Pattern Inspiration:

This year, 2016, is the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. Smart Knits - a knitting group out of Logan, Utah - thought that a great way to celebrate the National Park Service and the sublime lands that it protects was to design a National Parks blanket. The blanket is made up of 60 blanket squares - one to celebrate each of the 59 National Parks and one square to celebrate the National Park Service itself.

Badlands National Park was upgraded from a National Monument to a National Park in 1978. Located in southwestern South Dakota the park is home to one of the world’s richest fossil beds including one of the most complete fossil accumulations in North America (Eocene and Oligocene mammal fossils). The park also protects one of the largest expanses of mixed-grass prairie composed of over 400 plant species. This important prairie biome is considered one of the most imperiled ecoregions due to conversion to agricultural lands. The mixed-grass prairie once supported large herds of bison and today you can visit Badlands National Park to watch these magnificent herds roam the prairie. The designer has seen all this park has to offer on several occasions since the Black Hills of South Dakota are her parents’ hometown. This square depicts a grazing bison amongst the many prairie dog mounds that can be seen throughout the park.

This Pattern:

If you purchase this pattern, you will receive only the pattern for the Badlands National Park blanket square. If you would like to purchase a subscription to all of the blanket squares please buy the eBook.

All proceeds from this pattern will be donated to the National Park Foundation in celebration of the National Park Service Centennial.