Luscious multi-coloured knotwork embraces four different slip-stitch patterned panels in this generously sized warm blanket. Worthy of not only the knobbly knees of a chieftain!

The slip-stitch panels, the four cabled corner segments and the cabled centrepiece are worked separately. The narrow cable bands separating the panels are worked in two pieces initially, then joined into one element.

As a finishing touch, the edges of the panels and the central diamond shape are handsomely set off by “couched cording” - a cord is made from the same yarn and attached to the surface of the finished blanket by couching stitch. This is an optional step though.

Not a beginner piece, but lots of fun, with the different patterns and techniques helping to keep your interest up. And if you don’t know how to do slip-stitch patterns, short rows, closed-ring cables or intarsia cables yet - by the end of the project you will, all these techniques being explained in the pattern.

The slip-stitch patterns would also lend themselves to making matching cushion covers.

Skills you should already have are:

• basic cable knitting
• basic intarsia technique
• mattress stitch seaming and basic knowledge of hand-stitching
• reading charts
• blocking

Tension (gauge) is very important for this project, so you should be willing to take the time to swatch, not only for stocking stitch but for the different slip-stitch patterns as well. For the same reason, I would strongly advise against mixing different makes of yarn.

Blocking is very much recommended, at least for the components with sharp corners (slip-stitch panels and corner elements).

Yarn:

I list the original yarn used for the sample here. Of course, you can make your own yarn choices. I would recommend using wool or other animal fibres for this project though. Should the gauges of the single components still be slightly off in spite of careful swatching ;-), blocking will sort this out for you. Man-made fibres usually do not respond to blocking so well.

I used Drops Lima in the following colours:

• 450 g Ruby Red (900 m / 984 yd)
• 400 g Petrol Mix (800 m / 875 yd)
• 400 g Purple Mix (800 m / 875 yd)
• 300 g Green Mix (600 m / 656 yd)
• 250 g Pearl Grey Mix (500 m / 547 yd)
• 200 g Rust Mix (400 m / 437 yd)
• 150 g Sea Green Mix (300 m / 328 yd)

Other materials needed:

• circular needle, 80 cm or longer, in size (or sizes) to achieve the different gauges. The 4mm size given above is just a guideline. It’s quite possible that you may need different sizes for the different stitch patterns.
• additional circular needle in the size needed for the stocking stitch gauge
• 3 stitchholders or large safety pins
• tapestry needle
• large-eyed darning needle
• safety pins for pinning the components prior to seaming (you can use dressmaker’s pins, but they tend to drop out of knitted fabric quite easily)
• scissors
• measuring tape
• blocking equipment (mat, pins)
• glue for assembling the larger charts
• optional: row counter, stitch markers

The pattern comprises two PDF files, the second one containing the segments of the larger charts which need to be assembled.

To help with colour choices before you commit to buying the pattern, I’ve included a few black-and-white photographs of the blanket. There’s also a picture of the first doodle I made for this design. If you have a graphics editor such as GIMP, you can upload the image and tweak the colours (select by colour and try gradual changes, or fill with a different colour). Or you can print out the pale, “bad-photocopy” version of it and colour it in by hand.