Blanket MKAL 2021

Hello, and welcome to my Blanket MKAL 2021 information summary page and FAQ! Here you will find some idea of what the project is, as well as the general information and materials, plus links to each pattern. This way, you can bookmark this page and have all the info in one place 😀

Please share your progress (and yarn!) in social media using the hashtag #ohlalanablanketMKAL2021

We kick off on September 10th but, if you decide to contribute to this project you can pre-order the PDF file from today. If you can’t, don’t worry: you can also join the knitting party. Read more below.

How many patterns will the Blanket MKAL 2021 have?

For the blanket, I designed 12 different blocks. All feature cables and some japanese stitches.

But wait, there are 2 extra patterns for you!

• 1 HAT pattern (teens / adults size) using the same stitches as Block 1.
• 1 COWL / SCARF using the same stitches as Block 5.

When will the MKAL start? And when it ends?

Block 1 + HAT will be out on September 10th. There are 12 blocks, one released each week (on Fridays). The last one will be out in November 26th. You will have plenty of time to finish the blanket (and hat, and cowl / scarf if you want) before Christmas, in case you want to turn some of your knitting into Christmas gifts 🙂

Each time I release a new pattern, I’ll paste the link at the end of this page (for now, you will see just dates there).

What about the SIZE of the finished blanket?

If you knit them exactly as I did, each square will have 10 to 11” (25 to 28 cm) per side, depending on how aggressively you block them.

That will give you, for a 3 x 4 blocks blanket (12 squares, remember?), the following measures:

• 30 to 33” (76 to 84 cm) wide.
• 40 to 44” (102 to 112 cm) long.

How can I increse the blanket size?

If you want to make a larger blanket, I give you some ideas:

• knit duplicates of some blocks
• add a border to each one, and / or the finished blanket
• change the border I did for each block 👉 I’m sure I’m not giving away too much of the “mystery” of this KAL if I tell you right now that I designed each block with a very simple garter stitch border: 6 rows at the beginning, 6 rows at the end, and 5 garter stitches at each side. So, a very easy way to enlarge each one would be to make a bigger border (more stitches, more rows).

If you have more ideas, please share them in the comments section of this post!!

Is it FREE?

YES and NO, as you wish.

If you are a regular visitor to my blog, Instagram, or whatever, you might know by now that I have some “guilt” issues when if comes to add a tag price to my work.

(If you’re new here, nice to meet you! I’m Cecilia :P)

Designing all these blocks took me a lot of time, and the yarn is not cheap. Neither is my rent…

BUT… I know what is like to struggle financially. And the feeling of being excluded from some of this knitting events just because you have no money to pay for them.

So, what then? As in my previous KALs, I’ll be posting each pattern for FREE in my blog. But I also encourage you, if you can afford it, to purchase the “entry” to this KAL in my blog HERE, or in Ravelry HERE, as a way to support my work. You’ll receive each pattern in PDF format in your email inbox each Friday, or a pattern update in your Ravelry account if you buy it there.

Naturally, if you support me on Patreon, you’ll also receive all PDF files.

Are the patterns difficult to knit?

Since each block presents some cables and some japanese style stitches I would rate it as intermediate level.

Here’s a preview of one of my squares, to give you an idea of the difficulty level:

What do I need to knit this blanket?

• 1 straight needle US 6 (4 mm) for Casting on and Binding Off sts.
• 1 pair of straight needles US 4 (3.5 mm).
• For EACH BLOCK: approx. 130 yds (119 m) of DK (8 ply / 11 wpi) yarn.
• cable needle.
• OPTIONAL (but recommended): stitch markers and row counter.
• tapestry needle to weave in yarn ends and scissors.

Gauge / tension

22 to 24 sts in stocking st with US 4 (3.5 mm) needles = 4” (10 cm)

Will you host a beginner blanket KAL this year?

No, I didn’t plan for it, but I have lots of beginner blocks published that you can turn into a wonderful blanket. You’re welcome to start a thread on my Ravelry group to find some buddies to knit along with! And feel free to reach out for me if you need to adjust some pattern to another measures or have any questions along the way.

Here are some square collections that you can find FREE in my website and use:

• 52 Square Pickup
• Alphabet dishcloths
• Numbers
• Animals, plants and transports
• LOVE dishcloth
• LITTLE HEARTS / VALENTINES dishcloth
• HEARTS dishcloths
• 12 Blocks for Xmas

Do you have more questions?

Ask in the comments section and I’ll answer as soon as I can. You are also welcome to join my Ravelry group; you’ll find some really awesome knitting buddies there!

Release dates for my Blanket MKAL 2021

• Block 1 + HAT pattern: September 10th.
• Block 2: September 17th.
• Block 3: September 24th.
• Block 4: October 1st.
• Block 5 + COWL / SCARF pattern: October 8th.
• Block 6: October 15th.
• Block 7: October 22nd.
• Block 8: October 29th.
• Block 9: November 5th.
• Block 10: November 12th.
• Block 11: November 19th.
• Block 12: November 26th.