Healing Blanket

I bought Martin Storey's Midwinter Kit in the Festive Colourway last December. I loved it, but had no idea how I would use it, or gift it. When a good friend who feels the cold was recently diagnosed with cancer, underwent a major operation to be followed by chemo, I knew what to do. Over the last 4 weeks blanket knitting has moved to the top of my priority list.

I finished it last Wednesday, delivering it on Thursday.

The design consists of six basic motifs, each knitted as a Fair Isle square. Each motif has its own colour and the blanket is constructed in 7 rows and 5 columns. There are only 2 motifs (and 2 colours) per column and 3 motifs (and 3 colours) per row. 

I began by knitting one of each motif, in the colours specified in the pattern. I then blocked them before stitching them together as specified, and completing the columns, again, as specified. 

At this point I decided I would vary the arrangement to create a greater mix per row. I began shuffling the squares as I went, spreading them on my sofa and trying various combinations. I could produce a square each day, block it overnight and by the next afternoon, play with positioning.

Before long, I experimented further, and began changing the colour of the motifs as well as the positioning. I left the two original columns stitched together and varied the rest.

This process was helped by a week without visitors - so half my lounge became a design board and the other half my knitting station!

The design symmetry made knitting easier. Both knit and purl rows could be read right to left to get the required result - except for the deer, which, being the odd one out, required a great deal of attention ( and some undoing!).

I also varied the final shape and number of squares, settling for 5x6 rather than 5x7. It wasn't time pressure that dictated the change (although the time saving came in handy). I wanted a squarer result. Each "square" is slightly longer than it is wide, so 5 rows and 6 columns came fairly close to a square blanket - what I was aiming for.

This is the result before pressing.

I added the border in the colour specified, but added a couple of extra rows, and a black edge.

The extra width was partly to accommodate text along one edge - initials and date. I have obscured some of this in the photo for privacy reasons.

Because this is a healing blanket, as far as I could, I thought about the recipient, our friendships, his healing and well-being as I stitched. I have knitted a number of shawls in this mode for specific friends. This one was more complex than most, demanding more concentration on the knitting. As I thought about this, I realised it fitted. Some illnesses reshuffle our lives, take us out of neat, repeated patterns, demand adaptation and adjustment.  

I hope the blanket provides warmth, cheer, care and a reminder that something new can emerge from disruption.