Finger Knitting Guide: Fun & Easy Crafting with Loop Yarn + DIY Throw Blanket

Surround yourself with warmth and coziness with a fun and rewarding craft project! Learn how to use loop yarn to easily knit with just your fingers, no needles or hooks required. You’ll find helpful tips to create a soft and fluffy throw blanket in just one weekend.

Happy Monday!

Are you seeing some signs of spring in your neck of the woods?

We’re on a warming trend with temps reaching the upper 70s by mid-week!

If you still have some winter in your forecast, I have a

 fun and easy DIY project to keep you warm and cozy while crafting!

I discovered loop yarn designed for finger knitting a few years ago. It’s a fun way to surround yourself with warmth and coziness, especially in the winter months and rewarding too!  You can complete a soft, throw blanket in about 10 – 12 hours, so over a weekend if you’re stuck indoors. I have made several loop yarn blankets over the years for family and friends and to snuggle up with a dog or two on my lap.

{ DIY Basket Weave Pattern Loop Yarn Blanket }

 I’m not a knitter or crocheter, so I was excited to discover Bernat Alize Blanket EZ yarn, as the yarn loops are designed for finger knitting! There are several brands of loop yarn on the market. Bernat Alize Blanket EZ yarn is the brand I use, which is a microfiber chenille yarn that’s machine washable. I purchased my yarn from JOANN fabric and craft store, but it’s also available online at Michaels, Walmart and Yarnspirations.

Raise your hand if you’re sad to see JOANN closing their stores. . . *sniff*

Bernat Alize Blanket EZ yarn is soft and fluffy and comes in a variety of variegated as well as solid colors. The Alize Blanket EZ yarn is considered a jumbo size #7 gauge yarn and comes in 18 yard skeins or balls. You’ll need (7) 18-yard skeins (126 yards total if you’re using another brand of yarn) to make a this patterned throw blanket, approximately 41 x 54 inches.

This pattern is referred to as ‘criss cross’ but I think it looks more like a zigzag pattern. It’s an easy pattern to work and suitable for beginners!

This pattern looks (and sounds) more complicated than it is, but you’re basically repeating and alternating rows after your initial foundation row. Once you work the first 3 rows, you’re on your way to finger knitting a blanket in a weekend. It’s so satisfying to watch your blanket come together so quickly!

Basically you cross yarn loops to work this pattern. You always cross the loops in the direction you are working; when working a row from left to right, you cross loops to the right. As you work a row from right to left, you cross loops to the left. You hold your crossed stitches in place as you pull your working yarn behind the loops to create your knit stitches. Your foundation row establishes the pattern and then the second and third rows are repeated throughout the blanket.

To begin, count out 64 loops for your foundation row, with the loops facing up and the yarn end on the left.

Mark your 64th loop with a safety pin or clip of some sort. I use a plastic Christmas ornament hanger to mark when I stop and make it easier to find where to pick up again.

Here are the written directions from Yarnspirations, don’t be intimidated as they sound more complicated than they are:

 1st row: Working from right to left, cross 64th loop in front of 63rd loop. Pull next loop of your working yarn up from behind through 63rd loop. Pull the next loop from working yarn up from behind 64th loop. *Cross the next loop of foundation row in front of 2nd loop of foundation row. Holding the crossed loops in position, pull the next loop from your working yarn up from behind through the next loop. Pull next loop from working yarn up from behind through next loop. Repeat from * to end of row. Do not turn work to complete 64 stitches in a row.

2nd row: Working from left to right, skip first stitch of row just worked. Cross 2nd stitch in front of 3rd stitch. Holding crossed stitches in position, pull loop from working yarn up from behind through 3rd stitch. Pull next loop from working yarn up from behind 2nd stitch. *Cross next 2 stitches. Holding crossed stitches in position, pull next loop from working yarn up from behind through next stitch. Pull next loop from working yarn up from behind through next stitch. Repeat from * to last stitch. Leave last stitch unworked. Do not turn work.

3rd row: Working from right to left, cross unworked stitch in front of 2nd stitch. Holding crossed stitches in position, pull next loop from working yarn up from behind through 2nd stitch. Pull next loop from working yarn up from behind through first stitch. *Cross next 2 stitches. Holding crossed stitches in position, pull next loop from working yarn up from behind through next stitch. Pull next loop from working yarn up from behind through next stitch. Repeat from * to end of row. Do not turn work.

Repeat 2nd and 3rd rows until blanket measures approximately 54”, ending on a 2^nd row.

There are a couple of ways to join a new skein of yarn. My preferred method is to hold the last loop of your previous skein and first loop of your new skein together and work as if they are a single loop. Treat them as a single loop again when you come back to them on the next row. I like to mark the double loops with a clip or safety pin, so I make sure to pick up both loops together until I work them into a row.

Another method to join your skeins is to snip the threads of the last two loops and your first two loops on your new skein and tie the tails together. You’ll weave the loose tails back through your knitted stitches when finished.

When you get to end of your final skein, you’ll bind off your stitches to complete your blanket.

Bind off row:

Working in same direction as last row, pull 2^nd stitch through 1st stitch. Pull 3^rd stitch through 2nd stitch. Pull 4th stitch through 3rd stitch. Continue to the end of the row.

The binding off directions sound more complicated than they actually are; I found it helpful to watch a video, here.

Cut thread at base of loop (thread used to create the loop) to create a yarn ‘tail’.

Pull the tail through your last loop to secure it, then weave the tail through your stitches to secure and conceal it.

You can use a tapestry or darning needle to secure any loose yarn tails; I use a bobby pin to weave my yarn tails through to secure them.

Do the same with yarn tails on the back of your throw from connecting a new skein. The fluffy yarn is forgiving so you can weave your tails through the back of your blanket to camouflage them.

Here is a comparison of the front and back of the blanket.

I used Bernat Alize Blanket-EZ Yarn – Hedge Green Variegated

My indoor photos look more muted due to the lighting than those of the blanket photographed on the porch.

The photo above shows a more accurate color of the variegated green yarn.

Helpful tips:

🧶 Right side of work is facing at all times.

🧶 Always cross your stitches in front, the direction you are working.

🧶 Loops from working yarn are always pulled through stitches from back to front of work.

🧶 Check your work every 10 stitches or so to make sure you haven’t dropped a loop. Straighten your working yarn and untwist the “squiggly” loops to prevent skipping or dropping loops in your rows.

🧶 If I stopped, I clipped my next set of loops together to make it easier to find and pick up where I left off.

You can find the printable pdf directions from Yarnspirations, HERE.

If you’re looking for a loop yarn blanket project with no counting other than your first row, try:

How to Make an EZ Loop Yarn Throw Blanket

Other loop yarn blanket patterns you might like:

Modified Garter Ridge Pattern Loop Yarn Blanket

EZ Textures Pattern Blanket

Basket Weave Pattern Loop Yarn Blanket

St. Patrick’s Day is a week away. . .

Let the shenanigans begin!

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Find a round-up to help you Eat, Drink and Be Irish, with 17+ recipes

and St. Patrick’s Day inspiration from the kitchen to the table!

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