8 Cuddly & Delightful Patterns for Chunky Knit Throws

Want to knit yourself a blanket but don’t want to take too much time from your charity knitting? You’ll love these patterns for chunky knit throws!

In this post, you’ll find answers to these questions:

• How can I knit a throw blanket for myself without sacrificing time for charity knitting?
• What should I look for in a blanket pattern for myself?
• Where can I find free, popular chunky throw patterns?
• How much yarn do I need for a chunky blanket?
• How much might I need to spend to knit a chunky blanket?
• How long might I need to make a chunky knit blanket?

Have you ever felt a little like the knitting version of the shoemaker whose kids went without shoes? That is, have you ever felt like you’ve been knitting for everyone but yourself?

I felt this way once, when I battled a flu virus and realized that everyone else in my household had throw blankets they could snuggle up with… but I didn’t.

It seemed ridiculous that the only knitter in the family was going without a blanket of my own. But when I considered making a blanket for myself, I saw a problem…

It’s Hard to Knit for Yourself When You’re Committed to Charity Knitting

The trouble was, I had re-committed myself to charity knitting. In years past, I felt like I hadn’t done enough. Knitting a blanket for myself, in the face of that commitment, seemed so self-indulgent.

Do you ever feel that way? Like knitting yourself a blanket, or a sweater, or any other particularly lengthy project is terribly self-indulgent, if not out-and-out selfish?

That’s not to say I’ve never knitted anything for myself. I’ve knitted hats, countless mittens and fingerless mitts/gloves, scarves, socks, even a couple of shawls. But somehow, knitting a blanket seemed like it would take far too much time away from knitting things for someone else.

The only solution was to find quick knitting patterns for blankets that take as little time as possible.

If you’re ever in the same boat as I was — realizing that you’ve been knitting blankets for basically everyone but yourself, yet not wanting to take too much time away from knitting for others — read on!

Looking for mindless, quick-knit blanket patterns? Take a look at this collection!

My Must-Haves for This Collection of Chunky Knit Blanket Patterns

Essential characteristics for the blanket patterns in this collection:

1) No lace. I cannot knit lace quickly. Maybe some people can, but I’m not one of them. So you won’t find any lace blankets here. Sorry!

2) No fringe. You could leave off the fringe, but every time I try to leave fringe off a project designed to have it, it looks strange to me. I’m not a huge fan of fringed blankets, so I skipped the fringe.

3) An interesting stitch pattern. I can’t handle straight garter or stockinette stitch for a project as large as a blanket. I’m too liable to fall asleep in the attempt.

4) … but not too interesting. I wanted to be able to knit this while watching “Top Chef,” for instance, or when listening to a podcast or an audiobook. I enjoy blanket patterns that are easy to memorize, and that I can knit without constantly staring at my hands.

5) A chunky gauge. Because I sought throws that I could knit quickly, I chose blankets with a chunky gauge. Not necessarily chunky yarn, as you’ll find a few patterns in this collection with multiple strands held together. But a chunky gauge, requiring large needles. Patterns like these tend to be the quickest to knit.

So with these in mind, let’s find some patterns!

Knitting Patterns for Quick-Knit Throws

Quick Knit Blanket: This Red Heart pattern uses nothing but multiple series of knit and purl stitches, stacked in different ways, to create a delicately wavy pattern.

Quick Knit Throw: With nothing but slipped stitches and alternating colors, this beautiful Lion Brand pattern creates almost a honeycomb-like texture.

Arm Knit 3-Hour Blanket: So this pattern violates rule 3, because I believe you’ll use only stockinette stitch. But I think the fact that you’ll arm-knit it outweighs that objection!

Stash Burner: Doesn’t this have a great name? To create this chunky throw, you’ll hold several strands of yarn together .

The Boulevard Blanket: It’s easy to see why this is such a popular throw blanket pattern! The subtle moss stitch pattern creates a fluffy, warm texture. After perusing the projects tab of the Ravelry page, I’m particularly impressed that it looks as good in variegated yarn as it does in a solid color.

Multi-Hued Afghan: This particular pattern is terrific for someone with a ton of different colors of yarn in the stash *cough*. It’s actually designed to use many different colors. Lion Brand has made this pattern available in 2 other sizes; you’ll find links to these in its Ravelry page too. The pattern linked here is the smallest size.

Ziggy Lapghan: This bright, happy pattern is also extremely popular, and again it’s no mystery why. The stripes in this pattern make it an excellent use of leftover yarn. The zig-zag pattern makes it even more colorful and cheerful! Here you’ll see my own version of the pattern. It was so much fun to make!

Eleventh-Hour Blanket: This is the most popular pattern in this collection, and it’s not even close! It uses a deceptively simple knit with seed stitch, super bulky yarn, and an applied I-cord edge in a contrasting color. (If I ever knit this one, I may crochet the edge instead because I don’t really enjoy applied I-cord.)

Frequently Asked Questions about Chunky Knit Blankets

How much yarn do I need for a chunky knit blanket?

This is going to depend upon the weight of yarn you’re using, as well as the pattern you’re knitting. For example, the Eleventh Hour Blanket pattern calls for 8 skeins of Cascade Magnum. Each skein of Cascade Magnum has 122 yards (112 m), which means you’ll need just short of 900 yards of super bulky yarn.

It doesn’t have to be Cascade Magnum, by the way! Take a look at this post to find out more about substituting yarn in a knitting pattern.

Stash Burner, on the other hand, calls for 530 yards of bulky yarn. Lion Brand’s Quick Knit Throw, meanwhile, requires 790 yards of their Homespun yarn (a bulky weight yarn). So you see, a lot will depend on the pattern that you select.

If you’re holding multiple strands of yarn together to create a thicker yarn of multiple colors (or even similar colors, for a fun depth of color), this post can help you ascertain how many strands of the yarn you’re using will help you get the gauge you need.

How much does it cost to make a chunky knit blanket?

The answer will depend on a variety of factors. One, are you using the yarn called for in the pattern? Many patterns are written for a specific yarn company, or in collaboration with a specific yarn company, and so the designer will call for a particular yarn.

Rarely do you have to stick with this yarn, though! You can nearly always substitute a less expensive yarn. Take a look at this post for help with yarn substitution, and this post for places you can buy yarn inexpensively online. (Of course, you can often purchase yarn at a nearby craft store for even more savings.)

And if you use yarn you already have in your stash? Even more savings! You may need to buy only the needles (which can also be purchased inexpensively in the above link, or at a craft store), if that.

How long does it take to make a chunky knit blanket?

Will it surprise you when I say, “it depends”? 😆 It’s really quite impossible to tell how long it will take to create a chunky knit throw. It will depend on factors like the experience of a knitter, the stitch pattern used, the thickness of the yarn, the size of the needles, the knitter’s comfort level with the stitches, and so on.

The quickest-knit blanket will use super-bulky or even jumbo yarn on the largest needles imaginable (or even your arms!). The stitches will be garter or stockinette, so you’ll either knit every row or alternate knitted and purled rows.

However, aside from the Arm Knit 3-Hour Blanket (which will most certainly be the quickest pattern on this page!), this description fits no blanket pattern in this collection. Which means that, if you choose a blanket pattern from this post, it will take considerably more time than three hours.

I would give myself at least a month, if I were to knit one of these patterns on a deadline (for instance, as a birthday or wedding gift). I might even give myself more time, especially if you don’t want to risk throwing everything in your life in the air while you frantically finish knitting!

And if you’re a relatively new knitter, with three years’ or less experience, I would recommend giving yourself at least two months, if not more, depending upon how much knitting time you have available.

If you’re not knitting to a deadline, however, don’t worry about it! Relax. Enjoy. Fire up Netflix or your favorite podcast and just enjoy your knitting. After all, knitting is fun!

I hope you’re now convinced that you don’t have to throw your charity knitting plans out to knit yourself a fun blanket. Why not try one of these chunky knit throw patterns for yourself?