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.

Kenai Fjords National Park in southern Alaska is a place where the ice age lingers. The Harding Icefield, covering over 300-square miles, feeds nearly 40 glaciers that flow to the edge of the Kenai Peninsula, carving the distinctive fjords that give the park its name. Established as Kenai Fjords National Monument in 1978, it was designated a national park in 1980 with the passage of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. Visitors travel by cruise ship, tour boat, and sea kayak to experience the extensive coastline, witness calving glaciers, and view abundant wildlife. Glaciers sculpt the landscape by moving tons of material, feeding braided streams and rivers, and carving the coastline. The designer spent several months from 2009 to 2012 living in the nearby town of Seward and conducting field work for her PhD studies in outdoor recreation and park resource management. Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the landscape at Kenai Fjords is how much and how quickly it can change: the braided rivers flowing from the glaciers constantly change paths, winding where they will. The rivers’ precocious paths from the glacier to the sea inspired the original cable design for this square.

This Pattern:
If you purchase this pattern, you will receive only the pattern for the Kenai Fjords 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.