I like having at least one large project on hand at all times. Of course, it's good to have several smaller items on the go too, but there's always one large basket in the corner of my sitting room where I can pick up my needles and add a touch more.
And I'm not sure why exactly, but it always seems to be about this time of year when I start these. Perhaps it has to do with the end of winter being in sight and, funnily enough, planning for the next one!
If you had to ask yourself what was the one item you most missed this season, what would it be? A large shawl to wrap around while you sit by the fire? A muffler and hat so you can keep cozy while shovelling snow? Perhaps that gorgeous Norwegian sweater you've been promising yourself for years...
Well for me, it was the idea of a large colourful blanket to throw over the bed for some valuable extra degrees of warmth overnight. I wanted a king‐size blanket but I wanted to make sure it wasn't too weighty. This pointed to a lace pattern, or rather a series of lace patterns for interest both during construction and in the final product.
And I'm not sure why exactly, but it always seems to be about this time of year when I start these. Perhaps it has to do with the end of winter being in sight and, funnily enough, planning for the next one!
If you had to ask yourself what was the one item you most missed this season, what would it be? A large shawl to wrap around while you sit by the fire? A muffler and hat so you can keep cozy while shovelling snow? Perhaps that gorgeous Norwegian sweater you've been promising yourself for years...
Well for me, it was the idea of a large colourful blanket to throw over the bed for some valuable extra degrees of warmth overnight. I wanted a king‐size blanket but I wanted to make sure it wasn't too weighty. This pointed to a lace pattern, or rather a series of lace patterns for interest both during construction and in the final product.
I had some yarns left over after knitting the Ocean Currents Rug, so those became my starting point. However, I quickly realised that I could actually use up all kinds of remnant yarns in my collection and incorporate them. The more I added, the more interesting the blanket became.
Slight variations in shade between batches just lent a "country" air, and completely different yarns just melded together to give a lovely result. I even incorporated some thinner yarns used double.
It became, in short, the knitterly equivalent of an American quilt, where many different fabrics are patched together to give a wonderful finished article.
This is the Ocean Currents Blanket and the pattern includes three different sizes so you can make a Single/Twin-sized blanket or a Double/Queen size as well as the King-sized version that I have shown in the photo above.
I have written the pattern so you can work it completely in new yarns, but I am sure you will find lots of wonderful oddments of yarn that you could incorporate too. So have a look in your yarn stash now and see what yarns are sitting there waiting to be used in a project such as this.
And of course, a new blanket would be a great gift project too. Perhaps you have a teenager going off to college in the Autumn. I'm sure they would really appreciate a bedcover for their new freezing dorm room! Or a wedding gift for the newly‐weds maybe. Just perfect for the next Winter!
Until next time – Keep warm and keep knitting!
Moira
Slight variations in shade between batches just lent a "country" air, and completely different yarns just melded together to give a lovely result. I even incorporated some thinner yarns used double.
It became, in short, the knitterly equivalent of an American quilt, where many different fabrics are patched together to give a wonderful finished article.
This is the Ocean Currents Blanket and the pattern includes three different sizes so you can make a Single/Twin-sized blanket or a Double/Queen size as well as the King-sized version that I have shown in the photo above.
I have written the pattern so you can work it completely in new yarns, but I am sure you will find lots of wonderful oddments of yarn that you could incorporate too. So have a look in your yarn stash now and see what yarns are sitting there waiting to be used in a project such as this.
And of course, a new blanket would be a great gift project too. Perhaps you have a teenager going off to college in the Autumn. I'm sure they would really appreciate a bedcover for their new freezing dorm room! Or a wedding gift for the newly‐weds maybe. Just perfect for the next Winter!
Until next time – Keep warm and keep knitting!
Moira
 | Last Blogpost: Never‐Ending Winter Next Up: Hand-knit home Our book: Reversible Knitting Stitches My Website: www.wyndlestrawdesigns.com |
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