Heather Cottage Knits

Summer Retreat into Knitting

Sarah Jane Pitchford
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After a year and a half in busy London working long hours and generally living on fast-forward, it took just two days in my family home in Norfolk before my creative urges began to resurface.

Lockdown has been an extraordinary experience for us all and I, like some many of us, have been surprised (and a little disappointed) by just how rudderless and uninspired I felt. Crafting has always been a retreat for me, something to focus on to forget the everyday stresses that can wear you down. Somehow, the extra time at home left me feeling distracted and anxious to an extent that even knitting could not aleviate!

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Back in Norfolk and I am embraced by the quiet and the stillness. No busy streets, no sirens or car alarms, just a gentle breeze in the trees and the chorus provided by the birds. I soon found myself on an archeological dig through years of test patterns, frogged wool, and half-finished projects. After some serious detangling I found myself with a strong desire to finish something, nothing new but something old. I feel like I am trying to help tidy the world one loose end at a time.

I have been working on a cotton baby blanket, inspired by a friend who has recently completed her first ever knitting project. I have a limited supply of cotton yarn in a beautiful, soft ‘pebble’ shade which seems perfect for calming cuddles on a warm summer day. The pattern itself is simple and uses my faviourite stitch, the moss stitch, to create a pretty grid of squares.

Working with my friend to help her create her first baby blanket reminded me just how much I take for granted as a knitter. I wanted to make a pattern that looks great and intricate whilst also giving the knitted an easy to follow pattern which has in-built pattern checking features. Looking back I can recall the beginner errors that I made which, without a knitter friend to call for help, I found overwhelming and which made me give up so many projects.

I will be finishing the blanket and publishing the pattern over the coming weeks, taking my time for walks in the garden, of course.