11th January 2019
Wanting to reduce waste, and inspired by a friend who did something similar, I asked for a ball of yarn instead of a card for my birthday, hoping to receive enough to make a double bedspread. I received almost 90 balls! That was 18 months ago and because I was heavily immersed in my master’s the bedspread was put on hold, but now it’s time for blanket love again.
The only stipulation made was that people should choose heir own colour, either their favourite or something they thought I’d like. Mostly, I was given Stylecraft DK solid colour yarns with some additional variegated balls. The variety is amazing! Just look at the Stylecraft Special DK alone!
This was not something I could rush into if I was to incorporate as many colours as possible. I scoured the internet for a suitable design and didn’t find anything that leapt out at me. I began to put tgether some ideas in my head for a blanket that was a little like a persian rug with lots of joined motifs and some large rounds. I even got as far as making up some of the motifs, mostly on the train to uni.
I liked my design but I was’t enjoying the making. I think maybe I’m not a motif kind of girl - the blankets I’ve enjoyed making the most have been in rows. So back to the drawing board, or more accurately, the internet.
This time I was more successful as I stumbled upon two possible blankets (Ross Blanket designed by Catherine Bligh, and Cosmic by Helen Shrimpton) on the Stylecraft Yarns website. After a bit of dithering I chose Cosmic. Obviously I am going to have a LOT of colour changes as I try to include many more colours. So here’s my start. A sweet little motif that has won me over. It uses Stylecraft Special DK in White (from R&S) and Denim (from D), thank you very much!
The whole design is one little motif that gets bigger and bigger, changing stitch and colour along the way. It’s more or less square and I may find that I’ll want to add a border of some sort at the top and bottom to make it more rectangular.
I’ve already realised how much my crochet skills have been neglected of late but helpfully Helen Shrimpton has uploaded video tutorials of all stitches and stages here. A word of warning, on the videos she uses US terms, though the printable instructions are available in UK terms too. A great refresher, and how many of us know how to make a ‘standing dc’? I do now!
I’m going to decide on colours as I go, which may or may not work out! I’ll keep you posted. ;)
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