I hope you love this pattern as much as I do. It's taken me a bit of work and practice to decipher it from an old handwritten note passed down for generations in my family. It was written in Old English (UK) terms, which took some time to understand in English (US).

My grandmother showed it to me many years ago ~ a tiny blanket that belonged to my maternal grandfather and a hand-scribbled barely legible makeshift of a pattern with it, signed "Hannah B."

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So a bit on my family history journey to find this Hannah B. My grandfather, Jimmie, was born in St. Louis, 1929, to Jessie Esther Watt (1902-1968). Being unmarried and not knowing (or disclosing) who the father was, Jessie was sent away from the family, currently living in/near the Topeka, Kansas area at that time.

Jessie is the youngest of four, born to Dr. James Smith Watt (1850-1929) and May Lorena Worthing (1803-1929). May's parents were Augustine Samuel Worthing (1827-1905) and Esther Ann Barron (1831-1917). Esther's parents were Thomas Barron (1793-1853) and Hannah Shaw (1809-1878). I found our Hannah B: Hannah Shaw Barron.

According to 1910 Census, Esther reported that she immigrated to America from England in 1831, which would have been soon after her birth. Hannah would have been approximately 22 years old. To date, I haven't been able to find anything about the ship they traveled on in 1831. I did find the ship manifest for Hannah and Thomas' travels to the US almost 20 years later though, in 1851. Thomas died a year and a half later (Jan 1853) and Esther married almost four years later (Mar 1855).

Did Hannah learn this pattern from her mother? And then scribble it down for Esther as a gift for her first son born in 1856?

Many little mysteries here.

My grandma shared with me that Jessie received the baby blanket and pattern from her sister, Ora, a few months after Jimmie was born. Ora had received it from their mother, May, as she was the eldest. My grandma also told me that Jessie never learned to crochet and didn't make a blanket herself but kept the pattern to pass on. Jessie didn't have any other children and I am the first in my family in many generations (on both maternal and paternal sides) to learn to crochet.

So it is with this family history and in her honor that I name this pattern, Hannah Heirloom Blanket.

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Gauge: I haven't determined a gauge for this pattern. Match yarn weight and hook and it will work out.

Yarn weight and type was not specified in the handwritten note. At that time, I assume only natural fibers and a few options were available and in natural solid colors. Mostly likely fingering weight yarn.

For the purpose of connecting with my family history (and limited availability of pure cotton yarn in fingering weight), I used Lily Sugar 'n Cream Cotton yarn in Soft Ecru color with U.S. F/5 (3.75mm) crochet hook. End size: 33.5" square plus border. Pictures are with this yarn.

I made the blanket a second time with fingering yarn (Go Handmade Soft Bamboo Double). End size: 26" square plus border.