Sekiun Baby Blanket

積雲 (Sekiun)
Cumulus /ˈkyo͞omyələs/ 
1 : heap, accumulation. 
2 : a dense puffy cloud form having a flat base and rounded outlines often piled up like a mountain

I’ll admit it—I slept with my baby blanket until I was seven or eight years old. I still have it at my home, packed safely away in a box, lest it disintegrate and blow away like dandelion seeds in the wind. It is (or was) a soft white with satin edges and kept me warm and safe, or hidden in a makeshift fort. 

Earlier last year, a good friend announced his wife’s pregnancy to the office. I had never made a blanket before, nor anything else that large, but I had a vacation scheduled a week later, it was the perfect time to start something from scratch.

Thus, this blanket pattern was born.

Reminiscent of the blanket I had growing up, the textured edges provide a nice contrast to this ultra soft yarn. It’s so easy to work, you can knit it on a long car ride, or between other projects. Whether for your own baby, or created as a gift to welcome new life into the world, this cloud-soft blanket is made for swaddling.

Sekiun Blanket Pattern

Materials

3 skeins worsted weight yarn (approximately 510 g). Example used in image is Caron Simply Soft Yarn in Soft Pink

Size 8 (5mm) circular needles, 60 inch recommended

Stitch markers (2)

Pattern Details

Gauge: 18 stitches and 24 rows equal 4×4 inches (10 cm)

Finished blanket measures approximately 42×36 inches

K: Knit

P: Purl

Seed Stitch: After your first row, knit stitches should be purled and purl stitches should be knit, creating an alternating pattern of bumps and divots

Instructions

Cast on 188 stitches. 

Work rows 1-10 in seed stitch. K1, P1 to end of row. 

Row11: k1,P1, repeat 5 times (10 stitches total). 

Place marker. Knit 168 (until 10 stitches remain). Place marker. P1K1 to end of row. 

Repeat to row 206 (approximately 33 inches).

Work 10 rows in seed stitch (if the previous row starts with a knit stitch, start your row with a purl; if the previous row starts with a purl stitch, start your row with a knit).

Cast off and weave in ends.

We’d love to see your work. Tag us on Instagram with #sekiunbabyblanket @rakugaki.knitwear.