A couple of weeks ago, I picked up a kit for a Hudson’s Bay blanket and cushion set, and I’ve finally gotten around to starting it. On days where I’m not really feeling creative, I like kits because everything is already all laid out for me. I don’t have to pick a pattern or dither about yarn selection. I can just sit down and go. It’s very soothing.

• 586g / 733m of Estelle Yarns Outback Chunky – a bulky weight (5) yarn (colour A: Natural)
• 36g / 45m of Estelle Yarns Outback Chunky – a bulky weight (5) yarn (colours B, C, D, E: Navy, Lemon, Cherry, Emerald)
• Size 10 (6.00mm) knitting needles (I used Knitter’s Pride 100cm circulars)

Pattern by Sheila at Estelle Yarns

The colour scheme of this blanket is so classically Canadian, I love it. In case you are unfamiliar, it is basically identical to the striped colour scheme used in the Hudson’s Bay Company point blankets. They are called point blankets because of the French word ‘empointer’, where threaded stitches are made on cloth. The width of the point allowed the fur traders to know how big the blanket was, even when it was folded up, as smaller blankets had thinner stripes or points than larger blankets did. These blankets were used extensively through the fur trade, and endured onto modern day society. At some point, HBC settled on their now-iconic green, red, yellow, and indigo stripe pattern. I’ve always thought that if I had my own place, I would want to invest in an authentic HBC blanket for the house. I say invest, because they are a bit on the pricey side, but if you treat them right, they can act like heirloom pieces! It turns out that instead of buying one, I was fated to make my own HBC blanket using a kit pulled together by Estelle Yarns.

I didn’t realize that HBC has recently updated their description of their blankets to include an acknowledgement of colonialism and the devastating impact it had on Indigenous cultures across the land that we now call Canada. I think the right move to recognize the damage done, and how the blanket which might scream Canadiana to some consumers, might scream trauma to another. They are also donating proceeds from point blankets to Indigenous-led organizations, which is a great way of going beyond lip service!

Anyways, to get back to the knitting, this was a great mindless knit. I would recommend working on wool blankets in cooler months though, as we went through a bit of a heat wave while I was working on it, and having a half-finished wool blanket on my lap was not ideal. I also wish that the blanket was a bit wider, as the final dimensions of the blanket were only 89cm x 117xm (35” x 46”), or lapghan sized. This makes it good for one person, but wouldn’t work quite as well for two people to snuggle under. If you were making this blanket, how big would you have wanted it to be?

Until next time, happy crafting!