Tension

Tuesday 17^th February 2026

I am knitting a huge Fairisle blanket. It’s a gift for Lily. 

This blanket is inspired by Lily’s love for the current hugely popular trend for gingham (and all things old-fashioned; now I wish I had not thrown out my frilly cushions).  Lily especially likes pink and cream or white gingham, so that is what I am knitting.

It’ll be steeked – obvs I am knitting it in the round – and edged with a mitred border which will also enclose the steeked sides.

Because I usually knit more traditional Fairisle or images in Fairisle, I have never knitted a grid or squared pattern before. I did swatch, of course, but not huge swatches just enough for data. 

So I cast on eleventy-hundred stitches and on I went. In short order, a very distinct corrugated effect emerged. Hmmm. I ploughed on, but I began to worry that I’d knit this thing for weeks and it would not block flat. I checked my floats and tension again and again. In the end, I posted a query on a Facebook knitting site, and asked for some input. Now, most of the comments I got back were positive and some were really helpful. But. One person said (and I roughly quote): ‘You SAY you’re an experienced Fairisle knitter, but…’ She then went on to tell me that my tension was terrible and the floats too short or long – I can’t remember now – and too tight or not tight enough. It was the ‘you SAY…’ for me, as if I had said: ‘ I am an experienced space traveller…’

 

 

Anyway, I then cast on a huge swatch which I also steeked, edged all round and blocked.  Here it is in all its stages. This awatch alone took 3 days.

It’s fine. It’s flat. So I am pressing on but this knitting is now simply enormous. And I am still worried about it. It is so huge, I am going to have to knit the border, which is picked up and knitted all in one circular method, with 3 x 150 long circular needles, which I will have to use like giant, floppy, DPNs. And the real thing is much more corrugated than this was but I am honestly past caring. 

Ali, you might think, or even say: Oliver Bonas exists, you could have bought something similar. Or knitted something flat, easier…?

But that is the thing with us knitters, we like knitting (usually) and we often love giving knitting gifts.

This was typically not me, when I knitted, designed and taught for a living. I didn’t have time and almost never gave anyone something I had knitted.

Now though, I usually knit gifts. So that’s why the giant pink and white blanket.

That said, I have had 2 quite recent experiences of gifting a knitted item and deeply regretting it, based on the reactions of the recipients. I have, for example, never been thanked. Now even if I lost my mind and knitted you a pair of felted oven gloves, you’d have to say thank you, and show me a pic of you using them, just before you hurled them into the back of the understairs cubby. Have I seen hide, hair or stitch of these items, in their new setting or being used? No. Before you murmur: Ali. Did you ask first if they’d be welcome? Yes, I did. We know how long it takes to knit something. So yes. 

These people will never be burdened with an item hand knitted by me, ever again, and I am sure this will be a relief to us all.

Wish me luck with the Massive Blanket.