purl confidently, read a row by row knitting pattern, bind off stitches and weave in ends.
For best results…blocking of finished blanket is highly recommended.
SUPER BULKY #6 WEIGHT YARN:
Small: 475 - 500 yards
Medium: 700 - 725 yards
Large: 925 - 975 yards
XL: 1300 - 1400 yards
Be sure to buy additional yarn if you plan to add length to your blanket.
This pattern will work well with many super bulky #6 weight yarns. For best appearance, use a yarn with good stitch definition.
I used Lion Brand Hometown super bulky yarn in the color “Chicago Charcoal” for the dark gray blanket shown in the photos. The pattern will also work well with Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick and Lion Brand Re-Spun Thick & Quick. See more yarn suggestions in my blog post about super bulky yarns.
You may also experiment with knitting two strands of bulky or worsted weight yarn together…remember you will need at least twice as much yardage!
If you prefer to use single strand of worsted or Aran weight yarn...see my Childhood Wishes cable blanket knitting pattern.
GAUGE:
Stockinette stitch with US size 15 needles: approximately 8 stitches & 11 rows = 4”
CIRCULAR NEEDLES:
Knit flat, in one piece, back and forth on US size 15 circular knitting needles.
In order to accommodate the large number of stitches, long circular needles are highly recommended. I use circular knitting needles 38” in length for larger blankets. For small blanket, circular needles in a shorter length could be used.
This pattern is written in ENGLISH using standard U.S. knitting terms.
Written pattern with row by row instructions.
INSTANT DOWNLOAD KNITTING PATTERN:
This item is an instant download knitting pattern. A link to download the digital PDF pattern file will be sent to your email address when payment is received.
Save the PDF knitting pattern file to Google Drive, iCloud or your computer for unlimited future reference.
“Nice pattern! Very easy to follow. Makes a simple but beautiful afghan.”
“I’m knitting this pattern now. Easy to memorize and enjoyable to knit.”
“Second time making this blanket. It’s a super relaxing knit; perfect for knitting while watching TV.”