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Coffin quilts are a traditional, though macabre part of American Crafting Tradition. In some iterations there is a “graveyard” in which coffins with the family member’s name are placed after they die. In this version the blanket is entirely pieced together by garter stitch coffins, with partial coffins around the edges to make the blanket square.

This blanket can be made several ways: You can make individual coffins to be sewn together later, in strips to be sewn together, or in strips to joined together as you go along. There are also instructions for how to knit the strips of coffins two at a time using intarsia while joining.

This pattern uses written instructions and (optional) charts, and there is a schematic to plan color placement and to mark out the size you want to make.

Gauge:
Because it is a blanket, it can be made with whatever gauge you like, though I would recommend a somewhat tight fabric. Garter stitch will stretch when it is blocked, so you may want to do the terrible thing: knit a single coffin and block it to get precise sizing/yardage. Gauge is measured unblocked below:

I used a US size 6 needle for DK weight yarn, which (unblocked) made a gauge of 16 st by 18 rows for 2 in square in garter stitch. This makes for a coffin size of 10 in tall, 5 in across at the widest point, (The widest point is 3 ½ in from the top and 6 ½ in from the bottom) and 2 ½ in across at the smallest point.

For the sock yarn I used a US 3 needle, and is 13 st by 22 rows in a 2 in garter st square, making for a coffin size of 8 in tall, 4 in at the widest point (3 in from the top and 5 in from the bottom.) and 1 ¾ in wide at the smallest point. (When in blocks, 2 wide, 4 ½ at widest, 7 tall. 2 ½ top.)

For a worsted weight coffin, with a US 7 Needle, it is 8 st by 17 rows in a 2 by 2 in garter st square. The height of the coffin is 10 ¾ in, and is 6 ¼ in at the widest (2 ⅜ at the smallest width). The top, short side of the coffin is 4 in and the long bottom half is 7 in.
4”x4” = 16 sts x 34 rows

The blanket I made to test was with sock weight yarn, and it measured 48 ½ in across, 47 in tall pre-blocked. (50 ½ in by 54 in after blocking.) It’s 14 (and two halves) full coffins across, and 6 (and one third) coffins tall. The whole blanket weighs 720 grams, though not all the yarn was the same and some coffins only used 7 grams, so I estimate that if I had used all the same yarn it would have weighed out to 870, or about 3291 yards.