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Hello and thanks for visiting my blog. I have been knitting on and off for 50 years and I recently learned to crochet. I love looking for wool bargains and making them into something useful. I mainly knit for charity. I occasionally knit for myself and family members if I find a really good pattern or if they ask nicely!!

Thursday 12 September 2013

The invisible almost no-sew blanket....



I'm knitting a small autumn-themed lap blanket for SIBOL.  These blankets go to care homes in the UK and the preferred size is roughly 30" square.  I like sewing but the thought of sewing together 25 squares is rather like watching paint dry.  So I devised a way to minimise the sewing.  My first square was the rust colour in the bottom right hand corner.  I simply joined in new colours as required and picked up stitches on the sides of the squares whenever I needed to turn a corner.  I only needed to sew the last green square to the rust square and ...voila....I had knitted a blanket border or, as I like to think of it, a picture frame.

The blank space in the middle is 18" square and filling it should be a simple matter.....or that's what I thought.  I've already knitted a beautiful picture of trees that measures 9" square and I planned to edge it with rows of knitting and crochet until it was the right size.  But the edgings were not lying as flat as the moss stitch border squares and the effect was sloppy.  I have ripped back a couple of times, but I really really want to use the picture of the trees.

So, not one to give up, I have started to knit a diagonal 18" square which I will sew to these squares.  Then the picture of the trees can be sewn onto this square.  I can cope with that amount of sewing.  I'm on the home run now and can nearly see the finished blanket.  That is very timely as the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness is almost here. 

9 comments:

  1. Well I love it and also think anyone who knits moss stitch has the patience of a saint!

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    1. I was in the right frame of mind to do moss stitch and it made lovely flat squares. But I drew the line at more moss stitch for the centre square! I'm doing diagonal garter stitch with, hopefully, some surface crochet to make it more interesting.

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  2. Brilliant idea Una, I'm looking forward to seeing the finished blanket. :)

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  3. I love those colors, Una. It looks like it will be very cozy with that stitch.

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  4. I love the concept of 'no sewing' modular knitting - that's how I did the mitred-square baby blanket I'm sending off to the Greenfields project! ;-)

    Looking forward to seeing what yu put in the 'frame', Una!

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  5. I like this idea for a different approach to blanket making. Looking forward to seeing your tree picture inserted in the finished article. Autumn does seem to have sprung suddenly upon us, doesn't it?

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  6. That's a good idea! I like the colours you have used for this, it looks very autumnal...
    M x

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  7. Una your beautiful blanket has arrived today and I am so pleased to receive it. It is a fantastic idea and I just love how you have put it altogether.
    The blanket will be passed on to a care home asap.
    Thanks so much it's gorgeous!
    Love Suex
    www.sunshineinternationalblanketsoflove.blogspot.com

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