Make a Chunky Knit Cuddle® Blanket with Jenny!
Jenny Doan- Fabric by Yard
- Modern
- Baby
- Beginner
- Quilt size 40" × 52"
Chunky, hand knit blankets are all the rage. They’re usually made with Merino wool yarn that is so thick and fluffy, it almost looks like puffy strands of cloud! They are beautiful and cozy, but not washable. So this week, we’re making our own version out of Cuddle® fabric! Cuddle is so easy to care for. You can toss it in the washing machine, and it comes out as good as new! This blanket is made out of 4-inch strips of cuddle, so it’s a great use for any scraps you may have lying about.
Instructor
Jenny Doan
Jenny Doan is an American quilter, author, and YouTube personality. Jenny started Missouri Star Quilt Company in 2008 and today it is the largest quilting supply vendor in the United States.
Shop this tutorial
Common Questions
What is covered in Make a Chunky Knit Cuddle® Blanket with Jenny!?
Chunky, hand knit blankets are all the rage. They’re usually made with Merino wool yarn that is so thick and fluffy, it almost looks like puffy strands of cloud! They are beautiful and cozy, but not washable. So this week, we’re making our own version out of Cuddle® fabric! Cu...
How long is the tutorial video?
The tutorial video is 00:10:49.
Are supplies listed for this tutorial?
Yes. The tutorial page includes the supplies and materials connected to this project.
Is a transcript available?
Yes. A written transcript is available on the tutorial page.
Video Transcript
Jenny: Hi everybody, it’s Jenny from the MSQC. And I am here today with my daughter Natalie. And we have a really fun project for you today. I don’t know if you’ve seen these big Merino wool blankets. What are they called?
Natalie: Big Knit.
Jenny: Big Knit, Big Knit blankets? And they are so cool looking. But super, super spendy.
Natalie: Well they’re expensive and they’re also hard to care for.
Jenny: Oh ya you can’t wash, you can’t really wash them and stuff like that. So Natalie had this brilliant idea, what if we do it with cuddle.
Natalie: Ah huh.
Jenny: And so this is what they look like. Look at this. Look how cool this is. Don’t you just want to wrap up in this?
Natalie: This is the back.
Jenny: I mean this is amazing. Ok, there’s the back. There’s the front. I can’t tell the difference but she can. Isn’t that beautiful? So we’re going to show you how to do this.
Jenny: So to make this project what you’re going to need is eight yards of cuddle. And that’s a lot of cuddle. And you’re going to cut it into four inch strips like this.
Natalie: Yep.
Jenny: And then you’re just going to sew them together end to end. And I have two here just to show you.
Natalie: The great thing about cuddle is that it doesn’t fray. So you don’t have to worry. I mean it will shed the day that you do this project but after it’s been washed you won’t have to deal with that anymore.
Jenny: Now what can you do about that shedding, honestly? Use a shop vac?
Natalie: Or you could throw it all in the dryer
Jenny: Throw it in the dryer, throw it in the dryer. And then you won’t get so covered. And you’re just going to sew them together, just straight across your seam, just like that.
Natalie: The other thing I think would be cool is if you just used your scraps. So everytime you do a cuddle project, you know we always end up with like a quarter yard leftover or something like that.
Jenny: That’s true
Natalie: Like that, you can just keep collecting these four inch strips and sew them together and create a big yarn ball.
Jenny: And we actually have one we’ll show you at the end that is made with pieces.
Natalie: In different colors.
Jenny: In different colors. So do we want to sew this onto there? So look how cool this is?
Natalie: Sure.
Jenny: She’s got this all wrapped up just like this giant yarn ball. I just think that’s so fun. So probably the only other thing you’re going to need when you make this blanket besides your eight yards of cuddle is going to be one of these. This is going to be your friend. We just keep getting covered with this. You’re going to need a lint roller.
Natalie: Yes, it’s ok though.
Jenny: Now we’re going to use the whole table for this so I’m going to move my sewing machine off here. Once you’re done sewing your strips together that’s all the sewing you’ll need to do.
Natalie: Alright so you start with a slip knot.
Jenny: Alright let’s show that slower up there because a slip knot, a slip knot is where you, the knot you can pull it right out. If you can’t pull it right out. Let me move this ball. If you can’t pull it right through you know you don’t have a slip knot. So show them again how you do that.
Natalie: So there’s your first loop.
Jenny: There’s your first loop. So basically we’re going to be knitting this cuddle fabric. And we’re going to put 15 stitches in this first, first row.
Natalie: Chain stitch 15.
Jenny: So that just means you’re going to grab that cuddle and pull it through the loop like this so that’s a chain stitch. See so let me count for you. We have one, two, three, four, are you counting, five, six, seven, eight, nine. And if you want it bigger of course you make it bigger. This just makes a nice little, a little lap quilt. And they’re heavy. They keep you really warm. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen perfect.
Natalie: Alright. Then you have a loop that starts your next row. And you just keep your yarn kind of going the direction you want.
Jenny: You know you want to roll off. Once, we put our in a ball because we thought it looked so cute and it actually keeps it organized good. But once you, once you get ready to make a row, pull, pull a good amount off. Alright let’s look at what she’s doing here.
Natalie: Ok so you want to make sure that you don’t go into the same loop that you just did. So you go one over and then just start pulling up the next set of loops for the next row.
Jenny: So you’re just actually, and you leave the loop sticking right up?
Natalie: Yep.
Jenny: Ok.
Natalie: So you just keep looping it through.
Jenny: So when we talk about pulling it through the loop, this is, this is the loop we mean. I’m showing this because I always get a little. So this piece that comes over the top like this, right here, this is the loop. So then you would just reach through and pull that through, correct?
Natalie: Ah huh. That’s right.
Jenny: And then, and then make sure you don’t pull it out of the next one.
Natalie: Right and just leave them all, make sure they’re all about the same size.
Jenny: Ok.
Natalie: But you know, keep it loose. And go back if you want to and count and make sure you still have 15 so that you can keep your rows all the same.
Jenny: You don’t to slip a stitch.
Natalie: Make sure, ya, you haven’t dropped a stitch or added one.
Jenny: Alright now we’re here at the end. Ya I think the first row is always the hardest on any project like this.
Natalie: It is. It is. So you want to make one new loop to start your next row. And then you just keep going.
Jenny: You just keep pulling them through those loops.
Natalie: Yep.
Jenny: It’s very, actually, it’s very kind of relaxing to do this isn’t it?
Natalie: Ya.
Jenny: I know Natalie did it and then, I mean she did like two or three in a day. It was actually pretty fast and pretty relaxing.
Natalie: Yep it does go fast once you get the hang of it.
Jenny: Alright so now we’re at the end. And then you go back through that loop.
Natalie: Pull off more yarn
Jenny: And pull off more yarn. Isn’t that the funnest yarn ball you’ve ever seen? Funnest, that wasn’t good English. The most fun. My mother would have gone, Jenny, not good English.
Natalie: My mother too.
Jenny: Ya your mother too. I’m like, really? Alright so we’re just going along.
Natalie: Keep that straight.
Jenny: I should be helping you a little more, shouldn’t I?
Natalie: That’s fine.
Jenny: See how the knit is starting to take place.
Natalie: Five, six
Jenny: Seven, eight, nine.
Jenny: So we’re back in to show you the very last row.
Natalie: Yep.
Jenny: Natalie has been working hard over here, pulling, pulling cuddle through loops. You want to keep your cuddle always, or your yarn always going the same direction that you’re knitting, correct?
Natalie: Yes.
Jenny: And now we’re going to show you the finishing row. And to do that let’s move that over here right so we can get it in the overhead camera. So basically you’re going to pick up two loops.
Natalie: So you put your hand through the active loop and you pick up the other loop and you pull the yarn through both loops.
Jenny: Oh ok
Natalie: Then you keep your hand on this active loop and pick up the next one and pull the loop the yarn through to make a new loop.
Jenny: Ok.
Natalie: Does that make sense? So
Jenny: So we’re picking up two, pulling the yarn through. It’s like a little rhyme right there.
Natalie: Yep.
Jenny: Picking up two, pull the yarn through. You know I make those little mantras for myself all the time. I kind of drive my children crazy, just a little crazy.
Natalie: Not me.
Jenny: Not you? There are other children we shall not name who I drive crazy. They shall remain nameless. Alright so you pick up two, pull that yarn through. It still sounds musical when I say it. And then we’re here to the last loop
Natalie: And basically you just pull it all the way through and make a knot
Jenny: And make a knot.
Natalie: And then you’re going to take this piece and just weave it back in. And what you can do with it is either leave it tucked in or you can use a needle and thread and just tack it down so it doesn’t come out.
Jenny: I don’t think we tacked any of ours though.
Natalie: We didn’t.
Jenny: We just wove it through the, just take it through the stitch and wrap it it around.
Natalie: Ya because it hides.
Jenny: And you can shorten it but you don’t want it too short because you really want that end to be able to catch in.
Natalie: Right you just sort of tuck it inside. And the cuddle just kind of slides in itself.
Jenny: Alright let’s show how big this came out.
Natalie: Oh I’ve got to tuck or weave this one in too.
Jenny: So how cool is this? Now you know a while ago we made a weighted blankets
Natalie: I think this would be a great alternative
Jenny: A great alternative for a weighted blanket. I mean
Natalie: It’s very heavy
Jenny: It’s, it’s really comfy to lay under this. Alright let’s them the one where we used all of the scraps, ok?
Natalie: Ok.
Jenny: So we have this one here. And it’s a bit bigger. We used the scraps.
Natalie: We have three colors, the white. We also used different textures. I don’t know if you, if the camera will pick that up. But this one here is really fuzzy and this is just the regular cuddle
Jenny: Oh ya, this is the fluffy.
Natalie: Right.
Jenny: Also the fluffier your cuddle the more forgiving it is, right?
Natalie: Ya it’s not going to show if your seams show a little bit or, the fluffy stuff hides it really well, so this is fun because we have
Jenny: So this is scraps. We really don’t have any idea of the yardage do we?
Natalie: It’s about 16 yards, maybe a little bit more than that.
Jenny: 16 yards, so about double
Natalie: Maybe 20 yards.
Jenny: And oh my gosh, they’re just so luxurious and comfy
Natalie: Comfy. I had it at home and one of my daughters didn’t want to let it go
Jenny: There we go.
Natalie: We showed the white one already, right?
Jenny: We showed the white one. We’ve got this one. We’ve got the pink one.
Natalie: This is the back by the way. That’s how the back looks.
Jenny: Alright let’s keep it to the front. It’s how the loop goes I guess.
Natalie: It’s still snuggly
Jenny: It’s still snuggly either way.
Natalie: Yep.
Jenny: So we hope you enjoyed this tutorial on our Big Knit, is that what we’re calling this?
Natalie: How about Chunky Knit.
Jenny: Chunky Knit. The Chunky Knit blanket.
Natalie: Cuddle blanket.
Jenny: The Chunky Knit Cuddle blanket from the MSQC.
Natalie: Big Knit.
Jenny: Big Knit, Big Knit blankets? And they are so cool looking. But super, super spendy.
Natalie: Well they’re expensive and they’re also hard to care for.
Jenny: Oh ya you can’t wash, you can’t really wash them and stuff like that. So Natalie had this brilliant idea, what if we do it with cuddle.
Natalie: Ah huh.
Jenny: And so this is what they look like. Look at this. Look how cool this is. Don’t you just want to wrap up in this?
Natalie: This is the back.
Jenny: I mean this is amazing. Ok, there’s the back. There’s the front. I can’t tell the difference but she can. Isn’t that beautiful? So we’re going to show you how to do this.
Jenny: So to make this project what you’re going to need is eight yards of cuddle. And that’s a lot of cuddle. And you’re going to cut it into four inch strips like this.
Natalie: Yep.
Jenny: And then you’re just going to sew them together end to end. And I have two here just to show you.
Natalie: The great thing about cuddle is that it doesn’t fray. So you don’t have to worry. I mean it will shed the day that you do this project but after it’s been washed you won’t have to deal with that anymore.
Jenny: Now what can you do about that shedding, honestly? Use a shop vac?
Natalie: Or you could throw it all in the dryer
Jenny: Throw it in the dryer, throw it in the dryer. And then you won’t get so covered. And you’re just going to sew them together, just straight across your seam, just like that.
Natalie: The other thing I think would be cool is if you just used your scraps. So everytime you do a cuddle project, you know we always end up with like a quarter yard leftover or something like that.
Jenny: That’s true
Natalie: Like that, you can just keep collecting these four inch strips and sew them together and create a big yarn ball.
Jenny: And we actually have one we’ll show you at the end that is made with pieces.
Natalie: In different colors.
Jenny: In different colors. So do we want to sew this onto there? So look how cool this is?
Natalie: Sure.
Jenny: She’s got this all wrapped up just like this giant yarn ball. I just think that’s so fun. So probably the only other thing you’re going to need when you make this blanket besides your eight yards of cuddle is going to be one of these. This is going to be your friend. We just keep getting covered with this. You’re going to need a lint roller.
Natalie: Yes, it’s ok though.
Jenny: Now we’re going to use the whole table for this so I’m going to move my sewing machine off here. Once you’re done sewing your strips together that’s all the sewing you’ll need to do.
Natalie: Alright so you start with a slip knot.
Jenny: Alright let’s show that slower up there because a slip knot, a slip knot is where you, the knot you can pull it right out. If you can’t pull it right out. Let me move this ball. If you can’t pull it right through you know you don’t have a slip knot. So show them again how you do that.
Natalie: So there’s your first loop.
Jenny: There’s your first loop. So basically we’re going to be knitting this cuddle fabric. And we’re going to put 15 stitches in this first, first row.
Natalie: Chain stitch 15.
Jenny: So that just means you’re going to grab that cuddle and pull it through the loop like this so that’s a chain stitch. See so let me count for you. We have one, two, three, four, are you counting, five, six, seven, eight, nine. And if you want it bigger of course you make it bigger. This just makes a nice little, a little lap quilt. And they’re heavy. They keep you really warm. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen perfect.
Natalie: Alright. Then you have a loop that starts your next row. And you just keep your yarn kind of going the direction you want.
Jenny: You know you want to roll off. Once, we put our in a ball because we thought it looked so cute and it actually keeps it organized good. But once you, once you get ready to make a row, pull, pull a good amount off. Alright let’s look at what she’s doing here.
Natalie: Ok so you want to make sure that you don’t go into the same loop that you just did. So you go one over and then just start pulling up the next set of loops for the next row.
Jenny: So you’re just actually, and you leave the loop sticking right up?
Natalie: Yep.
Jenny: Ok.
Natalie: So you just keep looping it through.
Jenny: So when we talk about pulling it through the loop, this is, this is the loop we mean. I’m showing this because I always get a little. So this piece that comes over the top like this, right here, this is the loop. So then you would just reach through and pull that through, correct?
Natalie: Ah huh. That’s right.
Jenny: And then, and then make sure you don’t pull it out of the next one.
Natalie: Right and just leave them all, make sure they’re all about the same size.
Jenny: Ok.
Natalie: But you know, keep it loose. And go back if you want to and count and make sure you still have 15 so that you can keep your rows all the same.
Jenny: You don’t to slip a stitch.
Natalie: Make sure, ya, you haven’t dropped a stitch or added one.
Jenny: Alright now we’re here at the end. Ya I think the first row is always the hardest on any project like this.
Natalie: It is. It is. So you want to make one new loop to start your next row. And then you just keep going.
Jenny: You just keep pulling them through those loops.
Natalie: Yep.
Jenny: It’s very, actually, it’s very kind of relaxing to do this isn’t it?
Natalie: Ya.
Jenny: I know Natalie did it and then, I mean she did like two or three in a day. It was actually pretty fast and pretty relaxing.
Natalie: Yep it does go fast once you get the hang of it.
Jenny: Alright so now we’re at the end. And then you go back through that loop.
Natalie: Pull off more yarn
Jenny: And pull off more yarn. Isn’t that the funnest yarn ball you’ve ever seen? Funnest, that wasn’t good English. The most fun. My mother would have gone, Jenny, not good English.
Natalie: My mother too.
Jenny: Ya your mother too. I’m like, really? Alright so we’re just going along.
Natalie: Keep that straight.
Jenny: I should be helping you a little more, shouldn’t I?
Natalie: That’s fine.
Jenny: See how the knit is starting to take place.
Natalie: Five, six
Jenny: Seven, eight, nine.
Jenny: So we’re back in to show you the very last row.
Natalie: Yep.
Jenny: Natalie has been working hard over here, pulling, pulling cuddle through loops. You want to keep your cuddle always, or your yarn always going the same direction that you’re knitting, correct?
Natalie: Yes.
Jenny: And now we’re going to show you the finishing row. And to do that let’s move that over here right so we can get it in the overhead camera. So basically you’re going to pick up two loops.
Natalie: So you put your hand through the active loop and you pick up the other loop and you pull the yarn through both loops.
Jenny: Oh ok
Natalie: Then you keep your hand on this active loop and pick up the next one and pull the loop the yarn through to make a new loop.
Jenny: Ok.
Natalie: Does that make sense? So
Jenny: So we’re picking up two, pulling the yarn through. It’s like a little rhyme right there.
Natalie: Yep.
Jenny: Picking up two, pull the yarn through. You know I make those little mantras for myself all the time. I kind of drive my children crazy, just a little crazy.
Natalie: Not me.
Jenny: Not you? There are other children we shall not name who I drive crazy. They shall remain nameless. Alright so you pick up two, pull that yarn through. It still sounds musical when I say it. And then we’re here to the last loop
Natalie: And basically you just pull it all the way through and make a knot
Jenny: And make a knot.
Natalie: And then you’re going to take this piece and just weave it back in. And what you can do with it is either leave it tucked in or you can use a needle and thread and just tack it down so it doesn’t come out.
Jenny: I don’t think we tacked any of ours though.
Natalie: We didn’t.
Jenny: We just wove it through the, just take it through the stitch and wrap it it around.
Natalie: Ya because it hides.
Jenny: And you can shorten it but you don’t want it too short because you really want that end to be able to catch in.
Natalie: Right you just sort of tuck it inside. And the cuddle just kind of slides in itself.
Jenny: Alright let’s show how big this came out.
Natalie: Oh I’ve got to tuck or weave this one in too.
Jenny: So how cool is this? Now you know a while ago we made a weighted blankets
Natalie: I think this would be a great alternative
Jenny: A great alternative for a weighted blanket. I mean
Natalie: It’s very heavy
Jenny: It’s, it’s really comfy to lay under this. Alright let’s them the one where we used all of the scraps, ok?
Natalie: Ok.
Jenny: So we have this one here. And it’s a bit bigger. We used the scraps.
Natalie: We have three colors, the white. We also used different textures. I don’t know if you, if the camera will pick that up. But this one here is really fuzzy and this is just the regular cuddle
Jenny: Oh ya, this is the fluffy.
Natalie: Right.
Jenny: Also the fluffier your cuddle the more forgiving it is, right?
Natalie: Ya it’s not going to show if your seams show a little bit or, the fluffy stuff hides it really well, so this is fun because we have
Jenny: So this is scraps. We really don’t have any idea of the yardage do we?
Natalie: It’s about 16 yards, maybe a little bit more than that.
Jenny: 16 yards, so about double
Natalie: Maybe 20 yards.
Jenny: And oh my gosh, they’re just so luxurious and comfy
Natalie: Comfy. I had it at home and one of my daughters didn’t want to let it go
Jenny: There we go.
Natalie: We showed the white one already, right?
Jenny: We showed the white one. We’ve got this one. We’ve got the pink one.
Natalie: This is the back by the way. That’s how the back looks.
Jenny: Alright let’s keep it to the front. It’s how the loop goes I guess.
Natalie: It’s still snuggly
Jenny: It’s still snuggly either way.
Natalie: Yep.
Jenny: So we hope you enjoyed this tutorial on our Big Knit, is that what we’re calling this?
Natalie: How about Chunky Knit.
Jenny: Chunky Knit. The Chunky Knit blanket.
Natalie: Cuddle blanket.
Jenny: The Chunky Knit Cuddle blanket from the MSQC.
