My husband and I have two teenage boys – one his, one mine. Our boys are the same age and share similar experiences – riding on our shoulders as toddlers, daycare, doctor visits, cub scouts, basketball, middle school, deepening voices, freshman year, etc. While they share some interests, they are very different. One is gregarious, the other introspective; one talkative, the other thoughtful.
One day during a visit, my son asked if I would knit him a blanket. My heart melted. Of course I would. Consulting with my husband, I searched for the perfect pattern. It had to have simple lines and muted colors. After pouring through pattern books and the web, we selected the Hudson’s Bay Point Blanket. It had a rich history, a rustic feel and the palette of primary colors was just right. We could envision this blanket becoming an heirloom piece seeing our son through college, wrapped in front of a fireplace, and one day tucked around tiny feet.
The History
Point blankets were used for trading with native tribes in Canada and the United States, mostly during the 18th and 19th centuries. The value of the blankets was measured by how many beaver pelts one could exchange for them. The color palette is the result of using dyes that were easily accessible. The colors also had significance to the native american tribes: green meant “new life,” red stood for “battle or hunt,” yellow referred to “harvest,” and blue stood for “water.”
A few years ago, the Hudson’s Bay Company commissioned a group of Canadian designers to create coats using the well-known motif. You can view their unique designs here.
[Source]
There are a number of sites on the web about the Hudson’s Bay Company Point Blankets. The Point Blanket Site offers a comprehensive overview and has an excellent bibliography. The Hudson’s Bay Company website also provides a history of the blankets.
The Yarn
I chose 100% Superwash Wool for warmth and ease of cleaning. I found the elemental colors in Cascade Yarns. They did not have enough white so I found a comparable yarn from Ella Rae. I will note that the Ella Rae had an unusual number of knots. Often, I had to unravel a row to cut off the faulty piece and tie on a new string.
- Ella Rae Classic Superwash – 14 balls white (100 grams, 219 yards)
- Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash – 2 balls each in navy, yellow, red and green (100 grams, 220 yards)
To accommodate a growing teen, I wanted the blanket to fit a double bed. Based on the yarn’s gauge and using a US 7 circular needle, I cast on 238 stitches.
The Blanket in Progress
The Finished Blanket
It took a year to knit this blanket. The repetitive garter stitch produces a lovely texture but can be monotonous. Then there were the months abroad when the blanket lay dormant. Upon returning, I was determined to finish it by the holidays. The dimensions turned out at 72″ x 68″ and fit nicely over a full size bed. Based on the standard sizes marketed by the Hudson’s Bay Company, it merited 3½ indigo markings to denote size and approximate weight.
[Source]
The Stats
538 rows
128,044 stitches
4,826 yards of yarn (~ 2.7 miles)
lots of love
The Leftovers
I wonder if we will see bird’s nests dressed up like mini point blankets this Spring?
To my son with love.
Agujas 
What a wonderful gift. I hope he treasures it forever.
Thank you. I hope so too.
A lovely present that your son will treasure forever.
Thanks.
That is just lovely. I want to make one each for my son and daughter, but I had better finish some other projects first!
I know what you mean. It’s tempting to start new projects!
It’s gorgeous! I love how you included the little blue point stripes (not sure if that’s the correct term, but you know what I mean).
When I read about the history and what the points mean, I knew I had to include them. Very practical – you don’t have to unfold the blanket to know what size it is, just look for the points.
Love the design and what a wonderful and loving gift. My thirty year old son still wraps himself in an afghan my mother made for him when he young.
That’s what I’m hoping for. 😊
Such commitment to history. Love it.
I loved the story behind it. I wanted it to be meaningful and the blanket’s history added an interesting element.
What a fantastic blanket! It’s really attractive but very masculine. I’m sure he’ll treasure it.
I hope so 🐣
I’m sure your son will always cherish this special blanket you made just for him ❤ Happy New Year to you! Way to go, beginning the new year with a FO 🙂
I have to tell you, as a knitter, finishing this blanket gave me a great deal of satisfaction! Next project will be small!
For sure… I’ve yet to commit to a blanket and I’m impressed with yours! Mostly smaller projects, like hearts, for me ❤
Absolutely beautiful! I have a large blanket my mom made during my college days that I will always treasure. I’m sure this will be the heirloom piece you imagine with many years of use!
I hope so. He takes very good care of things.
Beautiful gift and post!
🌺 thanks
Wonderful!
Your son is very lucky. Great colour choice. Best wishes, Carina
I can’t take credit for the colors but I do love how they pop!
So sweet and what a treasure. You’re such a good mom 🙂 It turned out perfectly. And I really like the coat. Thanks for sharing.
😊
What a fabulous blanket! I love the story behind it, the colours and the love that went into it! 🙂
Thank you!
An awesome post! Your son’s blanket is simply beautiful, and you couldn’t have made it nicer. Love the color selection. Great work!
So glad you liked it. 🍁
Oh I did, I shared! It is just lovely. Sandy
Reblogged this on Sanderella's Crochet and commented:
I don’t know if anyone visited this blog, but her post and her son’s blanket is simply beautiful, and I enjoyed it very much!
It looks fantastic. I bet it will be loved 🙂
He handles it very carefully. So sweet.
Very nice work! Now what about your step son? Would he want one? I made my 20 year old son a patchwork quilt last January so he has something of mine to always keep and treasure.
Actually, this is for my stepson. The fact that he asked me to make one for him was very touching. We have a loving and respectful relationship but I am always cautious of not crossing the line. He has a great mom already. I am very lucky that he is part of my life.
Wow, everything about that blanket is great; your choice of colours, the workmanship, the story and history behind it and i bet you felt a lot if pleasure in making it and giving it. So lovely.
Thank you. I am very pleased with how it turned out. My stepson loves that the yarn would stretch out to 2.7 miles! Boys.
What a wonderful blanket! The history behind it is fascinating.
Besides the simplicity of the design and the basic colors, that was one of the appeals. It’s a classic look that should feel current no matter how long he has it (I hope).
Beautiful!
🌸 thanks
This blanket is utterly beautiful and thank you for the history. I grew up with the hudson bay blankets, (as kids we always thought they were kind of scratchy!) and this evokes memories from the farm.
During my research, I saw the blanket in old paintings depicting the bartering with Native American tribes and in family ensembles. The original ones demand quite a bit on eBay. So glad you liked the post.
It’s a very special gift and one for him to treasure forever. Now I think you should use the left-overs to make a mini one to put away for the special day when he says that he and his wife have something to tell you…
Great idea! But hopefully that won’t be for a very, very long time!!
How very ambitious. An absolutely awesome undertaking. An heirloom, to be sure. Makes my heart swell to think of the love that went into every stitch. I can only imagine the frustration with all of the knots. I am not so sure I would have been able to see a project such as this to fruition. (I have a tendency to stick to small projects, but would love to do something similar.)
Congratulations on a job very well done.
Thank you. I did have moments of tedium working on it. But as I got closer to the end, it went faster and faster!
Very impressive. Truly a labor of love. And thanks for the history lesson; I always wondered about that familiar pattern.
The more I read about it, the more intrigued I became. Glad you liked it!
WOW!!! love it, maybe my teenage son would want one too??? lol 🙂 I know he is going to use it every day…
Jajaja!
It’s lovely; great colours, wonderful texture! I’m sure your son will love it.
Thanks. I really like the texture too.
A whole lot of love. Wow.
I hope that blanket stays white 🙂
Me too!
Reblogged this on Sara Duggan | Writing My Day Away and commented:
Lovely piece of history with lots of love for your son.
Such fascinating history, it’s a beautiful blanket and I hope it becomes a treasured heirloom. 🙂
Me too.
Q – Wonderful post! Love the history of the blanket and the meaning of the colors. Lucky son!
Lovely post: interesting, well-written story, impressive research, even more impressive workmanship (talent, skill, consistency), and great photos. I may mark all my blankets with points so I’ll know their sizes. And you’ve just provided inspiration for a crocheted hat. (I cannot knit!)
Look forward to seeing the hat.
Such a gorgeous gift for your son! I loved reading about the history of this type of blanket and really like the beautiful colors of the blanket you made.
Thank you. This is a wonderful yet so simple pattern.
Absolutely beautiful! What a lucky boy! I crocheted my first ever blanket for my boy, but he was only one at the time so it was thankfully much smaller than yours! I am so impressed by your perseverance and attention to detail.
Thanks. It was a large undertaking and I had my moments of boredom. I just kept at it on evenings and weekends. Once I got towards the end, it seemed to go faster!
Wow, I admire your dedication and your boy’s a lucky young man!
🌻 thank you
A real labour of love! and lots of patience.
It did get boring after a while but it was worth it.
What a wonderful request…and a beautiful gift and blanket. I’m sure it will be treasured and remembered forever!
Me too.
Your blanket is beautiful. What a wonderful gift for your son! He will treasure it, I am sure! X
Thanks. He is very careful with it. He enjoyed reading the stats.
Glad his blanket has been well received!!
This blanket is beautiful, I recently knitted a throw for my Grandmother (who taught me to knit) and I hope to knit something similar for myself soon! Your pictures are also lovely:)
Thanks! Is the throw on your blog? I’d love to see it.
No it’s not- actually come to think of it I haven’t taken a picture of it! A must do and hopefully i will get round to it soon!:)
Would it be possible to share the pattern? I’m not great at bring able to translate the visual into the process! It’s such an amazing gift.
Using the Cascade Yarn and a US 7 circular needle, I cast on 238 stitches. This produced a blanket size of 72″ x 68″. Gauge is 14 stitches over 4 inches/35 centimeters and 7.5 rows per inch. This blanket is very wide spanning across a double bed and tall enough to completely cover a growing teenager. Knit all rows.
40 rows white
24 rows navy
24 rows white
24 rows yellow
24 rows white
24 rows red
24 rows white
24 rows green
For the middle white section, make it as long as you like. Then repeat the above with the colors in reverse (green-white-red-white-yellow-white-navy-white). I would have preferred if the middle white section had been longer. If I were to knit this blanket again, I would probably knit more white rows in the middle and fewer white rows in between the colors. Hope this is clear!
Thank you do much!!!
This is a beautiful blanket and I’m sure your son will treasure it. Your post was lovely.
He has already slept with it and folds it carefully in the mornings. ☺️
I just started following your blog and what a beautiful story. I shared it with my eleven year old son because I was touched. My son said that looks awesome! I know how it warms my heart when my child asks for me to make this something. I have a daughter and a son and to think that one day they could give what I made them to their children makes me warm and fuzzy. Thank you for this beautiful post and the blanket is absolutely beautiful.
Thanks for reading and it makes me glad your son liked the blanket. My son uses it all the time. 💙
Do you know how your blanket washed, i see lots of comments on the 220. Saying it pelts. Beautiful blanket.
It does get small balled up pelts of the wool when washed. My son uses the blanket all the time so it does need a washing every now and then. If used less often, I would probably recommend spot cleaning.