Three Ontario knitters have begun work on a COVID-19 memorial blanket that is intended to honour the lives of all people who have died from the virus in Canada.
But the three women spearheading the project, Heather Breadner, Allison Day and Amanda Sharpe, know they cannot complete the large art installation blanket alone.
On a new website, they urge other knitters to join them in creating the memorial to more than 8,000 people, with each square in the blanket representing one life lost.
"We are calling all knitters across the country to pick up their needles," says a message on the COVID-19 memorial blanket project website.
"Together, we can create a memorial that can travel through the country, and bring comfort to those who've lost loved ones, and to honour the memories of the souls who are now no longer with us."
Once completed, the blanket is expected to be 9,000 square feet (836 square metres) and weigh about 1,500 pounds (680 kilograms). It will be made up of more than 8,000 knitted squares, all one foot by one foot (30 cm by 30 cm). It will cover half a football field, Breadner said. The project was launched last week.
As a knitter, I wanted to be part of it and I registered right away! I Googled and found that the Knit Cafe, which isn't far from me, sold the required yarn (15% discount if you are buying it for the discount).
MEASUREMENTS: 12 x 12 inches
MATERIALS:
- 1 skein of Berroco Vintage (worsted weight) – any colour can be used for this project (I used purple 5190). The colour Aquae 5125 is being used to represent Frontline/Essential Workers.
- 4.5 mm needles
GAUGE: 20 stitches x 27 rows = 4 inches
PATTERN:
- Cast on 60 stitches.
- Knit 6 rows.
- Repeat these 2 rows until the square measures 11.5 inches:
Row 1 – (right side) Knit all stitches
Row 2 – (wrong side) Knit 5 stitches, purl to the last 5 stitches, knit 5 stitches. - Knit 6 rows.
- Bind off.
- Weave in ends (no need to leave any for seaming).
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