7 Blanket Patterns That Take 365 Days To Knit

In the fall of 2010 I found myself sitting in the back room of a yarn store in Downtown Chicago. I can’t remember the name but I think it’s been closed for years now.

I was working on my sampler scarf, minding my own business, when a black woman wearing a police uniform walked into the room.

She seemed as surprised to see a big Mexican guy knitting as I did seeing a cop in a yarn store.

“What are you working on?” she asked.

I showed her my project and she seemed impressed. Probably more by the fact that a guy had managed to knit something decent than with the quality of my work. I had only been knitting a few months by that time.

On the table next to me sat a 365 Knitting Stitch Perpetual Calendar. The woman sat down and started flipping through the stitches in the calendar.

“It’s crazy how many different knitting stitches there are.” I commented.

“Yeah.” She agreed, “You know what would be cool? Is to knit one of these stitches every day, and then at the end of the year, sew them all into a blanket.”

I had never even considered such a thing, but that planted the seed of an idea that eventually became New Stitch a Day.

Ever since then I’ve been fascinated by the idea of year long projects.

Today, we’re going to look into why working on long term projects is good for your brain, how it can improve your knitting, and some inspiration to get you started.

Why knit a year long project?

Even though it feels like a year flies by, it’s not a short period of time.

Committing to working on something for 365 days is no small thing.

And the chances you will give up because life gets in the way is pretty high.

So is it even worth trying?

Absolutely, and here are a few reasons why:

• A long term project can offer a grounding point to your day, giving you something to work on that you can always control.
• It’s an excuse to explore a topic you are interested in learning more about.
• Being consistent will improve your skills over time.
• It can be a document of a specific time in your life, and something positive to look back on when finished.
• You don’t have to work on it for very long each day in order to make progress.

There are lots of things we will do in 2025, but how proud would you be to look back at a big blanket and say “I knit this!”

Getting 1% Better Every Day

In his book Atomic Habits, author James Clear talks about the concept of continuous improvement.

Achieving on big goals isn’t done through periodic leaps of effort and focus. Those who accomplish the most make consistent progress over time.

He calls this the 1 percent rule.

By improving 1 percent every day you may not even notice much progress, but over time you’ll see major growth.

The same is true of your knitting.

Knitting one or two rows of a blanket every day might not seem like much, but over a year it’s A LOT.

And you’ll see other benefits in your knitting as well.

Building a daily knitting habit

Not all year long knitting projects need to be worked on daily. We’ll cover some monthly and weekly projects as well.

But getting in the habit of knitting even a little bit each day can have big benefits.

Mental Health

Knitting has been proven to be a calming activity which reduces stress. Unless of course you’re trying to wrap your head around 2-color brioche for the first time. 😫 But knitting can even be an effective form of meditation. If you find it hard to sit still for 10 minutes meditating, try doing it with needle and yarn in hand.

Speed and Efficiency

While knitting fast may not be a priority, the more you practice the more you will improve. This is even more true if you’re taking the time to learn a new knitting style.

Mindfulness

Many of the projects below focus on paying attention to your mood or your environment. Taking a moment to be mindful of your knitting and appreciate the process can help reset and reorient your day. Where meditation is about clearing your thoughts, mindfulness is about being intentional with them.

In her book The Mindfulness of Knitting, Rachel Matthews has some tips for creating a space for mindful knitting.

• Choose a spot you can place your year long project. Ideally in a comfortable place for you to sit and knit.
• Create a mood; dim the lights, light a candle, put on some music.
• As you begin knitting notice your breathe; inhale and exhale
• Listen to the rhythm of your needles
• Find inner peace

Ok I added that last part, and it might feel a bit silly to treat knitting like a yoga retreat.

You don’t have to create a knitting oasis in your home in order to benefit from a daily knitting habit. Just paying more attention to your knitting from time to time is enough.

But you have permission to buy a knitting candle. 😉

Our favorite year long knitted blanket projects

Hopefully by now you’re on the knit throughout the year bandwagon.

If so, we’ve put together a collection of blanket projects that will take an entire year to knit.

Why blankets?

You could certainly do some of these projects as a scarf or shawl.

But a blanket is a big project.

Sometimes REALLY big.

So if you’re looking back after a year of knitting would you rather have a full sized blanket or a scarf?

Plus they’re useful around the house and every time you cuddle up in it you’ll have a great reminder of a years worth of knitting.

NOTE: A couple of these are books which can be used to make your own year long blanket project.

• 

  Building Blocks by Michelle Hunter

  If you want to only do a block a month that can be turned into a blanket, this is the book for you. It will take you 12 knitting techniques, taught through blanket squares.

  Get it at Amazon
• 

  Learn to Knit Block by Block by Che Lam

  If you want to knit one block per week this might be the book for you. It includes 50 blocks that will improve your knitting. You'll have to add two blocks for a blanket, but you'll learn a lot!

  Get it at Amazon
• 

  A Year of Knitting Stitches by Tabetha Hedrick

  Want an ambitious project? Try knitting a 3x3 square of every stitch in this perpetual knitting calendar. You'll need 360 squares to make a decent sized blanket!

  Get it at Amazon
• 

  Jimmy Beans 2026 Tosh Blanket Club

  Every year Jimmy Beans Wool puts together a themed blanket that explores different knitting stitches. This year they have two beautiful colorways made from lovely Madeline Tosh yarns.

  Get it here
• 

  Temperature Blanket

  This project is knit in garter stitch or stockinette, two rows at a time. Look at the average temperature for that day and knit the corresponding color. By the end of the year you'll have a beautiful blanket with colors randomized by the weather.

  Get it here
• 

  Berroco Crazy Cable Blanket KAL

  If you're a fan of cable knitting, or you'd like to knit some gorgeous ones designed by Norah Gaughn, Knit Picks and Berroco are teaming up for this amazing year long blanket knit-a-long.

  Get it here
• 

  Beekeeper Quilt by Tiny Owl Knits

  This project was all the rage when it was released in 2011, but it's still a great one for using up scraps of yarn. If you're looking to use up your stash this year this is a great project for you. A hexipuff a day will leave you with a lovely blanket in a year!

  Get it at Ravelry

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Conclusion

Do you have the patience and determination to take on a year long knitting project?

Have you done a project like this in the past?