Mystery Blanket Club 2026: post 7, August (Mail-Out 7)

Mystery Blanket Club 2026: post 7, August (Mail-Out 7)

Debbie Abrahams

HELLO AND WELCOME TO A VERY HOT AND SUNNY AUGUST INSTALMENT OF THE MYSTERY BLANKET CLUB! The temps here in the UK have dropped down a bit since my last post, but they are still on the whole unusually warm. I absolutely love the sunshine and can think of nothing more appealing when we are in the deepest and darkest days of winter of hot summer days spent in the outdoors. But our poor garden is suffering badly with the lack of rain, so for once I am wishing for some big lengthy downpours to give all our lovely garden plants and flowers a chance of surviving. Everything is sadly looking very yellow and dried up in the garden, so come on rain!!!

This month we begin work on the seventh instalment of the blanket, so we are cruising smoothly towards the end of this year's project now with the end in sight. Next year is a huge milestone with the launch of the twentieth blanket in the MBC series, the design for which is now well underway with the colour palette sorted and yarns being sampled ready for production. You can read about the 2027 Mystery Blanket launch further on in the blog and find out more about what I have in store for next year's design. I am loving working on a brand new project, inspired by one of my most favourite ever themes. So if this is stirring your curiosity, read on!...

There are six squares to knit this month, but you're in for a fairly easy and stress-free month as they are repeats of previous squares, some with slight variations. I managed to get the new tech vid done as well showing how to sew a cast-off edge to a selvedge edge (Square 17 to Square 18), which you can view if needed, and read more about later on in the blog.

This is a list of what tech vids are available to you if you need any knitting help:

IF YOU ORDERED PRINTED PATTERNS THEN THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THEY HAVE ALL BEEN POSTED, so I am hoping that you are sitting there with them, out of the envelope and ready to use. However, if you are not, then they are on their way to you with the overseas posted on Friday 24th July and the UK on Tuesday 28th July.

If you are eager to get started you can access the August digital file from your Debbie Abrahams account on our website. This is where all of your digital patterns are stored and you can access them anywhere and at any time.

IMPORTANT DATE! ON FRIDAY 21ST AUGUST WE WILL BE LAUNCHING SIGN-UPS FOR OUR 2027 MYSTERY BLANKET CLUB! This is a massive milestone in the Mystery Blanket collection with 2027 celebrating twenty years of MBC! So to celebrate I am working on a blanket design that I think is going to be hugely popular, and, unlike all previous Mystery Blankets, I will reveal the theme when we launch the sign-ups. However, the forty-nine squares will remain a mystery, only to be revealed as each mail-out is launched. So you can still experience the excitement of having mystery squares to knit up every month, and have fun guessing what the title is too!

So what colours are in the 2027 Mystery Blanket? Think deep indigo, rich red, emerald green, gold and silver, with glances of royal purple and intense magenta, all combined together to create a palette of strong, vibrant colours. And the yarns? One of the all-time Rowan favourites, the wonderful Felted Tweed is combined with my new own-branded yarn which we are currently sampling in a softer combination of fibres to offer you a knitting kit that is bursting with luxurious yarns, giving you the best knitting experience possible. And of course, it goes without saying that there will be lots of beads in it too, to make your Mystery Blanket extra super sparkly. How can you resist!?!

That's all I am going to say for now, but keep an eye on your inbox and in a few weeks time you will not only learn more about the 2027 Mystery Blanket Club and our special Early Bird offer, but you can get yourself signed up straight away in our online shop. So be sure to make a note on your calendar!

OUR MID-SUMMER SALE IS NOW ON! So if you fancy stocking up on your beads, knitting kits, download patterns and yarn, head on over to our online shop for a browse. We have some fantastic offers which are available to you until August 9th:

  • Up to 25% off selected knitting kits
  • 20% off all other knitting kits, beads, yarn and download patterns

With Autumn just around the corner, it's time to get new projects sorted and ready for the season ahead, so why not treat yourself to something really special in our shop today!

WITH FEW LETTERS LEFT TO ADD TO THE PUZZLE, THE TITLE OF THIS YEAR'S MYSTERY BLANKET IS ALMOST REVEALED! But there is still time to send in your guess if it is still a mystery. So this month I am going to give you another letter, the letter 'S', which will be the final letter as there is only one more to add to the puzzle before the title is revealed in full:

S_ U L / _ F / M _ R _ C C _ 

So put your thinking caps on and see what you can come up with. With just a few months to go after this instalment, the mystery is almost over, but there is still time for one last try!

THERE ARE SIX SQUARES TO KNIT THIS MONTH, WITH TWO OPTIONS TO CHOOSE:

Square 39, Option One: Souk - fairisle pattern with hooked-in beads:

Square 39, Option Two: Souk 2 - stocking stitch with hooked-in beads:

Square 40: Labyrinth - cable pattern with twisted stitches (same for both options):

Square 41: Lanterns 3 - lace pattern with hooked-in beads (same for both options): 

Square 42, Option One: Ornate - fairisle pattern with hooked-in beads:

Square 42, Option Two: Ornate 2 - striped pattern with textured stitches and slip-stitch beads:

Square 45: Majorelle 4 - slip-stitch bead pattern:

Square 46: Aromatic 2 - striped pattern with garter stitch and textured stitches:

Don't forget to check out the Pattern notes and tips for each square which are to the right of the main image on the first pattern page. This advice gives you important information about the square and things to watch out for. Also take note of the description of the square under the title which tells you what the stitch structure is.

SQUARE 39, SOUK (OPTION ONE): there are a couple of slight variations to this square, and this variation is the same as Square 23.

Tech vids to help you with this square:

If you knitted Option One for Square 11, then I would advise that you knit the same option for this square to keep the design balanced.

The background colour is in three wide bands, alternating from Peacock to Turquoise, and then back to Peacock. The second colour for the pattern also changes across the square from Indigo to Crimson, to Sulphur and then back to Indigo. These colour changes match Square 23.

It is important to read the Pattern notes and tips on page 6 of your August mail-out, especially the second bullet point about the needle size to use for this square. I have had feedback from some of the members that the recommended 4.00mm needle for rows 3-46 of Souk was creating too loose a tension in comparison to the other squares in the blanket. So if this is the case, replace the 4.00mm needle with a 3.75mm, and the 3.50mm needle with a 3.25mm needle, and this will tighten up the tension and result in a smaller size square.

Remember that all of the beads are hooked-in, so no bead threading is needed. Simply follow the chart and hook them in when you see the bead symbol on each beaded row.

SQUARE 39, SOUK 2 (OPTION TWO): this is the alternative square to knit if you prefer an all-over beaded pattern to a fairisle pattern.

Tech vids to help you with this square:

As mentioned above for Option One, it is recommended that you choose the same option that you chose for Square 11.

So if Option Two is your preferred choice you've got an all-over beaded pattern to knit using Red and Gold beads. They are all hooked-in, so no pre-threading, but it might be an idea to pre-thread all of them onto a spare length of yarn, and then you can simply slide them off as and when you need them to hook them in. I found this easier and less stressful than picking up each individual bead one at a time, and consequently my knitting experience was more efficient and much more enjoyable too!

SQUARE 40, LABYRINTH: this is knitted in the same colourway as Square 10 back in May in Mail-Out 4.

Tech vids to help you with this square:

You can knit this square from either a worded pattern or a chart - or follow both if preferred. The worded pattern matches the chart row for row which should make it easier if you need to cross-check an instruction.

If you cast your mind back to May, you might remember that the stitches are cabled on wrong-side rows, which may seem a little strange at first. But once you get going, it really is no more difficult than cabling on a right-side row. The only disadvantage is that you can't see the cables unless you turn the work round so that the right-side is facing you. But as long as you hold the stitches to the front and to the back when instructed, you should find that the cables are twisted correctly and that your square looks like the image on page 10.

The cable instructions are c8f and c8b, but it is advisable to read the explanations of these two abbreviations before you make a start as the stitches are knitted differently to a standard c8f and c8b cable pattern. You will find the abbreviations list on page 31 of your August mail-out.

Remember that a smaller needle is recommended for this square, 3.25mm. I had to stretch out my square quite a lot when I blocked it, but after it was dry it measured the correct dimensions. However, if you think your square is knitting up too tightly, change to the next needle size up to loosen the tension.

The chart on page 12 may look a little daunting as there are lots of horizontal dashes and crosses. But the key beside the chart clearly tells you what these mean. It's exactly the same as the charts for Squares 10 and 38 - the 'x' means a reverse stitch (knit on wrong-side rows and purl on right-side rows), and the horizontal dash means work through the back of the loop (K1tbl or P1tbl, depending on whether you are on a right-side or wrong-side row). 

This square is best blocked and pressed with the right-side facing as you will be able to pin out the edges a lot easier with the fabric curling in rather than under.

SQUARE 41, LANTERNS 3: this is the third square in the Lanterns series, with the only difference being the colour of the hooked-in beads, everything else is the same.

Tech vids to help you with this square:

For this square you can choose between working from a chart OR worded instructions. Hopefully you will be able to remember the stitch pattern from the first mail-out in February and the most recent reknit of it in April. However, if you get stuck with any of the lace abbreviations, there is a tech vid which you can watch for some guidance, plus there are explanations of them in the Abbreviations list on page 31.

So let's take a closer look at the symbols on the chart and run back over what they mean, just in case you need a reminder. There are M1L (make one left) and M1R (make one right) increases on some of the rows. These increases are created by picking up the bar/strand between two stitches and working into it either from the back or the front (this determines the slant of the stitches). On the chart itself they are both represented by 'M', but if you look at the left and right sides of the chart it specifies whether they are M1L or M1R.

The stitches with a horizontal dash are K1tbl and P1tbl, which is the same as the symbol on the chart for Square 40, Labyrinth. So these stitches are knitted through the back of the loop on both right-side and wrong-side rows, and are therefore twisted which makes them tight and neat.

There are also symbols for yarn over, ssk and K2tog, all of which you can find explanations for in the Abbreviations list on page 31.

Red beads are hooked in to the square, of which there are 28, added to the knitting in pairs, so there is no pre-threading for this technique - you simply hook them in when you are instructed to do so.

One last thing, don't forget to watch out for the needle size swaps for the rows of garter stitch. They are included in the worded instructions, but they are also written on the side of the chart on page 15. The main lace pattern uses 3.25mm needles (note that these are smaller than the main recommended size of 3.50mm, they are one metric size smaller), and 2.50mm needles for the garter stitch rows.

SQUARE 42 (OPTION ONE), ORNATE: this is an exact repeat of Square 8 from the very first mail-out back in February.

Tech vids to help you with this square:

I would recommend that you choose the same option that you chose for Square 8 so that the overall design is balanced and symmetrical.

The pattern is worked partially from worded instructions and partially from charts, beginning on page 17 working from Chart 1. Both charts are knitted using the fairisle technique, so if you are unfamiliar with this or need a reminder, check out my tech vid which will guide you through the basics of the fairisle technique including how to strand and weave-in. 

You will notice that you are instructed several times to transfer the stitches back onto the other needle. To do this you need to carefully slide them one by one back onto the other needle. Alternatively you could knit this square using a circular needle or double-points, then you would just need to slide the stitches to the other end of the needle.

Just a reminder that when you start to work from Chart 2 you are beginning Row 1 with a wrong-side row. However, because the chart is completely symmetrical you can read it from whichever direction you prefer as the pattern will come out the same.

There are 23 Indigo beads hooked into the fairisle pattern. On Chart 1 the beads are hooked onto a Turquoise stitch, and on Chart 2 they are hooked onto a Crimson stitch (this might be difficult to see on the chart). 

SQUARE 42 (OPTION TWO), ORNATE: this is very similar to squares 6, 8 and 42, but this time you are knitting in Bright Green beads.

Tech vids to help you with this square:

As mentioned above for Option One, I would recommend that you choose the same option that you chose for Square 8 so that the overall design is balanced and symmetrical.

There are needle size changes throughout the pattern - you are using 3.50mm needles for most of the rows, but swapping to 2.50mm for the rows of Tangerine garter stitch. These needle size changes will help to keep your knitting really neat and the width of the square uniform.

The Bright Green beads in this square are knitted in using the slip-stitch method, so this means you will need to pre-thread them onto the Tangerine yarn before you join it into the work. There are 84 beads in total which can be threaded on all in one go. 

In case you need a reminder, the squiggly rows in Turquoise and Crimson (see Rows 6-7 and 22-23), involve increases and decreases to create the textured pattern. The stitch count is increased at the end of the first row and decreases back down to the original number at the end of the second row. If you find the worded instructions a bit tricky to follow then check out the tech vid called 'Square 16, Sandy Squiggles' and this will show you how to knit these two rows. The vid is not specific to this blanket, it was created for the 2025 Mystery Blanket. However, how the textured stitch pattern is created is the same.

SQUARE 45, MAJORELLE 4: this is a reknit of Square 5 with lots of vibrantly coloured beads to knit in using the slip-stitch method.

Tech vids to help you with this square:

Before you cast on you will need to thread on beads, the instructions for which are on page 21 of the mail-out. They are threaded on in two batches, chart rows 1-34 and chart rows 35-64. Be aware that beads are knitted in on both right-side and wrong-side rows, which has previously caught some of you out. So be prepared for this as it's absolutely correct and perfectly possible to do!

It is absolutely essential that the beading sequence is spot on to get the beaded pattern correct, so it would be a good idea to ask someone to read out the sequence to you so that you can focus on threading them onto the yarn in the correct order.

SQUARE 46, AROMATIC 2: and lastly this month, a repeat of Square 4 which combines brightly coloured stripes with textured stitches.

Tech vids to help you with this square:

I had very positive feedback from some of the members about this square and how enjoyable it was to knit. I think it's the combination of pretty colours in a square that has lots of interest but is relatively easy to knit that won your hearts over! So this month you can enjoy that experience all over again!

The stripes of Tangerine with textured stitches in Grass use the fairisle technique for one row, Row 6 (and its subsequent repeats). It's a very simple row of fairisle, just alternating between Tangerine and Grass every other stitch. But to stop you getting in a tangle it is best to try and keep the yarns held 'over and under' across the whole row. This means holding one yarn on top and the other underneath and keeping this consistent. 

You are instructed several times to transfer the stitches back onto the other needle, so it might be better to use either double-pointed or a circular needle to knit this square, then you can just push the stitches to the other end of the needle rather than transferring them across.

And that's all of your squares for August, which I hope you are going to enjoy!

AS I MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE BLOG, THERE IS A NEW TECH VID AVAILABLE TO VIEW, which demonstrates how to sew a cast-off edge to a selvedge edge. It will help you understand how to sew Square 17 to Square 18. You will find it in Knitting Basics.

Square 17 has 45 stitches which have to be eased into the 63 rows of Square 18, Option One. And if you have knitted Option Two for Square 18 you will have 74 rows. I found it best to work out first on paper a repeat sequence to sew these two squares together. Because a knitted stitch is not square, you won't be sewing one stitch to one row. It is more likely that you will be sewing two rows to one stitch and then one row to one stitch, alternating this all the way along. If you place a marker along the cast-off edge of Square 17 and along the selvedge edge of Square 18, both marking the halfway point, as long as these markers match up, the seam should sew together evenly. 

You might be relieved to know that I did not get the seam correct on the first go. I had to go back and forth a few times until I got it right. So you may well have to do the same, in which case, don't be disheartened. I set up a sequence, as mentioned above, but tweaked it if and when the two squares were not matching up. With a bit of perseverance you will be able to do it. And once these squares are sewn together you can carry on as normal with Square 19 which sits above them.

IT'S BEEN LOVELY TO HEAR FROM SO MANY OF YOU OVER THE PAST MONTH, so next I'm going to share some of the stories and pics that have been sent in.

First up is Heather Horner from Cheam, Sutton in the UK, who was thrilled to have completed her Brilliant Bead Club project, Majorelle Bag. She added some really great extras to her bag which I think are genius! 

Heather says:"I have not seen any pictures of anyone else’s completed Majorelle Bag, so I thought you might like to see my finished project. There was enough lining to make a double pocket, keeping my wallet and keys separate from everything else. Thank you for another great project, I am working on the Mystery blanket and then looking forward to working the cowl!"

This looks fabulous, and I love the extra pocket - what a great idea and a really good use of the excess lining fabric! 

If you are interested in joining The Brilliant Bead Club, memberships are available to buy in our online shop right up until February when the final pattern is launched. You can read more about it in our online shop and see all four projects which are available to buy in a choice of three different packages, Bronze, Silver and Gold. It would be great to have you on board!

The 2025 Mystery Blanket called 'The Seashore' was a complex design with lots of challenging squares, but Angela Cook from Harlow, Essex in the UK knitted it to perfection and was thrilled with the result!

Angela says:"I have finally finished my 2025 Mystery Blanket. I enjoyed knitting it I particularly like the textured stripe squares and all the beads!"

It is wonderful to see your Mystery Blanket completed Angela, and I am thrilled to hear how much you enjoyed knitting it, especially the beads! Hopefully it has opened up a whole new world to you and you will enjoy knitting more beaded projects!

And here is another completed 2025 Mystery Blanket, this time knitted by Jenny Trickett from Nantwich, Cheshire in the UK. Jenny did tremendously well and won first prize in a local show, which is fabulous news!

Jenny says:"I thought you would like to see your blanket in the Nantwich Show today. I’ve never entered a show before so I was absolutely amazed. First prize and best in show! I embarked on it from very little knitting experience - and thanks to your superb tuition it received a fantastic accolade. People were full of praise for the sheer beauty of it. Thank you!" 

This is great recognition for a fabulous piece of work, and I am thrilled that you won first prize Jenny! Hopefully it showed people that don't knit or know little about it that knitting can be totally amazing and that the possibilities of what you can knit are endless. Well done!

Alison Riddell from Worcester in the UK has knitted many 'Debbie' blankets, and this is the latest one to add to her ever-growing collection! It's the Love You To The Moon & Back baby blanket that was a 'mystery' club a few years ago. Alison is a fabulous knitter (she comes to the regular monthly meetings at Yarn Loft) and I am always in awe of how much she manages to get completed!

Alison says:"Finished it! I’ve been knitting it alongside the MBC26 to fill the gaps while waiting for the next MB download. I really loved the softness of the yarn, design and pastel shades and will probably give it to my great niece for her first birthday!"

What a wonderful present for your niece Alison, and something that will be loved and treasured for many years. Like you, I absolutely adore the Rowan Baby Cashsoft Merino yarn and love designing and knitting with it. I am so glad to hear how much you enjoyed knitting up this blanket!

And last of all, here's a very inspiring story from Pat Gordon-Smith from London in the UK, who has been extremely busy creating her own unique blanket. Her creative journey is recorded in her own blog, which is a brilliant read. And the inspiration behind the blanket squares is really very interesting, as Pam herself explains:

Pam says:"The project is to knit a blanket featuring key elements of a central street in our local area, with each square designed specially to mimic or in celebration of those elements. In the course of the work I've begun to understand how single-colour squares enable the more showy pieces to breathe in your designs and give the blanket balance. Part of that is seeing how texture and use of beads allows those 'quieter' squares to be beautiful themselves. 

I genuinely am stumbling along with something here, but I'm enjoying it so much. I mentioned it to the folk on the MBC Facebook group a little while ago, and I had some more lovely comments. A few subscribed too, which gave me a lift at an early stage. I would be so honoured if you shared it on your MBC blog."

This is an awesome piece of work Pat, and one that deserves to be shared and enjoyed by others. So I would encourage the members to nip across to your blog to take a look: https://knitdulwichroad.blog/

I wish you well with this project Pat and look forward to seeing all the other squares that you are designing for this blanket. It's a truly super idea!

OUR 'MYSTERY' MEETINGS AT YARN LOFT WILL PAUSE FOR THE SUMMER HOLIDAYS IN AUGUST, but they will continue again in September.

If you want to join us at our next meeting on Wednesday 2nd September then we meet between 4:00pm-6:00pm at Yarn Loft which is at 118 Hucknall Road, Carrington, Nottingham NG5 1AD, tel number 07825 702433, website: www.yarnloft.co.uk. There is a small sub of £3.00 to pay to Doreen on the day to cover her opening costs and refreshments. I hope to see you there!

DON'T FORGET TO JOIN OUR VIBRANT AND HELPFUL SOCIAL MEDIA GROUPS FOR THE MYSTERY BLANKET!

You never need to feel that you are on your own when you are part of a Debbie Abrahams Mystery Blanket Club. With social media at our fingertips, we can easily make connections across the world and stay in touch with each other. So if you are not following us on these various different platforms, why not join today!

  • Ravelry: this social media platform is super friendly and free to join. You will find on there a group for the Mystery Blanket, with many of the members very willing to give help and advice if you have a question: Debbie Abrahams Handknits.
  • Facebook: there are two groups on Facebook, but the one to visit for Mystery Blanket help and advice is: Debbie Abrahams Mystery Knitters. The members here on this platform are also very happy to help each other and share thoughts and comments about the project, so it's well worth joining, and it's free to join too.

These are our other social media platforms. Please follow us on as many as you can to make our Debbie Abrahams world online even bigger and better!

AND FINALLY, I AM THRILLED TO ANNOUNCE THE WINNER OF THE SEVENTH 2026 MYSTERY BLANKET CLUB FREE PRIZE DRAW! Each month a member is picked at random to win a Debbie Abrahams prize. So it is worth reading my blog from beginning to end every month to check whether you are a winner!

PRIZE DRAW SEVEN (AUGUST): this months' winner is Member 11, Margaret Hall-Craggs from London, UK. Well done Margaret! Please choose a prize from the following selection and email me with your choice: debbie@debbieabrahams.com:.

  • Your choice of one of Debbie's knitting kits from our online shop up to the value of £30 (excluding shipping);
  • Your choice of six packs of Debbie Abrahams Beads (size 6 and/or size 8) from the selection in our online shop;
  • £30 voucher towards a Debbie Abrahams Club (MBC27 or TBBC26);
  • A Mystery bag of five gifts.

With the summer holidays now underway, we are enjoying some precious family time together which I have been so looking forward to! We set sail for France soon for a two-week adventure, driving all the way down to the southeast of the country, close to the Monaco border. I am busy planning the most important things to take with me, with my knitting top of the list, of course! So I am off to make a list for that now, so I don't forget to pack all the needles and notions that I will need while I am away.

Don't forget to keep an eye on your inbox for our super exciting 2027 Mystery Blanket launch. It only seems like yesterday that we were embarking on our 2026 journey together, but with only a few instalments to go until the end of this year's blanket, it's time to start planning your next projects - and I hope that the 2027 Mystery Blanket is at the top of that list!

Have a wonderful summer and I look forward to seeing you back here in September for the next instalment! Debbie xx

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