Knitting pattern "Clara & Friends" - cute little double-face blanket

Once, twelve animals answered the Emperor’s call. He invited them to a grand banquet. But who would be permitted to sit closest to the Emperor? To decide this, the Emperor organized a race. The winner would earn the seat beside him. Furthermore, he assigned a year to each animal based on the order in which they arrived. Ever since, each year has been represented by one of these twelve animals: Rat – Ox – Tiger – Rabbit – Dragon – Snake – Horse – Goat/Sheep – Monkey – Rooster – Dog – Pig.

Once, they made history. Now, they accompany your little miracle every step of the way. Get the knitting pattern for this unique double-faced baby blanket, which blends a sense of security with the magic of the twelve Chinese zodiac signs. At the heart of the blanket, the gentle sheep (the zodiac sign for the year 2027) and a shaggy Highland cow come together as a symbol of pure coziness. Thanks to the double-face technique, the blanket is wonderfully thick and reversible, featuring a perfectly color-inverted image on both sides with no loose threads. A profound gift for a newborn and a faithful lucky charm for a lifetime.

• Project: Baby blanket / small cuddly blanket
• Technique: Double-face (two warm outer sides, fully reversible)
• Design: Central motif featuring a sheep (2027) & a Highland cow, framed by the traditional zodiac saga
• Contents: Row-by-row pattern (NO KNITTING CHART!)

Required skills:

• Basic knitting skills (casting on and binding off stitches, knitting knit and purl stitches, edge stitches, knitting in rows)
• Double-face knitting technique
• Reading a knitting chart is not required!
  Note: To achieve a clean, color-separated edge, I use the Italian cast-on and the Italian bind-off methods. The edge stitches are worked as a chain edge. Being proficient in these techniques will help produce a more polished result.
  IMPORTANT: These pattern do NOT include technical guidance. Proficiency in the basic techniques—or a willingness to learn them (for example, by using one of the many well-explained YouTube videos available)—is a prerequisite for completing this project.

What you get:
You will receive a ZIP-compressed folder containing a 32-page instruction manual (A4 format) in both German and English. The manual provides a convenient, row-by-row breakdown of every single knitting row, which makes the knitting process significantly easier, as you do not need to count the individual squares yourself. A graphical knitting chart is NOT included.

Difficulty level:
Easy: assuming mastery of the basic techniques
Demanding: solely due to the significant time investment required! The two-color Italian cast-on, in particular, is highly challenging. Ambitious beginners should definitely practice this technique on a smaller project before attempting it on a large-scale one or, alternatively, choose a different cast-on method that they find easier to manage.

The size specifications may vary depending on the yarn used.
Using a 3 mm circular knitting needle (80 cm), I worked with a yarn that has a gauge of 28 stitches by 39 rows over 10 x 10 cm. With this, the "Clara & Friends" blanket turned out to be approximately 80 cm wide and 96 cm long.

• Yarn. Depending on your knitting tension, the specific yarn you choose, and the needle size you use, the requirements may vary. For a yarn with a yardage of 220 m per 50 g (pure merino wool), I needed approximately 1200 meters per color (a total of 12 balls) for one blanket. There will be some yarn left over at the end.
• Circular knitting needle (e.g. 3mm, at least 80 cm band length)
• Sewing needle
• Darning needle (for casting-off)
• Scissors