Thursday, March 10, 2016

The Amazing Winter Blanket of 2016







You know what they say - "It's my blog and I'll post a bunch of craft pictures if I want to!"

I promise this will be quick, but when you spend 6 months working away at a project you really feel as if it deserves some documentation, you know?





I think I started crocheting this blanket sometime in October. Just when the days become much shorter than the nights and we were plunged into darkness around 5 pm up here. For some reason there's something a bit comforting having a project to plug away at when you're spending a lot more hours indoors. It's also great while watching the plethora of sporting events that happen during the fall and winter with your husband. You're doing something that doesn't make your brain turn into mush, yet you're sorta convincing your husband that you enjoy partaking in 3 hour games with him on the couch. It's gotta be a win-win.


I used the "Harmony" pattern from the amazing Lucy at Attic24 because her colours are marvellous and I just love how her finished products look. I also don't have a ton of time to look through pattern upon pattern and then go through the monstrous selections of amazing yarn out there right now, I'd just be paralyzed by indecision if I spent more than an hour deciding on a project and no project would actually happen. So I just conveniently ordered her amazingly affordable package of yarn and was happy within a week!


I think this pattern started out with 17 different patterns of granny squares totalling about 130 squares. I thought I'd be making squares for months but it actually flew by. I would usually pick up my crocheting whenever we watched tv, and when I needed some "alone time" after the husband got home from work and it was just me and Alicia Florrick crocheting up a storm, (I may have been binge watching all of The Good Wife during this time).

Then once the individual granny squares were finished it was time to join them and this is where I completely lost my mind and strayed from the pattern that Lucy so clearly and simply laid out in the easiest to follow manner. I mean, the pattern is meant to look random so no real harm was done, but my ego suffered fiercely when I figured out I had completely messed up three or four rows in a completely unintelligible way. Was I drunk for a few weeks while I did those rows? Did I have a temporary brain malfunction? Was it during that terrible time of the beginning of season 5 of The Good Wife when Carey/Logan was being framed and was in prison and I was suffering from severe anxiety over it?

I'm just putting this error on the record. It is Lent after all.


The joining went well and I liked how it made the squares so cohesive and didn't involve sewing but actual crocheting. I am the worst at sewing pieces together and even sewing ends in. The sewing in of ends took probably the longest in this project, thank goodness I loved it so much or I probably would have given up sewing in ends it took so long!


For some reason I puttered away at the border for a couple weeks but it's easy, and I love how it looks with the entire blanket now.

I'm a granny square lover. For life.



And just like last winter's project got claimed by a little person, this blanket was claimed from the very beginning by Max. I'm trying to detach myself and let him have it on his bed, but it's a process.

He might get it by June.






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15 comments:

  1. Wow, this is beautiful!!! I also love the color scheme, especially in the darker winter months. I have such little patience with big projects, but I think having crocheted granny squares (or knitted squares) definitely helps it go by faster and smoother. Plus, it's a great way to feel productive while binging on Netflix!

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  2. So beautiful! And I love how you're making a blanket a winter! Your crochet wins are now part of my life goals! About to start a simple simple simple crochet blanket for Moriah. Excited for the yarn to get here!

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  3. Beauteous- I esp. love the border!

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  4. Love it! (but I hate sewing in ends, also :( )

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  5. I am in awe that you can do granny squares. I can figure out any pattern in a straight line but have never been able to master crocheting in the round. Love the finished product and the fact that you could crochet the squares together

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    1. I think once you get the hang of it they aren't hard at all. It's just a matter of figuring them out that first time!

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  6. Christy - I'm just getting caught up on your blog. What a gorgeous blanket! You did an amazing job! And isn't Lucy of Attic 24 fantastic? After discovering her a couple of years ago I've been so inspired to go bold with color choices in my crochet. I live in Minnesota so we have a similar winter/lack of light situation here. Your blanketing strategy is mine, too. I just finished Lucy's ripple blanket, which I started last October I believe. The winter before I did my first granny square blanket (it's on my lap now as I type this :-) Are you on Ravelry? If so I can send you links so you can check them out.

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