There's nothing quite like being by the beach, whether it's Bondi beach in Sydney or Brighton beach in Sussex. We are drawn to the gentle sounds of the lapping waves in the summer and the ferocious storms and crisp electrically‐charged air in the winter. Both are exhilarating, recharging, refreshing.
Certainly there's nothing quite so invigorating as trying to walk on the shingle shore of Brighton against a gale force wind and then retreating laughing and salt‐encrusted to a local café for a most necessary cup of tea with some scones and jam.
Certainly there's nothing quite so invigorating as trying to walk on the shingle shore of Brighton against a gale force wind and then retreating laughing and salt‐encrusted to a local café for a most necessary cup of tea with some scones and jam.
But when you live by the sea you learn that there’s a cost for having those lovely on-shore breezes, and that’s the cold clammy feel of dampness that settles on you as the sun goes down. Even in the height of summer, you find yourself reaching for a warm throw to place over your knees or to spread over the bed as an extra layer.
I am continuing my blogpost series on the idea of “Summer and Winter” – thinking about pairs of knitting patterns, one for the summer and one for the winter. In the first blogpost I looked at two lengthwise knit scarves, one with a pretty lengthwise openwork patterning running along the length of the scarf, and the second a warm, chunky men’s scarf with a contrast-coloured edge.
Today, I’m going to look at a pair of blankets, one which would be perfect for a cool evening at the beach hut, and another for when you are sitting in front of a roaring fire in your winter log cabin.
I am continuing my blogpost series on the idea of “Summer and Winter” – thinking about pairs of knitting patterns, one for the summer and one for the winter. In the first blogpost I looked at two lengthwise knit scarves, one with a pretty lengthwise openwork patterning running along the length of the scarf, and the second a warm, chunky men’s scarf with a contrast-coloured edge.
Today, I’m going to look at a pair of blankets, one which would be perfect for a cool evening at the beach hut, and another for when you are sitting in front of a roaring fire in your winter log cabin.
The first blanket is Anna's brand‐new pattern, the Siesta Beach Blanket, named for the world‐famous beach, Siesta Key, that we are lucky enough to call our "local" beach in Florida. And yes, that's Siesta Key in the top photo!
The blanket is worked in a soft wool mix yarn and features a riot of colours, with rich blues, oranges and naturals echoing the colours of the sun shades dotting the gulf shore‐line.
The blanket uses a reversible stitch, Banded Bamboo, from our book Reversible Knitting Stitches. This is a lovely stitch pattern and resembles the growing pattern on tall stalks of bamboo. The knitted fabric is flexible and warm – just perfect for a summer evening throw.
The blanket is worked in a soft wool mix yarn and features a riot of colours, with rich blues, oranges and naturals echoing the colours of the sun shades dotting the gulf shore‐line.
The blanket uses a reversible stitch, Banded Bamboo, from our book Reversible Knitting Stitches. This is a lovely stitch pattern and resembles the growing pattern on tall stalks of bamboo. The knitted fabric is flexible and warm – just perfect for a summer evening throw.
The second blanket is, in contrast, worked in a single off‐white colour. Anna originally designed this for the father of one of her school friends. He was in hospital bravely fighting cancer and said that he found his hospital room rather chilly.
Anna took up her needles, selected some soft, chunky yarn and produced a blanket that kept him warm during the remainder of his stay. The blanket is called the Laurie Blanket in his memory.
Anna took up her needles, selected some soft, chunky yarn and produced a blanket that kept him warm during the remainder of his stay. The blanket is called the Laurie Blanket in his memory.
This is worked in another stitch from our Reversible Knitting Stitches book. This is Wide Chevron and the super‐chunky cotton/wool mix yarn really brings out the graphical nature of this stitch pattern.
Both blankets are reversible and are a good size for a handy throw to keep you toasty warm. For information about the Siesta Beach Blanket please click here, and for the Laurie Blanket, then please click here. Both patterns are available for instant download from Anna’s Ravelry store so you can started with your knitting today!
Until next time – Happy Knitting!
Moira
Both blankets are reversible and are a good size for a handy throw to keep you toasty warm. For information about the Siesta Beach Blanket please click here, and for the Laurie Blanket, then please click here. Both patterns are available for instant download from Anna’s Ravelry store so you can started with your knitting today!
Until next time – Happy Knitting!
Moira
 | Last blogpost: A new scarf for men – the Cambourne Scarf Next Up: Stripes for Summer and Winter Our book: Reversible Knitting Stitches My Website: www.wyndlestrawdesigns.com Many thanks to my husband Tim for his photo of the walkway to Siesta Key Beach. To see more of his wonderful photos, please see his Flickr site. |
Keywords: Patterns/Blankets,
blanket, blankets, lap rug, afghan, throw, bedspread, reversible blanket, reversible stitch, reversible knitting stitches, knitting stitch,
blanket, blankets, lap rug, afghan, throw, bedspread, reversible blanket, reversible stitch, reversible knitting stitches, knitting stitch,
