It’s time to finally share our Galway Club Blanket patterns! We have been watching as your yarn has been shipping and arriving in its new homes around the world.
We know you’ve been excited to cast on and TODAY is THE DAY!
Blanket Overview
Our Galway Cabled Blanket pattern will be released in four parts. Each of these parts will have three different patterns for your blanket squares. These squares will usually have two cable patterns and a textured stitch pattern.
Each part of the project will be released two weeks apart, allowing you time to work through each of the blanket squares before the next set is released.
By the end of this project, you will have the pattern for twelve blanket squares. If you are doing a throw sized blanket, how you use these patterns and which ones you choose to repeat is entirely up to you. This means that each club member can tailor their blanket with their favourites.
Want more cable squares? Then omit the textured squares.
Want to add a diagonal line of texture squares to your blanket? The yarn is at your mercy.
Because of this reason, it’s important for you to spend some time planning how you would like your squares to go together. This can be done after all the 12 squares are released, and you have your initial squares knit.
Don’t worry we have all the videos you need with tips and step-by-step tutorials to help you through the entire process.
Tutorial Workshop List and How to Find Them
If you’re a Galway Club Member, you can find your tutorials right here. You can also find this link and more tips in your club newsletter.
In part one of the blanket project, you will find the following tutorials and more in your account:
- Blanket overview and how to plan your squares
- Working your cast on
- Working your blanket square edges
- Binding off your blanket squares
- Moss Stitch Blanket Square by Eimear Earley
- Honeycomb Blanket Square by Eimear Earley
- Nautical Braids Blanket Square by Carol Feller
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a seasoned cable knitter or if this is your first introduction to knitted cables. We have dedicated comments sections under each tutorial should you need some extra help and all videos are fully captioned in English.
Share Your Progress: Join Our Knitting Community
Want to chat about your blanket design? Not sure if your square is looking a bit wonky? Don’t forget we have a dedicated chat and support thread in our community on Knithub. This is a closed space just for Galway Club members, so post away! Eimear and Carol will also be present in our community hub to answer your questions so you can be sure that you are chatting with the project designers themselves!
Gaillimh Yarn and Our Cable Knit Blanket
If this is the first that you are hearing about our Galway Blanket Project, you can press play on the video below to find out all about it. You can also find out about the designers behind the project, our native Irish sheep breed, and our charity support right here.
When you first cast on with your yarn, you will notice how sheepy the wool is! It’s got a rich creamy colour and a firm hand. This makes it great for cables, holding the shape really nicely. You may find it a bit rougher on your hands, adjusting your tensioning style so you don’t grip the yarn tightly will help. And if you’re looking for more tips on tension, keep reading:
Top Tips for Maintaining Consistent Tension
Sometimes when you try a new-to-you yarn, the tension you get when you knit can surprise you. o here are Carol’s top five tips for getting even tension when you knit:
- Try a different method of tensioning your yarn. Around your fingers, around your wrists? Anything goes once it gives you control!
2. Try different needle types; I will always swatch with both wood and metal and every yarn behaves differently.
3. Try to find a knitting style that keeps your hands on the needles, the more you move your hands around, the more chances of having tension variations.
4. Be aware of your environment, both internal and external. If you are tense you will grip your yarn more tightly, if you are cold, your fingers are stiff and less mobile.
5. When moving between knit and purl stitches, try wrapping your purl stitches the ‘wrong’ way to avoid loose stitches.
If you find you’re still having problems with tension, don’t forget to drop over to our Knithub community for support and we will get you right on track.
Charity Update!
As you know, this project is rather special. This club is all about support, on multiple levels. As well as supporting the Galway Wool Co-Op, we wanted to include a charity support. Our chosen Charity is Jigsaw, which provides vital mental health support to young people in Ireland online and in person.
So far, we have donated €1860 to Jigsaw and Donegal Yarns has currently donated €1860 and we will keep you updated as our donations continue!
If you want to find out more about our club, you can read our first post on the Galway Blanket Project here, which contains a video of our farm visit and chat with Blatnaid Gallagher.
Got Questions? Join Our Live Q&A Session
Would you like to chat with the designers of this project?
Then join our ZOOM Live Launch for this project!
We will come to you live from Dublin and Cork on Saturday 27th May 4pm Irish Time where Carol Feller and Eimear Earley will be here to answer your questions and talk about this Galway Banket Project.
Make sure to hit your registration link in your club newsletter and there will be a live replay available in our designated Knithub thread.
Eimear also wrote our introductory essay that you received in your club booklets entitled ‘Irish Wool – The Story so Far’ which looked at the Irish wool industry from the 17th century to today’s current market. So if you have questions you would like to ask during the live for Eimear and you won’t be there pop them in the comments below!
Subscribe for Updates
Our Galway Blanket Project is currently closed for new members, but if you would like to knit your own version of this blanket, sign up to our newsletter to find out when this pattern and workshop series are available to non club members.
Bonus, you get to choose one of our knitting patterns for free!
Can’t wait to cast on a cable blanket? Our Curdach Blanket is ready to go and has an available yarn kit in our Blasta yarn (60% Fine Irish Wool, 40% New Zealand Wool; 232 yds / 212 m per 3.6 oz / 100 g); and to top it off, there is a full accompanying step-by-step project workshop too!
Meet our Feature Designer
Eimear Earley lives in Dublin, Ireland, with two small humans and a supportive spouse. Eimear originally learned to knit as a schoolchild, dabbling with leftovers of yarn and absolutely no concept of gauge or ease during her teenage years. After spending her student years playing with molten glass, she now gets her creative kicks from knitting and spinning wool – much more practical pursuits. Eimear loves to reinterpret old Irish things into modern knitwear, from ancient gold artifacts to less ancient cable knitting.
You can keep up to date with all of Eimear’s designs and publications here.