I came up with this design after the death of Ahmaud Arbery and worked on the pattern through much of the BLM protests. All I could think was my 2yr old son was going to one day be a black man and no matter what I taught him or how I prepared him, I would not be able to change how people saw him and reacted towards him. I was so anxious I needed a pattern that wouldn’t amplify that. Once I got into the rhythm this pattern was very relaxing.

I named it Shelter Me in Diamonds blanket because it comes from me wanting to protect all children. I want them to sleep comfortably, dreaming peacefully unaware of the harsh realities of this world for a little bit longer.

Shelter Me in Diamonds blanket is a corner to corner blanket with a quilted diamond texture and a lace border.

It can be worked in any weight yarn and worked up to any size! The finished blanket is diamond shape but can be blocked into a square. Be careful not to “kill” acrylic yarn as you will lose some of the texture.

Pattern notes:

Skill level: Advanced beginner

Materials:
You can use any yarn and needles for this project
The light blue project pictured is 40”x40” and used:
• 6 skeins of Caron Simply Soft yarn (315 yd./skein)
• US6, 4mm, 20-inch, 50cm, circular needles,
• 1 stitch marker
• Tapestry needle for weaving in ends
• Tape measure
• Scissors

Gauge
• Not critical for this project, but you may need to go down one needle size from the recommended size to get the texture to pop.

Sizes
•It’s a corner to corner blanket so you increase until you reach your desired length/width and then decrease until complete.

If you are on my email list, you should’ve received your link to get the pattern for free in your email. If you have not, please let me know.