Secret Garden is my tribute to Mary Walker, inspired as it is by some of the design elements in her ‘Garden Plot’ square. It’s made up of 24 diagonally knitted squares which, when sewn together, reveal complex patterns.

The name comes from the book ‘The Secret Garden’ by Frances Hodgson Burnett in which the orphan Mary Lennox discovers an abandoned garden hidden behind a brick wall. My blanket has a brick pattern border to represent that wall and moss stitch paths between the flower beds.

This blanket was knitted with cream wool / cotton yarn with a length about 180m to 50g. I used 2.75mm needles and the finished blanket is about 104 x 69 cm. Each square is roughly 15 cm / 6”. When choosing yarn for this project, look for something with a similar length. I used 450g all together, you will need more if your yarn has less than 180m in 50g.

This is not a quick project but is very enjoyable to knit. Worked with love it would make a special gift for a new baby, something to be treasured for years.