Now whenever CNN brings you a Breaking News story, you don’t have to run to your atlas. Not only will this map keep you up-to-date on current events---but it goes one better: it has fiber! Let’s salute our Home Planet and show how much we appreciate its beauty, and its wonderful fibers. It’s been so good to us and we need to take care of it.

This is a double-knit square, approximately 12” x 12”. It makes a nice large potholder or a good-sized afghan square. It is part of the Epic Lap Blanket Series.

Warning: This pattern is more difficult than most of the other patterns in the series: the front and back ARE NOT knitted to be mirror images. I didn’t want backward wording and a backward map. Each stitch is charted so that the front and back come out as normal pictures. This takes a lot more attention and care than regular double knitting, but it is very rewarding.

If you don’t want to take the challenge, I’ve included a simple one-sided charted version so you can do this as a double-knitted block (but with the back reversed) or as a stranded block.

The pattern is charted, and requires the ability to double-knit back and forth rows, do a closed selvedge, read a chart, cast on and bind off. No increasing or decreasing is required.

You will need two contrasting-color fingering weight yarns, approximately 220 yards of each. This pattern can be made in any weight yarn or any needle size, but the gauge will change, as will the fabric size.