A welcome blanket is traditionally created to lovingly mark the arrival of a new person into the world. In the Welcome Blanket project, each handmade blanket is a physical manifestation of this celebration of new refugees and other immigrants: “Welcome to the United States and your new life here! We are so glad you have arrived.”

This pattern is adapted from a vintage counterpane (cotton bedspread) pattern in the book Knitted Counterpanes by Mary Walker Phillips. I have been intrigued by this pattern for years, and I decided to use the design for my welcome blanket because it is modular and I could easily work on one piece at a time while I was traveling. The pattern is easy but not boring. I love the way the texture of the stitches makes the rectangles and triangles curve and undulate in an organic way that is beautiful to the eye.