Quilted Star Blanket

My Mom's cousin Vickie recently finished this Quilted Star Blanket incorporating a colourful patchwork star made by my Grandma (Vickie's Mimi) many years ago before she lost her sight to macular degeneration. 

My Grandma loved to quilt before her vision faded. She was very talented and very generous. She made many, many quilts over the years as gifts for her extended family, children, grandchildren and even great grandchildren. 

I loved her quilts especially the colourful patchwork ones and still have a few brightening the look of our double size spare beds.

This patchwork star was gifted to Vickie when Grandma passed because she had inherited my Grandma's passion and talent for quilting. Vickie put it away for a later date. The patchwork star was put away for years, but never forgotten. 

This winter with covid lock down, Vickie decided to spend her time creatively. She dug out this star and made a quilt for me because she knew I would appreciate the connection to my Grandma. And she was right. It is a gift I will treasure forever. 

Feast your eyes on this Quilted Star Blanket. I did my best to capture the beautiful vibrant colours. I can't help but smile every time I look at it. I hope it brightens your day a little too. Enjoy!

 

 

 

I absolutely love what Vickie did with Grandma's patchwork star. The blue background and borders complement it perfectly. Vickie had a friend machine quilt the blanket, but Vickie did the rest including hand sewing the binding ... truly a labour of love. 

This Quilted Star Blanket with its bright bold colour scheme looks amazing in our guest room. Thank you Vickie. I love love love it!!   

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Heart Baby Blanket

I finished the Heart Baby Blanket just one week before our niece gave birth. Baby Boy Wheeler arrived three days ahead of schedule Monday afternoon. His birth announcement was posted on Facebook for all to see yesterday. Baby Boy Wheeler looks adorable in the photos, much like our niece when she was a baby. I can hardly wait to meet him. 

As promised I took a few photos to show how this blanket turned out. I love how the teal heart pops against the light grey. I also love the soft fluffy feel of all those rows upon rows of little puff stitches. This is a blanket full of crochet love made especially for Baby Boy Wheeler. 

Technical details are listed below for the crocheters out there who might like to make one too. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed if you do.

Heart Baby Blanket

Follow instructions for Heart Baby Blanket found here.

Lightweight fingering yarn

Four hanks of Berroco Ultra Alpacca in grey 

One hank of Gems 100% Merino Wool in teal

Hook size = 3.75 mm

Starting chain 156

Total number of rows 130 

Finished size - 30" x 35"

Gauge - 4x4 inches = 11 puff sts in a row and 18 rows

Each row on blanket ~12 mins

Each round on border ~40 mins

Plus time to weave in ends
Total Time to Complete ~40 hrs

Washing Instructions
Machine wash in cool water. Lay flat to dry.

Note: I used different yarn than the pattern suggested because I could not find Loops and Threads Cambria Big Lightweight Fingering Yarn in Canada. To make a baby size blanket, I started with a chain of 156 instead of 148. I also added 40 rows to the length. With these changes, I worried about running out of yarn. A valid concern as I ended up running out of yarn on the final round 8. Luckily I was able to finish with a small amount of yarn left over by ripping out 3 rounds and working only 4 instead of 5 rounds of single crochet on the border.

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Crochet Colour Block Linen Stitch Blanket

I recently finished a Crochet Colour Block Linen Stitch Blanket for our oldest grandson. It was made using six colours of yarn worked in blocks of colour separated by two rows of white between each block. 

The linen stitch or moss stitch is a super easy 'mindless' stitch that creates a beautiful woven texture. It has a nice drape without being too stiff or too lacy. I've used the linen stitch for smaller projects, but never a blanket. I love how it turned out. 

After working 10 rows of each colour block repeated twice, I decided to change things up a bit. Instead of 10-row blocks, I worked the remainder of the blanket in 20-row blocks. Since I also wanted to mix up the order of colour changes, I created a colour chart (see below). It was much easier to keep track with this handy dandy visual reference.

When I created the chart above, I planned to add a border worked completely in single crochet alternating each colour with one row of white. That was my plan. I even worked nine rows of the border before I decided I didn't like it. Single crochet was too stiff worked alongside linen stitch plus it created a clear 'wrong' and 'right' side. In the end, I ripped out all nine rows and settled on a simpler border consisting of one row of linen stitch in white. It was perfect and exactly right for this blanket. 

In the photo above I zoomed in a bit to show the lovely texture created by the linen stitch. I also took a sideways photo of the blanket below.

I stretched the blanket out on the double mattress our grandson uses when he visits ... not quite big enough for full coverage.

The blanket looks great folded at the end of the mattress and will fit nicely on a twin size mattress.

For now, the blanket is folded and packed in a bag ready and waiting until we see our grandson again. A Crochet Colour Block Linen Stitch Blanket made with love by Grammeo. What could be better?

Technical details for this Crochet Colour Block Linen Stitch Blanket are listed below in case you would like to make one too. 

Starting Chain - 250
Finished Size - 45"x66" (large throw blanket)
316 rows
Border - 1 round
Time to Complete - Approximately 48 hours (9 mins per row + border)
Hook size - 5 mm

Yarn Used (Worsted #4 weight):
Mary Maxim Best Value 100% acrylic (170 g/6 oz)

• Leaf - 2 balls
• Deep Teal - 2 balls
• Mocha - 2 balls
• White - 2 balls
• Silver - 2 balls
• Cottonwood - 2 balls

Blanket colour blocks crocheted in order as listed separated by 2 rows of white between each block:

Cottonwood (10 rows)

Teal (10 rows)

Mocha (10 rows)

Silver (10 rows)

Leaf (10 rows)

Repeat above 5 blocks in same order

Cottonwood (20 rows)

Teal (20 rows)

Mocha (20 rows)

Silver (20 rows)

Leaf (20 rows)

Silver (20 rows)

Mocha (20 rows)

Teal (20 rows)

Cottonwood (20 rows)

Border - 1 row of white in linen stitch (corners work 2 single crochet, chain 2, 2 single crochet

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Rainbow Cloud Ripple Stripe Blanket

 

On Saturday I finished another blanket for our grandson due to arrive in August. This "Rainbow Cloud Ripple Stripe Blanket" was made using yarn left over from my Granny Stripe Rainbow Cloud Blanket. You can read all about that blanket and the "rainbow cloud" naming reference here. 

I spent the morning sitting on the floor in front of my laptop sipping on cappuccinos and darning in yarn ends for all those stripes before starting on the border. I mention "sitting on the floor" because I crocheted both of these blankets almost entirely from the floor. 

You may have heard me talk about floor-sitting before. Over a year ago, I discovered Katy Bowman and her theories regarding more natural movement. I wrote about healthy floor-sitting here. I thought crocheting while floor-sitting would be impossible for me. I was wrong. It took almost a year of practicing floor-sitting at home, but finally I can sit comfortably and crochet too. Persistence pays off.

I was happy to see the weather had cleared by the time I finished the border. I stretched out the blanket and took a few photos while the sun was still shining then went for a nice long walk to stretch out my legs.

I love the ripples of rainbow cloud colours randomly arranged to create this Rainbow Cloud Ripple Stripe Blanket. 

I spread out both blankets for comparison. You can see this ripple stripe blanket is smaller and more colourful than the Granny Stripe Rainbow Cloud Blanket. I tried to mimic the rainbow clouds concentrating all the colours at one end with bands of each colour appearing among the white and grey ripples at the other. 

I can't pick a favourite ... love them both. I especially love how these Rainbow Cloud blankets coordinate so well together.

Both blankets are folded, packaged and ready to go when we visit in September. It seems a long way off ... four months to be exact. Yes I'm counting. Anticipating a new baby in our family is very exciting indeed.

To make this blanket, I followed instructions provided by blogger Lucy at Attic24 called "Ripple Blanket Know-how".

Technical details for this Rainbow Cloud Ripple Stripe Blanket are listed below for the crocheters out there who might like to make one too. 

Starting Chain - 143
Finished Size - 34"x43" (multi-use size blanket)
47 stripes
94 rows
Border - 3 rounds
Time to Complete - Approximately 18 hours (10 mins per row + border)
Hook size - 4 mm

Yarn Used (Light #3 weight):

• Patons Beehive Baby Sport (100 g/3.5 oz)
• Baby Grey (1 ball)
• Vintage Lace 
• Angel White (1 ball)
• Bernat Softee Baby (140 g/5 oz)
• Soft Fern 
• Aqua 
• Soft Red 
• Red Heart Baby Hugs (127 g/4.5 oz)
• Lilac 

I made this blanket using yarn left over from my last project - the Granny Stripe Rainbow Cloud Blanket - adding 1 more ball of Baby Grey and 1 ball of Angel White (brighter white than Vintage Lace) to the mix.   

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Granny Stripe Rainbow Cloud Blanket

I was thrilled to hear our daughter is expecting a baby due August 17th. After a miscarriage in October plus facing challenges with this pregnancy, she waited longer than usual to make the announcement. 

Our daughter was encouraged by the appearance of a beautiful iridescent rainbow cloud on the day she announced she was expecting her 'rainbow baby'. She took it as a good omen.

I immediately started to think about what sort of blanket I could make for this baby. I thought this little one should have something extra special. 

When she sent me this photo of her iridescent rainbow cloud, I decided to incorporate the colours into my design. I chose yarn to mirror the colours in the clouds: aqua, light fern, lilac, soft red, vintage lace, and baby grey.

Our daughter likes neutral greys and whites. I love colour. This blanket is a compromise. The base is neutral soft grey incorporating a colourful stripe spaced every 6" plus a colourful rainbow-striped border. 

 

I love the finished look. A special Granny Stripe Rainbow Cloud Blanket for a special new addition to our family.

The blanket is folded and ready to go. We will take it with us when we visit Boulder this September to meet our new grandchild. 

To make this blanket, I followed free instructions for a Granny Stripe Blanket posted by blogger Lucy at Attic24. I love Lucy's colourful crochet blankets. Her brilliant colour combinations continue to inspire me.

For this blanket, I wanted to make a granny stripe with a different sort of look. Instead of changing colours every second row, I worked 15 rows in grey with one row in colour; essentially creating grey bands separated by pops of colour.

I designed the border to represent a cloud surrounded by rainbow stripes. 

• For Round 1 (use Vintage Lace yarn), I followed Lucy's instructions for her border base on her Granny Stripe Blanket.
• Round 2 (use Soft Red yarn) - single crochet back loop only (sc-blo) around, 3 sc-blo in each corner space, finish off and weave in ends
• Round 3 (use Lilac yarn) - sc-blo around, 3 sc-blo in each corner stitch (2nd of 3 sc-blo in each corner space from R2), finish off and weave in ends
• Round 4 (use Soft Fern yarn) - repeat R3
• Round 5 (use Aqua yarn) - repeat R3 

Technical details for this Granny Stripe Rainbow Cloud Blanket are listed below for the crocheters out there who might like to make one too. 

Starting Chain - 163
Finished Size - 44"x62" (large crib blanket)
162 rows
Border - 5 rounds
Time to Complete - Approximately 30 hours (10 mins per row + border)
Hook size - 4 mm

Yarn Used (Light #3 weight):

• Patons Beehive Baby Sport (100 g/3.5 oz)
• Baby Grey (7 balls)
• Vintage Lace (1 ball)
• Bernat Softee Baby (140 g/5 oz)
• Soft Fern (1 ball)
• Aqua (1 ball)
• Soft Red (1 ball)
• Red Heart Baby Hugs (127 g/4.5 oz)
• Lilac (1 ball)

Using yarn left over from this project, I have started on a smaller, more colourful blanket suitable for a stroller or car seat. As always, I will be sure to share photos when finished. 

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Crochet Fluffy Ripple Blanket

Remember the 12 balls of yarn I bought on sale at Michael's on Boxing Day? I decided to crochet a fluffy ripple ripple blanket for my son. Lion Brand Homespun Thick and Quick is not my favourite yarn to work with as it tends to stick and catch on the hook but it does make a soft fluffy blanket. It's just the sort of blanket our son prefers so worth the effort.

I bought 12 balls of yarn thinking it would be too much. I asked if I could return unused yarn and confirmed I needed to keep the receipt and return it within 60 days of purchase. No problem, I was hoping to finish this blanket before our son headed back to University on January 3rd.  

I used two colours to make this blanket; pearl and dove. Pearl is the slightly darker colour. When my son headed back to University, I was still three balls short of finishing and I was beginning to think I might have to buy more. In the end, I used all but a small amount of each colour.

I finished the blanket on Monday night but had to wait until Friday for some decent sunlight to take photos. Our son's room faces West but the sunlight fades fast after work. I plopped the folded blanket in the middle of his bed before unfolding it a bit then spreading it out across the bed.

The blanket fits crosswise on a queen size bed with lots of coverage down both sides. Twelve balls of bulky yarn make a really big blanket. I also stretched it out lengthwise on the bed. I like it this way as well.

I love the way this blanket looks and it really is oh so cuddly. Here is a closeup showing the stitches. I do love this colour combination. It's such a warm neutral look that I'm sure our son will love too.

So I've shown the blanket both crosswise and lengthwise on the bed but here is the way I imagine it will look when our son gets it, all crumpled and cozy and ready to use of course.

In case you would like to make a blanket just like this one, I've included the Nitty Gritty Details below:

I followed this basic crochet ripple pattern by blogger Lucy at Attic24.

Supplies:
12 balls of Lion Brand Homespun Thick and Quick yarn
  - 6 balls of pearl (creamy white and taupe)
  - 6 balls of dove (warm cream)
Hook size N 10 mm

Starting Chain = 129 (9 x 14 + 3)

Stripes worked as follows:
Start with 6 rows of pearl 
Alternate: 4 rows of dove (7 times) and 2 rows of pearl (6 times)
Finish with 6 rows of pearl

Border in pearl: 
Starting at lower right corner with front side facing up. 2 dc (double crochet) in each row end up the side. 3 sc (single crochet) in the corner and sc in each stitch across the top. 3 sc in next corner. 2 dc in each row end down the side. 3 sc in third corner and sc each stitch across the bottom. Finish with 3 sc in last corner. Join to first dc and finish off. Weave in all ends.

Finished size: 92" (wide) x 72" (high)

Note: Each ball worked approximately 4 rows with a starting chain of 129

Cost:
12 balls x $7.99 (sale price) = $95.88 + $12.46 HST = $108.34 Total
12 balls x $12.99 (original price) = $155.88 + $20.26 HST = $176.14 Total
Savings: $67.80

Total Time: 
I'm not really sure how many hours of work went into this blanket as I didn't time how long it took to finish each row. I can tell you I started December 27th and finished January 5th (10 days total). It was a relatively quick and easy project.

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Crochet Blankets

It is very cold here in Canada this winter so I thought it might be appropriate to discuss crochet blankets.

I love crochet blankets. There are so many choices for patterns, styles and colours that I never get tired of them. I think my very first blanket back when I was 10 years old and learning to crochet was a purple Phentex granny square which grew and grew over the winter until it was large enough to be called a throw . I added a long fringe and gave it to my Mom. I'm pretty sure she still has it on display in their basement spare bedroom.

When I rediscovered crochet 3 years ago, I also rediscovered my love of crochet blankets. The first free pattern I chose was called a "Dorm Throw" and can be found here. I used Red Heart Light and Lofty yarn in Pheasant and Cafe au Lait. I altered the pattern to make a slightly bigger blanket by changing the number and spacing of zig-zag stripes. Actually, I made a mistake and, as it was difficult to rip out mistakes (fluffy yarn tends to snag and tangle), I just altered the pattern to make it look intentional. I must confess it was challenging working with fluffy yarn because the individual stitches are more difficult to see and it's hard to know where to place your hook. All-in-all though, I think it turned out rather well and is used regularly at our house especially with this cold weather.

Fluffy "Zig Zag" Blanket

I made this pattern again last fall but used a different yarn which gave a totally different look and feel. I wanted to make a throw for my daughter and, since she prefers light teal colours, I selected Bernat Roving yarn (soft chunky acrylic/wool blend) in Low Tide and Rice Paper. Bernat Roving (#5) is less bulky than Red Heart Light and Lofty (#6) so the blanket was quite a bit smaller. I picked up the yarn at The Yarn Factory Outlet in Listowel on route to our friend's cottage near Tobermory. This blanket was a perfect project to start at the cottage on the long weekend.  I was even able to finish it the following week at home. I like the way it turned out and my daughter was very happy with it. Now that she is in Boulder, she makes use of cuddly blankets too.

Crochet at the Cottage complete with dog, wine & snack. Good times.

Finished Zig Zag Afghan for our Daughter

Zig Zag Afghan in Bernat Roving Yarn

Another fun blanket I made for my daughter was a queen-sized patchwork crochet quilt. I started working on the motifs in the summer and finished by November in 2011. My biggest project up to that point with 146 motifs and a border around the whole quilt which mirrored the border on the individual motifs. The motifs consisted of a Grecian Tile square. This pattern is available for free on Ravelry and includes both the motif and the blanket border. I still love purple and manage to fit it into a lot of my projects. This quilt was made using Bernat Handicrafter cotton in three different colours; Country Mauve, Natural and English Lavender. I joined all the squares using a single crochet join which gives an interesting effect on the backside of the quilt. In California, this blanket adorned the spare bed. In Boulder, it forms part of the 'nest' our grandson prefers to sleep in these days on the floor beside his regular bed. 

Patchwork Crochet Quilt

I apologize for the lack of pattern details and photos. When I first started crocheting, I took photos to show my daughter but did not intend to start a blog and share publicly. Once I catch up with past projects (still quite a few to go), I will be sharing more current projects with better documentation. At least that is my intent.

I started another crochet afghan a couple years ago called "Crochet Bumble Berry Pie Afghan". It uses Bernat Mosaic Yarn which produces squares of various colours with just one yarn selection. This project was moving along quite nicely until I laid it out on the dining room table for joining. It took some time to lay out the squares in a pleasing diagonal pattern making sure all were right side up. Since I had multiple projects on the go (common practice), it sat on the dining room table for over a week which was long enough for our cat to "up chuck" on it and the table cloth underneath. Luckily only a few squares required washing but I had to pick up the whole thing to remove the table cloth. Since then it has sat in a box waiting for me to have take the time to lay it out and finish properly. I promise I will get to it one day soon and share plenty of photos when I do.

WIP - Bumble Berry Pie Afghan

I also love crochet baby blankets but I think they deserve a separate post. I was trying to take a break from "baby talk" as my daughter's due date was yesterday and we're still waiting but I can`t resist sharing this photo she posted of her 40 week belly. All I can say is WOW and I think she is beautiful - baby belly and all. 

40 weeks and counting

I`m hoping my next post will reference my daughter`s birth announcement. Surely it can`t be long now.

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