Blanket MKAL 2022

UPDATE February 2023: the MKAL has finished, but you can still buy all the patterns released at 40% off HERE. Enjoy!

Hello, and welcome to my Blanket MKAL 2022 information summary page and FAQ!

Or ONE of my Blanket MKALs of 2022, to be more accurate 😀 Because this year, there will be another one for beginners… I’ll tell you more about it in a few days, because this one starts first.

In this post you will find some idea of what the project is, as well as the general information and materials. But, if you followed last year’s MKAL, all the info might sound very familiar to you!

Although we start this project on September 9th, if you decide to support me by buying the PDF version you can pre-order it right away. If you can’t, don’t worry: you can also join the knitting party. Read more below.

Please share your progress (and yarn!) in social media using the hashtag #ohlalanaMKAL2022

How many patterns will the Blanket MKAL 2022 have?

Similar to our previous MKAL, I designed 12 different blocks for this blanket. All feature japanese stitches, cables, and may contain a small lace element in some of them. If you didn’t follow my MKAL in 2021 you can see photos of each block in the product link or by browsing my blog.

When will the MKAL start? And when it ends?

Block 1 will be out on September 9th. There are 12 blocks, one released each week (on Fridays). The last one will be out in November 25th. I like to start my yearly autumn KAL early to finish it before December. That gives you plenty of time to catch up, in case you want to turn some of your knitting into Christmas gifts 🙂

You can see all dates at the end of this page.

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 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);
• use last year’s collection, since all those squares have the same size as the ones here. If you don’t have it, it’s available in my stores as “Japanese stitches sampler blanket” or “Blanket MKAL 2021”;
• if you prefer to add more blocks but want them to be easier, follow along my other MKAL of 2022: I’ll be sharing 12 blocks suitable for beginners but with the same size as the ones here. I’ll be publishing more details in a few days (my Beginner Blanket MKAL 2022 starts on September 13th).

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 😉)

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

Will you host a beginner blanket KAL this year?

YES! And it will be double! Each beginner block will have the same amount of stitches and rows than the ones on this MKAL but I’ve also made a 52SP size version. I’ll be sharing both versions, written and charted. This way, you can decide if you want to knit the big ones for a blanket or the small ones as dishcloths (or add them to your 52 Square Pickup collection).

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 2022

• Block 1: September 9th
• Block 2: September 16th
• Block 3: September 23th
• Block 4: September 30th
• Block 5: October 7th
• Block 6: October 14th
• Block 7: October 21st
• Block 8: October 28th
• Block 9: November 4th.
• Block 10: November 11th.
• Block 11: November 18th.
• Block 12: November 25th.