The Winter Season Blanket

Yes, it’s here! I’m very happy to announce that the pattern was published in my Etsy shop this afternoon.

It all started back last year when I decided to make myself a blanket for our kitchen sofa in colours that would represent Christmas. I chose a palette that was softer and more muted than the obvious seasonal red, green and white and set about it, making it up as I went along.

I liked some of it, the colours certainly, and certain aspects of the pattern, but other parts didn’t work out in my opinion and although it graced the sofa over Christmas and to the untrained eye looked perfectly fine, I was disappointed.

But then I did share photos of it on Instagram and Facebook, (as you do) and took carefully positioned photos to hide the bits I didn’t like. There was quite a lot of interest in it which was lovely, but I was being asked for the pattern and I had to tell people that there wouldn’t be one because it wasn’t a successful project, in my eyes.

So 2020 comes along and of course lockdown, with more time spent at home, and in the summer the idea came to me – why not design another one, using the successful elements from the last one and the same colours – and have a new version for this year.

The time to make it was over the summer, so that there would be a pattern ready in time for the start of Autumn. So here we are……..

Except it would great if it was that easy. But no, the Christmas blanket gremlins struck again, and time after time a whole day’s work would be ripped out come the evening, when I would cast a critical eye over it and decide it didn’t quite work. In all, I reckon at least 75% was pulled out and redone, in some cases two and even three times.

But in the end, it was worth it and I’m very happy with the result. There is a new granny square design called Ring of Hearts as a centre feature, a new Candy Cane stripe using block stitch and a recurring theme of large red hearts.

I published the yarn list a few weeks ago and I know a lot of people have already got their yarn and are waiting patiently/impatiently for this darned pattern to appear!

Whew, it’s a load off my mind to be able to say it’s ready, and I’m now going to fold mine up and put it away until nearer Christmas, when I’ll have forgotten the hair-tearing-out evenings, and be able to enjoy it’s beauty on the kitchen sofa.

This Christmas, of all years I think we’ll need to hunker down and enjoy being in our safe homes – some candles, fairy lights and a cosy blanket – to help us block out the anxieties of the past months.

So, here is the link to the pattern

Winter Season Blanket

I hope you enjoy making it and even more, enjoy its contribution to your cosy Christmas home. xx

P.S. There are two video tutorials linked to this blanket, which are on my You Tube channel now. The first is how to make the Large Heart Square, working with two colours and the second is all about the Candy Cane Stripe section of the blanket which is done in Block Stitch, using two colours once more. You will find them both here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp2lHaeNZftvWTz-RaBXJ9A?view_as=subscriber .