Does anything say Canada to Canadians more than the iconic Hudson Bay Blanket? It’s simple design is timeless and a hand-knit version would make for a super-special baby gift. The pattern is beginner friendly (it’s just straight knitting), and makes a great low-brain activity, summer project. And it’s FREE, so that’s a bonus too!
Yarn Options
The Hudson Bay Inspired Baby Blanket is made with worsted weight yarn, so you’ve got several great options to choose from! I’ve colour combined and art-directed the colours, so you don’t have to worry about which shades match and balance together – I’ve got you covered! Working with the palates available from each yarn line, I tired to create as many combinations that looked good as possible. I also tried to go for different aesthetics, the classics are closest to the iconic blankets sold by the Hudson Bay Company, and feature clearer, brighter colours. The subdued combos are a more modern, grown-up take on the hues, and are darker.
Cascade 220 Superwash is an affordably priced, machine washable Peruvian wool yarn. It’s soft enough for baby garments and blankets, knits easily, and has been a staple around here for a LONG time. If you aren’t into synthetics this is a great choice!
classic colours: six skeins of 817 Aran, and one skein each of 251 Evergreen, 809 Really Red, 877 Golden, 1924 Midnight Heather
slightly darker colours: six skeins of 817 Aran, and one skein each of 1950 Hunter Green, 893 Ruby, 877 Golden, 854 Navy.
Berroco Vintage is a super soft, machine washable blend of wool, acrylic and nylon. It’s easy on the hands and the pocketbook, and is another very popular choice for babies and kids. This yarn is also a longstanding resident around here.
classic colours: six skeins of 5101 Mochi, and one skein each of 5152 Mistletoe, 5151 Cardinal, 5121 Sunny, 51182 Indigo Heather.
somewhat subdued colours: six skeins of 5101 Mochi, and one skein each of 5193 Yukon Green, 51181 Ruby Heather, 5127 Butternut, 51182 Indigo Heather.
grown-up heathered colours: six skeins of 5101 Mochi, and one skein each of 5177 Douglas Fir Heather, 5181 Black Currant Heather, 5192 Chana Dal Heather, 51182 Indigo Heather.
The Berroco Design Team has crafted twelve spectacular 16 x 16″ blocks, each showcasing a unique cable arrangement that’s perfect for knitters eager to dive in and master these mesmerizing stitches. Released on the 2nd Tuesday of each month, each block takes you on an exciting journey through the wonderful world of cables—from classic twists to interesting rope patterns and everything in between.
Eagle-eyed knitters may notice that this year’s Knitalong is inspired by Norah Gaughan, Berroco’s original cable queen, and her complex crowd favorite Norah’s Vintage Afghan. This Year’s KAL adapts and updates a selection of squares to make it a little more approachable and accessible to more knitters. Work your way through the collection at your own pace, discovering new techniques and building confidence with each design.
Joining the KAL is free, as are the patterns and instructions. The patterns for the squares are both written and charted, and there’s an excellent support video for each. Each month’s pattern is published on the second Tuesday of the month, both on the Berroco website and on Ravelry (Cable Craze Blanket KAL 2026), which will update each month with the new Block. If you sign up for their newsletter (see bottom of their website) you’ll get reminders too.
At the end of 2026, finished projects added to Ravelry will be entered to win a mystery prize pack worth $1000 full of yarn, tools, and accessories from Berroco and its partner brands. Make sure to tag your project #VintageKAL26.
Colours
The project was designed with 3 colours (one light, one medium, one dark), but you can do any combination you like. I especially like it monochromatic, or even 3 light neutral shades that are close together.
Size
Completed Blanket: Approximately 50½ ” / 128 cm x 66″ / 167.5 cm
This year’s Knitalong is inspired by this FREE pattern, Norah’s Vintage Afghan. If you like your cables a bit spicier, then feel free and dive into this pattern; the cables are GORGEOUS! Like the KAL, Norah’s Vintage Afghan also uses Berroco Vintage, but it’s a bit more complex, using 5 colours and comprising 20 blocks.
Does anything say Canada to Canadians more than the iconic Hudson Bay Blanket? It’s simple design is timeless and a hand-knit version would make for a super-special baby gift. The pattern is beginner-friendly (it’s just straight knitting), and makes a great low-brain activity, summer project. And it’s FREE, so that’s a bonus too!
Size
34 inches wide and 39 inches long
NOTE: Garter stitch has a tendency to stretch, so your blanket will “grow” beyond these dimensions.
The Hudson Bay Inspired Baby Blanket is made with worsted weight yarn, so you’ve got several great options to choose from! I’ve colour combined and art-directed the colours, so you don’t have to worry about which shades match and balance together – I’ve got you covered! Working with the palates available from each yarn line, I tired to create as many combinations that looked good as possible. I also tried to go for different aesthetics, the classics are closest to the iconic blankets sold by the Hudson Bay Company, and feature clearer, brighter colours. The subdued combos are a more modern, grown-up take on the hues, and are darker.
Cascade 220 Superwash is an affordably priced, machine washable Peruvian wool yarn. It’s soft enough for baby garments and blankets, knits easily, and has been a staple around here for a LONG time. If you aren’t into synthetics this is a great choice!
classic colours: six skeins of 817 Aran or 871 White, and one skein each of 251 Evergreen, 809 Really Red, 877 Golden, 1924 Midnight Heather
slightly darker colours: six skeins of 817 Aran or 871 White, and one skein each of 1950 Hunter Green, 893 Ruby, 877 Golden, 854 Navy.
Berroco Vintage is a super soft, machine washable blend of wool, acrylic and nylon. It’s easy on the hands and the pocketbook, and is another very popular choice for babies and kids. This yarn is also a longstanding resident around here.
classic colours: six skeins of 5101 Mochi or 5100 Snow Day, and one skein each of 5152 Mistletoe, 5151 Cardinal, 5121 Sunny, 51182 Indigo Heather.
somewhat subdued colours: six skeins of 5101 Mochi or 5100 Snow Day, and one skein each of 5193 Yukon Green, 51181 Ruby Heather, 5127 Butternut, 51182 Indigo Heather.
grown-up heathered colours: six skeins of 5101 Mochi or 5100 Snow Day, and one skein each of 5177 Douglas Fir Heather, 5181 Black Currant Heather, 5192 Chana Dal Heather, 51182 Indigo Heather.
Berroco Vintage Chunky is a slightly thicker version of Berroco Vintage (above), and knits on 6mm/US10 needles. Because this yarn is thicker you’ll need to cast on about 25% fewer stitches (119 sts).
classic colours: six skeins of 6101 Mochi 0r6100 Snow Day, and one skein each of 6152 Mistletoe, 6151 Cardinal, 6121 Sunny, 61182 Indigo Heather.
You can also use Estelle Breeze to make a Cotton version in sorbet baby colours. Breeze is also thicker and works up on 6mm/US10 needles, so you’ll want to cast on 119 stitches.
Many of you picked up your materials for the 2025 Berroco Mystery Blanket KAL last week, but there’s no deadline to join and we’re always happy to order a kit it for you. We carry the yarn, Berroco Vintage, year round and are constantly restocking, so if you want to you can also just get one skein of each colour and try it on and see if this type of project fits you (although the dye lots won’t match, but it’s a blanket so not a huge deal).
Berroco has thought of just about everything for this KAL … they’ve come out with 7 different colour combinations, and they’ve cleverly drawn up pretty diagrams so you can dream up your own colours combos and get an idea of what the blanket will look like. They’ve already published the pattern for January (see below), and a supporting video is available for techniques and skills (see below). There are online groups available on Facebook and Ravelry where you can meet other MKAL knitters and share your accomplishments (see below).
At the end of 2025, finished projects added to Ravelry will be entered to win aYear’s Worth of Yarn, so make sure to tag your Ravelry project with VintageMKAL25 (Instagram might not hurt either).
Build your skills with Berroco’s year-long Mystery Blanket Knit Along! The Berroco Design Team has worked to create a delightful mix of techniques and methods for twenty 12 x 12″ squares that come together to create a stunning finished blanket. Practice outside-in, centre-out, and straight-up and down knitting as you work through the collection of squares with their engaging mix of constructions. Throughout the year, you’ll work squares featuring texture patterns, lace, cables, slipped stitches, stranded colorwork, intarsia, and finish with a cable and lace combo. Squares are seamed together during finishing with a border added to frame your masterpiece with the perfect finishing touch.
This Kit is a Pre-Order
We keep this yarn in stock in-store all year, but we may not have enough of the quantities for your kit in stock and we will special order more for you. When ordering please assume that it’s being special ordered for you, but if we can we will prepare it right away from stock we have in store.
Many of you picked up your materials for the 2025 Berroco Mystery Blanket KAL last week, but there’s no deadline to join and we’re always happy to order a kit it for you. We carry the yarn, Berroco Vintage, year round and are constantly restocking, so if you want to you can also just get one skein of each colour and try it on and see if this type of project fits you (although the dye lots won’t match, but it’s a blanket so not a huge deal).
Berroco has thought of just about everything for this KAL … they’ve come out with 7 different colour combinations, and they’ve cleverly drawn up pretty diagrams so you can dream up your own colours combos and get an idea of what the blanket will look like. They’ve already published the pattern for January (see below), and a supporting video is available for techniques and skills (see below). There are online groups available on Facebook and Ravelry where you can meet other MKAL knitters and share your accomplishments (see below).
At the end of 2025, finished projects added to Ravelry will be entered to win aYear’s Worth of Yarn, so make sure to tag your Ravelry project with VintageMKAL25 (Instagram might not hurt either).
Build your skills with Berroco’s year-long Mystery Blanket Knit Along! The Berroco Design Team has worked to create a delightful mix of techniques and methods for twenty 12 x 12″ squares that come together to create a stunning finished blanket. Practice outside-in, centre-out, and straight-up and down knitting as you work through the collection of squares with their engaging mix of constructions. Throughout the year, you’ll work squares featuring texture patterns, lace, cables, slipped stitches, stranded colorwork, intarsia, and finish with a cable and lace combo. Squares are seamed together during finishing with a border added to frame your masterpiece with the perfect finishing touch.
This Kit is a Pre-Order
We keep this yarn in stock in-store all year, but we may not have enough of the quantities for your kit in stock and we will special order more for you. When ordering please assume that it’s being special ordered for you, but if we can we will prepare it right away from stock we have in store.
As per your request, I’ve reshuffled the Blanket of Joy kit to include both a worsted weight (4.5mm/US7 needle) and a chunky/bulky weight (6mm/US10 needle) option. I had to play around a bit with the colours for the Chunky weight, but getting the project done faster may have more value to you than having the colours ‘just-so’. Additionally, a few people found the pattern unclear in some places (myself included) so I made revisions to clarify everything and even drew up a chart for you to keep track row by row.
The Blanket of Joy is a simple knit, which is also important right now … Keep It Simple, am I right? Simple bands of colour are knit in offset segments of stocking and reverse stocking stitch to create an easy, graphic combination of colour and texture. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the most brilliant! Need some help with weaving in the ends? Check out our Skills Page!
In the book Joyful, Ingrid Fetel Lee talks about the revitalization of the run-down, crime-ridden city of Tirana, Albania … which was initiated with the very easy and affordable approach of painting buildings bright colours. I’ll leave the details for you to read up on (the book was really good), but if painting a run-down building bright orange can initiate the transformation of a city, maybe it’s not too far a stretch to posit that a joyfully coloured blanket can initiate positive change in a life?
My client Leesa brought me The Blanket of Joy, and as soon as I saw it I knew it was marvellous and needed to be shared! The world is so full of uncertainty right now, it’s more important than ever to choose carefully how we focus our energy. Like attracts like and like begets like, so I think something bright, happy, and full of joy is a good place to put our attention.
The Blanket of Joy is a simple knit, which is also important right now … Keep It Simple, am I right? Simple bands of colour are knit in offset segments of stocking and reverse stocking stitch to create an easy, graphic combination of colour and texture. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the most brilliant! The pattern looks like it’s suitable for novices and experienced knitters alike. Need some help with weaving in the ends? Check our our Skills Page!
Yarn
The project is a “lets see if we can find a way to use every colour in the crayon box” type of experiment.
Option 1. I think BERROCO VINTAGE fits the bill perfectly – it’s soft, comfortable, affordable, machine washable, and comes in a slew of colours. You’ll need 1 skein in each of 22 colours, and I suggest using 4.5mm/US7 needles. If you’re using Vintage your tension will be slightly different (it will knit a bit faster) and you’ll have about 25% more yardage than in the pattern, so you should be able to get away with making your blanket a smidge wider.
Option 2. If you wanted to make a blanket that is smaller in budget I recommend using BERROCO VINTAGE BABY (get 1 ball of each of the 22 colours) with 4mm/US6 needles. The colours aren’t the same as the original pattern, so you’ll have to get a little creative shuffling them around, but the palette available is beautiful and complimentary, all the colours work together. The yarn is super soft and easy to work with, it’s machine washable, and at $4.97 a ball it makes for an affordable project.
In the book Joyful, Ingrid Fetel Lee talks about the revitalization of the run-down, crime-ridden city of Tirana, Albania … which was initiated with the very easy and affordable approach of painting buildings bright colours. I’ll leave the details for you to read up on (the book was really good), but if painting a run-down building bright orange can initiate the transformation of a city, maybe it’s not too far a stretch to posit that a joyfully coloured blanket can initiate positive change in a life?
P.S.
Thank you for your support following our COVID Policy update yesterday. At last check, I’ve received at least 16 replies, all of them positive. I’m glad we’re on the same page … you made my heart grow two sizes this afternoon!
When it comes to gifting socks for the holidays, I have a few key elements that are on my must-have list:
They must be soft and comfortable – if nobody wants to wear them then what’s the point in making them?
They must be machine washable AND stand up to wear. Once they leave the wrapping paper these socks are in the wild, they must be able to defend themselves!
They need to be pretty, or interesting, or have something unique about them. Complicated is definitely not necessary, but some kind of design feature should be present to create a bit of a WOW factor.
It can’t take forever to make them …. the thinnest yarn I want is a DK weight. House socks are a perfectly legitimate holiday gift, especially for wearing around the house during the holidays.
Berroco’s Vintage line of yarns is ideal for just such a purpose. They’re all super soft, machine washable, made with nylon so your socks will wear well, come in a bunch of pretty colours, and come in DK, Worsted and Chunky/Bulky weights, and they’re all affordably priced, so you’ll still be able to afford to go discount hunting after the holidays.
When doing a K2P2 rib (also known as a 2×2 rib) always go down a full mm in size. 2×2 rib is looser that stocking stitch and you need the smaller needlet to get the proper tension.
K1P1 rib (1×1 rib) is naturally nighter than the 2×2, and you don’t need to go down as much to get the right tension (half a mm is fine).
AYLA uses Berroco Vintage Chunky to quickly whip up a fast, super pretty pair of house socks. These socks are knit from the top down with a simple cable repeat worked on the front and top of the foot, as well as the back above the heel flap. The instructions are for two circular needles (see tuturial working in the round on 2 circular needles), but you can use any sock knititng technique you prefer. with a simple cable repeat worked on the front and top of the foot, as well as the back above the heel flap.
Skill Level
Advanced Beginner to Intermediate
Cable knitting is super simple, don’t let it intimidate you, you’ll love it!
Size
Approximately 8″ around leg and foot x 10″ from top edge to top of heel
KEEL are classic boot socks for men that work up quickly in Berroco Vintage DK. They feature contrast stripes on the toes and cuff. They’re made with a traditional top-down construction with a heel flap.
Skill Level
Advanced Beginner to Intermediate
Size
Approximately 10″ around x 8″ to top of heel flap
Materials
Berroco Vintage DK: 2 skeins, 1 in each of 2 colours (shown in 2107 Cracked Pepper and 2134 Sour Cherry )
Tin Can Knits make great patterns that are clear, easy to follow, and always come in a range of sizes for the whole family. These simple boot socks are sure to please everyone!
These socks are super cute and show how a simple, vanilla sock can come to life with a few extra colours thrown in. Berroco Vintage Baby in smaller 50g skeins, which are super convenient when you want to introduce extra colour to your project. It also comes in a palette of bright, pretty colours, perfect for happy colour blocked socks!
Skill Level
Advanced Beginner
Size
22.5 (24, 25) cm long (Or whatever length you like)!
These unisex socks make a great gift – in darker colours they’re handsome, in brighter colours they’re pretty! They’re a classic top-down heelp-flap construction with a simple and sweet fair isle design.
Skill Level
Advanced Beginner to Intermediate
Size
Small (Medium, Large)
Materials
Berroco Vintage: 2 skeins in main colour, 1 skein in each of 2 contrast colours
So it’s time to come clean … I’ve always wanted a pair of candy cane socks. Barber-pole stripes are my favourite christmas aesthetic. The pattern is designed as tube socks, but it’s easy to add an afterthought heel.
Skill Level
Advanced Beginner to Intermediate
Size
Women’s sizes Small (Medium, Large)
7 (8.25, 9.5) inches in circumference, unstretched
8 .5 (10, 11.5) inches in circumference, comfortably stretched
14 (15, 16) inches long
When you’re deciding which size to make, consider getting the sock over your heel. That is the widest part of the journey, and these socks are not super stretchy! The size shown in these pictures is a Small.
Cold feet? These bulky slipper socks are just the ticket to keep your feet warm all winter. They also knit up quickly, and therefore make good holiday gifts. Even if you’ve never knit socks before, the bulky yarn makes these toe-up socks easy, and will teach you the skills necessary to knit other toe-up socks patterns. The pattern includes links to a four-part video tutorial.
Our local knitting guild, The Needlework Guild of Canada, very graciously invited me to attend their first Knit in the Park, so I whipped up a little kit for them, a Pumpkin Beanie. I figured it’s timely, what with harvest season approaching. Plus, there is no child ever who isn’t ADORABLE in a pumpkin hat. Since our guild knits for charity I wanted it to be something that was gender neutral, and makes a great gift for anyone. I sized the hat from preemie to kids of all ages, and you should be able to get 2 pumpkin hats out of one kit (and probably a third green hat too). The yarn is the ever soft and Berroco Vintage, but if you want to upgrade go for the combo I assembled with Malabrigo Rios.
We wanted the skill level to be accessible to knitters in the beginner spectrum, so there isn’t any colourwork or charts, you just need the following skills:
Read a knitting pattern
Cast on & Bind off
Knit & Purl in the same row
Work in the round on circular & double pointed needles
Last week was baby week, and this week is brought to you by kids. When my niece and nephew were babies they were so cute and loveable that I thought I never wanted them to grow up. What I didn’t realizes was that the best thing about babies was that they grow up to be kids; interesting, cool, funny, silly, beautiful little people. Kids love a hand knit, as long as it’s soft, and in a colour they like. It doesn’t matter how obnoxious the colour is, just go with it – they’ll wear it until they can’t squeeze themselves into it anymore. Kids LOVE colour.
By the way, all of these knits are also available for adults, so you & the kid in your life kid can match. If you love the idea of a family of matching knits, check out the patterns by Tin Can Knits, they often designed with a FULL range of sizes, from newborn baby to adult 6XL.
Amari
Amariis a seamless tee that begins at the neck and is worked down. Easy eyelet stitches shape the yoke and add decoration to the neckline at the same time. Derecho is worked in one piece from the neck down. Neck and lower edges are shaped using short rows. For an adult version of this top see Derecho.
Berroco Remix Light is a multi-seasonal yarn that’s so comfortable you’ll find the garments made with it become some of your favourites (you know, the one you wear over and over and over again, until you get tired of the colour so you make another in a new colour … etc). It’s super soft, light, breathable, machine washable, and it’s made in France from an eco-friendly blend of 100% recycled fibres.
Lawrence is a simple pullover with garter stitch texture, that’s cute for boys and girls. It is knit in a conventional way in 4 pieces and seamed together (a great option for beginners if working in the round is a bit daunting). The drop-shoulder construction makes it super easy to seam the sleeves, which is usually the scariest part of finishing. For an adult version of this pullover see Larry.
For the yarn, we’ve substituted the ultra wearable and very affordable Berroco Vintage – a soft, worsted weight machine washable wool/synthetic blend. A knitting store staple, it features a wide color range, an incredibly soft feel and yardage that goes on and on. Its unique fiber blend makes laundering a breeze and perfectly suited for easy-care garments for both children and adults.
Skill Level: Advanced-Beginner to Intermediate
Size
2(4, 6, 8, 10, 12)
To fit Chest Size: 23(24-25-26-27-28)˝
Finished Chest: 25(26-27-28-29-30)˝
Finished Length: 16(16½-17½-18-19-20)˝
This garment was designed with approximately 2˝ of ease. Please take this into consideration when selecting your size.
Jemison is an adorable vintage-inspired cardigan. It’s perfect for layering on a chilly day, and has cute pockets for kids to hold all the little treasures they pick up in their adventures. This sweater is worked flat in pieces and seamed. We’re pairing Jemison with Berroco Vintage, our go-to yarn for sweaters kids love to wear. For a grown-up version of this sweater check-out Headland.
