Stashbusting

I got the yarn for this blanket over 12 years ago. It was originally planned as a turtleneck aran jumper which I got halfway through before I remembered that 1) I hate turtlenecks and 2) I do not have the figure to pull of chunky cables. It got frogged put back into the stash and largely forgotten about. In fact, after going through my stash recently to introduce one of my friends to the beauty of yarn, I didn’t manage to find any yarn which I have kept longer. It has served its time.

I was pondering different projects for the yarn. With clothing ruled out and the need for the project to be a portable size I decided on a blanket knitted in strips. Whenever I look at the yarn I still see cables. This is a problem for knitting projects at the moment as I am doing a lot of long distance car journeys and I always lose my cable needle. My other half is very understanding of my compulsion for all things yarn related but even the best husbands draw the line at repeated stops so that you can burrow under the seat to find a lost cable needle. With this in mind, I decided to do a cabled pattern without the actual cables. I could work it in portable strips and I wouldn’t risk the harmony of the car journeys.

I love the way the blanket has turned out. The pattern rises up out of the knitting exactly like a cable would. One thing you need to be careful with the blocking though, otherwise you can lose the texture.

Felicity


Pattern

Strip Pattern (make 3)

Cast on 35 stitches

Beginning Section:

Row 1-5: K1, P1, to end

Row 6: K1, P1, K1, P1, K27, P1, K1, P1, K1,

Row 7: K1, P1, K1, P29, K1, P1, K1,

Row 8: K1, P1, K1, P1, K27, P1, K1, P1, K1,

Row 9: K1, P1, K1, P29, K1, P1, K1,

Row 10: K1, P1, K1, P1, K27, P1, K1, P1, K1,

Row 11: K1, P1, K1, P29, K1, P1, K1,

Row 12: K1, P1, K1, P1, K27, P1, K1, P1, K1,

Row 13: K1, P1, K1, P29, K1, P1, K1,

Row 14: K1, P1, K1, P1, K27, P1, K1, P1, K1,

Row 15: K1, P1, K1, P29, K1, P1, K1,

Row 16: K1, P1, K1, P1, K4, P19, K4, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 17: K1, P1, K1, P5, K19, P5, K1, P1, K1,

Begin Pattern repeat

Pattern repeat:

Row 1: K1, P1, K1, P1, K4, P2, K6, P3, K6, P2, K4, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 2: K1, P1, K1, P5, K2, P6, K3, P6, K2, P5, K1, P1, K1,

Row 3: K1, P1, K1, P1, K5, P2, K4, P2, K1, P2, K4, P2, K5, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 4: K1, P1, K1, P6, K2, P4, K2, P1, K2, P4, K2, P6, K1, P1, K1

Row 5: K1, P1, K1, P1, K6, P2, K2, P2, K3, P2, K2, P2, K6, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 6: K1, P1, K1, P7, K2, P2, K2, P3, K2, P2, K2, P7, K1, P1, K1

Row 7: K1, P1, K1, P1, K7, P4, K5, P4, K7, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 8: K1, P1, K1, P8, K4, P5, K4, P8, K1, P1, K1,

Row 9: K1, P1, K1, P1, K8, P2, K7, P2, K8, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 10: K1, P1, K1, P9, K2, P7, K2, P9, K1, P1, K1

Row 11: K1, P1, K1, P1, K7, P4, K5, P4, K7, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 12: K1, P1, K1, P8, K4, P5, K4, P8, K1, P1, K1,

Row 13: K1, P1, K1, P1, K6, P2, K2, P2, K3, P2, K2, P2, K6, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 14: K1, P1, K1, P7, K2, P2, K2, P3, K2, P2, K2, P7, K1, P1, K1

Row 15: K1, P1, K1, P1, K5, P2, K4, P2, K1, P2, K4, P2, K5, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 16: K1, P1, K1, P6, K2, P4, K2, P1, K2, P4, K2, P6, K1, P1, K1

Row 17: K1, P1, K1, P1, K4, P2, K6, P3, K6, P2, K4, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 18: K1, P1, K1, P1, P5, K2, P6, K3, P6, K2, P5, K1, P1, K1

These 18 rows make the pattern repeat. Continue in pattern until you reach the desired length. I stopped at 1 meter.

 

End section:

Row 1: K1, P1, K1, P1, K4, P19, K4, P1, K1, P1, K1

Row 2: K1, P1, K1, P5, K19, P5, K1, P1, K1

Row 3: K1, P1, K1, P1, K27, P1, K1, P1, K1,

Row 4: K1, P1, K1, P29, K1, P1, K1,

Row 5: K1, P1, K1, P1, K27, P1, K1, P1, K1,

Row 6: K1, P1, K1, P29, K1, P1, K1,

Row 7: K1, P1, K1, P1, K27, P1, K1, P1, K1,

Row 8: K1, P1, K1, P29, K1, P1, K1,

Row 9: K1, P1, K1, P1, K27, P1, K1, P1, K1,

Row 10: K1, P1, K1, P29, K1, P1, K1,

Row 11: K1, P1, K1, P1, K27, P1, K1, P1, K1,

Row 12-17: K1, P1, to end

Cast off in pattern.

 

Making Up:

Make 3 strips and sew them together along the long edge.

Weave in all ends and block

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