Apple Tree Blanket by Martin Storey. Project photo © Pirett.
Apple Tree Blanket by Martin Storey is a beautiful knitted baby blanket featuring rows of sculptural apple trees created with cables and bobble stitches.
Originally published for Rowan, this classic design combines a simple rectangular blanket shape with highly textured motifs that stand out beautifully against the smoother knitted background.
The result is an heirloom-style baby blanket that looks impressive without requiring complicated multicolor knitting.
Good news: Apple Tree Blanket is currently available as a free PDF knitting pattern from Laughing Hens. You will find the verified pattern link near the end of this guide.
Apple Tree Blanket at a Glance
- Pattern: Apple Tree Blanket
- Designer: Martin Storey
- First published: 2006
- Publisher: Rowan
- Category: Baby blanket
- Finished size: Approximately 24 × 37 in (61 × 94 cm)
- Yarn weight: DK
- Original yarn: Rowan RYC Cashsoft Baby DK
- Yardage: Approximately 852 yd (779 m)
- Main needles: US 6 / 4 mm
- Smaller needles: US 3 / 3.25 mm
- Additional tool: Cable needle
- Gauge: 22 sts × 30 rows = 4 in / 10 cm in stockinette
- Techniques: Cables, bobbles, knit and purl stitches
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Current availability: Free PDF download
A Baby Blanket Covered in Apple Trees
The feature that makes this blanket immediately recognizable is its repeating apple tree motif.
Rather than creating the trees with different yarn colors, Martin Storey uses knitted texture to make the branches and fruit emerge from the surface of the fabric.
This gives the blanket a dimensional appearance while allowing the project to be worked in a single main color.
Cables Create the Tree Structure
Cable techniques are an important part of the Apple Tree Blanket.
By crossing groups of stitches, raised lines develop across the fabric and help create the branching structure of the trees.
It is a beautiful example of how cable knitting can be used for more than traditional ropes and braids. Carefully positioned crossed stitches can create surprisingly pictorial motifs.
Bobble Stitches Create the Apples
Small raised bobble stitches provide another layer of texture.
Positioned among the cable branches, the rounded bobbles resemble apples growing on the trees.
The combination of cables and bobbles is what gives this blanket its distinctive three-dimensional character.
Texture Instead of Colorwork
One of the appealing things about Apple Tree Blanket is that it creates a strong decorative image without relying on stranded colorwork, intarsia or frequent yarn changes.
Instead, the design uses the structure of the knitted stitches themselves to create the picture.
This allows you to concentrate on texture while working primarily with one yarn color.
Why a Solid Color Works So Well
A solid yarn can be particularly effective for this design because light and shadow reveal the raised cables and bobbles clearly.
Soft cream, oatmeal, gray or other neutral shades can create a traditional heirloom appearance.
Nature-inspired shades such as soft green, sage or warm earthy tones can also complement the apple-tree theme beautifully.
The Original Yarn
The original pattern was designed using Rowan RYC Cashsoft Baby DK.
Published pattern information lists approximately 852 yards / 779 meters for the blanket.
Older yarn ranges can change or become difficult to find over time, so you do not necessarily need the exact original yarn to make this beautiful blanket.
Choosing a Substitute DK Yarn
When choosing a substitute, look for a DK-weight yarn that can produce the required gauge while keeping the textured motifs clearly defined.
Useful qualities include:
- Good cable and bobble stitch definition
- Softness suitable for a baby blanket
- Washability
- Durability
- Enough yardage for the complete project
- A fiber that responds well to gentle blocking
Highly fuzzy yarns may soften the appearance of the cables and bobbles, while smoother yarns generally make the apple-tree motifs easier to see.
Consider Washability for a Baby Blanket
A baby blanket is likely to be washed frequently, so practical yarn care is worth considering before you begin.
A soft machine-washable wool or suitable wool blend can be a convenient choice for a blanket intended for regular use.
Whatever fiber you choose, follow the care instructions supplied by the yarn manufacturer.
Needle Sizes
Published pattern information lists two needle sizes:
- US 3 / 3.25 mm
- US 6 / 4 mm
You will also need a cable needle for the crossed-stitch sections.
Remember that recommended needle sizes are a starting point. Use the needle size that allows you to obtain the required gauge with your chosen yarn.
Gauge
The published gauge is approximately 22 stitches and 30 rows = 4 inches / 10 cm in stockinette stitch using the larger needles.
Gauge affects both the finished dimensions and yarn usage, so making a swatch is worthwhile before beginning a project of this size.
Finished Blanket Size
The completed Apple Tree Blanket measures approximately 24 inches wide × 37 inches long, or about 61 × 94 cm.
This gives you a useful baby blanket size while still providing enough room for the repeating tree motifs to become the main visual feature.
Is Apple Tree Blanket Beginner Friendly?
Apple Tree Blanket is best considered an intermediate knitting project.
The rectangular blanket shape itself is straightforward, but the decorative sections require attention to cable crossings, bobbles and motif placement.
If you are already comfortable with knit and purl stitches and want to develop your textured-knitting skills, this can be a rewarding next-step project.
Skills That Will Help
Before beginning, it is useful to be comfortable with:
- Casting on
- Knit and purl stitches
- Stockinette stitch
- Garter stitch
- Following patterned rows or charts
- Cable stitches
- Using a cable needle
- Increasing and decreasing
- Making bobbles
- Keeping track of pattern repeats
- Binding off
Learning to Knit Cables
If cables are new to you, their appearance can make them look more difficult than they really are.
A cable is created by changing the order in which a small group of stitches is worked.
Some stitches are temporarily held to the front or back while the next stitches are knitted. The held stitches are then worked, creating the characteristic crossing effect.
Follow the exact cable instructions in the Apple Tree Blanket pattern because the direction and placement of each crossing are important to the tree design.
Take Your Time With the First Tree
The first complete apple-tree motif is the best place to learn the logic of the pattern.
Work slowly, check your stitch counts and pay attention to where cable crossings and bobbles occur.
Once you understand how the first motif develops, later repeats should become much easier to recognize visually.
Use a Row Counter
Repeating textured motifs are easier to manage when you always know which pattern row you are working.
A row counter, removable marker or simple written checklist can help prevent losing your place after putting the project down.
This becomes especially useful on a blanket, where the project may be worked over many knitting sessions.
Check the Fabric as You Knit
Do not look only at the written instructions or chart.
Stop occasionally and examine the tree motifs developing in the fabric.
A misplaced bobble or incorrect cable crossing can sometimes be easier to notice when looking at the complete tree than when concentrating on individual stitches.
Be Consistent With Your Bobbles
Bobbles look best when they are worked with reasonably consistent tension.
If some are considerably tighter or looser than others, the apples may vary noticeably in size.
The first few bobbles are a useful opportunity to establish a comfortable technique before continuing across the rest of the blanket.
Watch Your Cable Tension
Cable crossings naturally pull the knitted fabric inward.
Avoid tightening the stitches excessively after each crossing. Keeping an even, relaxed tension helps the tree branches remain consistent.
Your fabric may look slightly uneven while it is still on the needles; gentle blocking at the end can help the stitches settle.
Use Lifelines if You Need Them
If you are concerned about making mistakes in the more complicated textured sections, consider adding an occasional lifeline.
A lifeline passes through a completed row of stitches and gives you a safe point to return to if you later need to unravel part of the work.
This can be particularly reassuring when knitting a large project with repeating cable motifs.
Blocking the Apple Tree Blanket
Gentle blocking can help the blanket settle into its final dimensions and make the background fabric appear more even.
At the same time, avoid aggressively flattening the surface because the raised cables and bobbles are an important part of the design.
Always use a blocking method appropriate for the fiber in your chosen yarn.
A Beautiful Handmade Baby Gift
Apple Tree Blanket has many of the qualities knitters look for in a special handmade baby gift.
It is practical, but the textured tree design also makes it memorable enough to become a keepsake.
Choosing a soft, washable DK yarn can make the finished blanket easier for parents to use while preserving its beautiful handmade character.
A Lovely Heirloom Knitting Project
The repeating trees give this blanket a timeless quality that works especially well for an heirloom project.
Unlike a highly trend-driven motif, trees and natural textures can remain appealing for many years.
The combination of a classic rectangular shape and distinctive knitted texture also makes the blanket easy to recognize without making it overly decorative.
Why This Pattern Has Lasted
Apple Tree Blanket was first published in 2006, yet knitters continue to search for and make the design many years later.
Much of its appeal comes from the way Martin Storey transforms familiar cable and bobble techniques into a recognizable picture.
Instead of simply decorating the surface, the knitting itself becomes the illustration.
Free Apple Tree Blanket Pattern
Good news for knitters looking for this classic Martin Storey design: Apple Tree Blanket is currently available as a free PDF download from Laughing Hens.
The current Laughing Hens listing identifies it as the Rowan Apple Tree Blanket by Martin Storey and describes the same baby blanket featuring bold textured apple-tree motifs created with cables and bobble stitches.
The listing currently shows the pattern as “PDF Download: Free”.
Because online pattern availability can change over time, Amazing Knitting periodically reviews older pattern links and updates them when a reliable current source becomes available.
Get the Free Apple Tree Blanket Pattern
Visit Laughing Hens to access the currently available free PDF for Martin Storey's original Rowan Apple Tree Blanket.
Get the Free Apple Tree Blanket Pattern →
Apple Tree Blanket is designed by Martin Storey and published by Rowan. Amazing Knitting does not reproduce the copyrighted chart or row-by-row knitting instructions. The pattern is currently offered as a free PDF download by Laughing Hens. Pattern availability may change, so please check the linked source for the latest information.
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