Good Fortune Blanket: A Symbolic Knitted Gift with Eightfold Blessings and Detailed Instructions

Good Fortume Blanket

Designed by Ada Lai, Great Knit Designs

My husband is Chinese-American and, as a result, I've come to learn and appreciate many aspects of Chinese culture. Of these, I especially like the belief that the number '8' brings good luck, and that multiple 8s will bring good health, good fortune, and a long life. My daughter just graduated college and I wanted to give her a gift that will last a long time and bring her good health, good fortune, and a long life. This blanket is my gift to her. The basic motif is an octagon. Starting with a cast-on of 8 stitches, each color band is worked until there is a multiple of 8 sts in each side of the octagon, with 8 major colors bands (counting the center section). I think that's enough 8s to cover it all. @

Good Fortune Blanket

Skills Required: Knitting in the round from the center out, over a large number of sts using either multiple circular needles and/or very long cables.; increasing using kfb; joining yarn. Finished Dimensions: Approx. 50" (127 cm) diameter across widest part of octagon. See PatternNotes. Yarn: Worsted weight yarn; total 1153 yds in 6 colors: A, B, C, D, E, and a contrast color CC, with following yardages (more or fewer colors may be used as desired): Center (A): 25 yds Color Band 1 (B): 45 yds Color Band 2 (C): 75 yds Color Band 3 (D): 95 yds Color Band 4 (E): 140 yds Color Band 5 (D): 150 yds Color Band 6 (C): 240 yds Color Band 7 (B): 275 yds All CC bands: 145 yds Border (CC): 100 yds Shown in: ·Kollage Yarns' Riveting Worsted: 95% cotton/5% other (100% recycled blue jeans), 163 yds/3.5 oz (149m/100gm) per skein 0 Color A (center): Lava Denim (used 20 yds) 0Color B (color bands 1, 7): Dusk Denim (used 286 yds) OColor C (color bands 2, 6): Charcoal Denim (used 282 yds) 0 Color D (color bands 3, 5): Cloud Denim (used 219 yds) OColor E (color band 4): Pebble Denim (used 124 yds) · Peru Naturtex Partners' Pakucho Organic Cotton: 100% cotton, 88yds/1.760z (80m/50gm) per skein for Color CC (used

Needles:

US 8 (5.0mm): dpns to start, then various length circulars. Recommended: Interchangeable Needles with multiple cables, connectors, and end buttons (e.g., Denise Interchangeable Needles). See Pattern Notes

Gauge:

16 sts and 24 rows = 4" (10 cm) in Stockinette stitch on US 8 (5.0mm) needles. Gauge is not critical for this project, but a different gauge will result in a variation of size and amount of yarn required.

Supplies:

8 stitch markers: 7 in one color, 1 unique to mark beg of round. O(Optional) Additional stitch markers of a 3rd color may be used within each section to mark off sts in groups of 10 or 20 to ease the counting of sts after each round. ·Yarn needle to weave in ends

Good Fortune Blanket

Pattern Notes

The starting cast-on can be any type of center-out cast-on you prefer. Popular methods are Judy's Magic Cast-on, Emily Ocker's Circular Cast-on, and so on. Most methods can easily be found with an Internet search. My favorite is Daniel Yuhas' Disappearing Loop Cast-On ( http://www.superfunknits.com/tutorials/loop.html) , and the more "advanced" version described in his book. Note that each new color of yarn is attached on the next-to-last stitch of the final round of the old color. This is necessary because the first round of each new color starts with a kfb. The recommended method of attaching a new color is to use the tie-on method. This is discussed in most knitting reference books, but a good online link is http://www.craftsy.com/blog/2012/10/fix-it-friday-s0-youve-run-out-of-yarn/ . This method allows you to tighten up the join later when you're ready to weave in the ends, with the added bonus of straightening out the "jog" at the color change. Be sure to always keep your kfb's lined up. To do so, frequently check your st count in each section after working an increase round. Once you get into the 4th color band, there are a lot of sts on the needle and it will start getting crowded if you are using a fixed-cable circular needle. O If you do not have interchangeable needles, then it is recommended that you ust multiple circular needles around the growing circumference, with an additional "working" needle. Work from needle to needle, in the same manner as working with dpns, except that you are using circular needles instead of straight dpns. Just be sure to have a method of securing the sts on each circular needle after working them. Interchangeable needles make it easy to "build" a circular needle with a very long cable. However, I found it easier to distribute the sts over multiple cables, so that you essentially set it up as if you had multiple circular needles. You may increase or decrease the size of this blanket by working more, or fewer, color bands.

Good Fortune Blanket

Instructions

Center

With A and dpns, CO 8. Join to work in the round and place uniquely-colored marker. See Pattern Notes for tips and suggestions. Setup Round 1: Knit one round. Setup Round 2: [Kfb, pm] 7 times, kfb. —8 sts Round 1: Knit to end of round. Round 2: [Kfb, k to marker] 8 times. —16 sts Rep Rounds 1 and 2 until 8 sts are in each section between the markers. —64 sts On the last round, work to 1 st before end of round; attach CC and work last st of round. Note: For all remaining sections, attach the new color for the next section in this manner. See also Pattern Notes for tips on attaching a new yarn.

CC Band

With CC, work Rounds 1 and 2, attaching B on last round of CC. —72 sts

Color Band

[Color Band 1] With B, work Rounds 1 and 2 until 16 sts are in each segment, attaching CC on last st of last round.—128 sts Work CC Band, attaching C on last round. —136 sts [Color Band 2] Work Color Band in C until 24 sts are in each section between markers. —192 sts Work CC Band. —200 sts (8 sections of 25 sts) [Color Band 3] Work Color Band in D until 32 sts are in each section between markers. -256 sts Work CC Band. —264 sts (8 sections of 33 sts) [Color Band 4] Work Color Band in E until 40 sts are in each section between markers. —320 sts Work CC Band. —328 sts (8 sections of 41 sts) [Color Band 5] Work Color Band in D until 48 sts are in each section between markers. —384 sts Work CC Band. —392 sts (8 sections of 49 sts) [Color Band 6] Work Color Band in C until 56 sts are in each section between markers. —448 sts Work CC Band. —456 sts (8 sections of 57 sts) [Color Band 7] Work Color Band in B until 64 sts are in each section between markers. —512 sts

Good Fortune Blanket

Border

Border Rounds 1 and 2: With CC, work CC Band. —520 sts (8 sections of 65 sts) Border Round 3: Purl to end of round. Border Round 4: Rep Round 2 of CC Band. —528 sts (8 sections of 66 sts) Border Rounds 5 and 6: Rep these last two rounds once more. —536 sts (8 sections of 67 sts) Border Round 7: Purl to end of round. Bind off loosely in knit.

Finishing

Weave in ends. Block, if desired. Notes on finishing: If the border wants to flip up and inward, a steam iron may be used to gently press it flat. For wool blankets, blocking should also correct this problem. With cotton blankets, it may reoccur after each washing. If you have knit the blanket with Riveting Worsted and wish to block the blanket, machine-wash the blanket in warm water, then machine-dry on low or medium temperature until slightly damp. Lay out the damp blanket on a blocking board, shaping as needed, and let dry. Thispatternwas created andwrittenbyAdaLai.It isintended forpersonal use only[that is,youmayusethe finished itemsforyourself or for gifts].Thepattern isnot tobe distributed,for freeorformoney,in any format,without the permission of Ada Lai. Items created from this pattern are not to be sold or used for commercial gain without the permission of Ada Lai. If you are interested in working out an agreement to distribute this pattern or to sell products made from this pattern, please contact Adaby e-mail at adalai@greatknitdesigns.com,or by personal message to her Ravelry ID: adaknits. For assistance with this pattern, e-mail adalai@greatknitdesigns.com, or send a personal message in Ravelry to adaknits. (http:/www.ravelry.com/people/AdaKnits). You can also post a question on the Great Knit Designs group in Ravelry (http://www.ravelry.com/groups/greatknit-designs)