Crochet Blanket Challenge of 2014 - Project Completed!!

Hi everyone, hope the New Year is going well for you so far!

Exactly a year ago today I joined in the Crochet Blanket Challenge.  Some folks in blogland used this challenge to make a mood blanket, crocheting a square a day, or a square each week, in colours that reflected the feelings of that particular time.  I chose to go for a slightly different plan, using washed out wintry tones, which bought to my mind a forest in winter.  I chose to make 7 row grannies, and aimed to make one each week (although on some occasions I managed to make more).  And, on 30/12/14 the project was completed!

Would you like to see?

It is so soft and comfy...

I am so pleased with the colours I chose...

I joined the squares with a double crochet seam as I liked the idea of texture...

The border is Sandra's (Cherry Heart Blog) Grannies Patches Border pattern, it is an absolute dream to make...

 Vital statistics for this blanket:

• Yarn - a variety from my yarn stash, plus 3 extra balls of Stylecraft Special DK to make up the palette of colours I wanted
• Crochet hook size 4mm
• 54 Granny Squares, each square had 7 granny rows plus an edging of double crochet
• Granny Patches border from Sandra at Cherryheart blog

I still have quite a few oddments of yarn left so I am having a go at a square lap blanket to use up what I have.  I then have another blanket challenge in mind, to start perhaps after my birthday on the 12th - surely a        girl/middle aged woman is allowed to treat herself to some spiffing new yarn for a project that will keep her busy until the next Christmas holidays ;)  I am aiming for a palette of greys and parchment this time, with perhaps a little bit of black and white.  I would love the blanket to represent the colours of birch tree bark (remember my love of the Marimekko birch tree pattern?)

Here is my finished 2014 challenge blanket folded up on the back of my crafting chair, all ready for the chilly evenings ahead...

 

 

 

I am so pleased that I stuck with the project, and am unbelievably happy with the result!!  Did you join in the challenge, and if so, how did you get on?  I would love to hear about it!

 

Helenxx

Autumnal April

Hello everyone, April is flying by!  A very busy time at home and work, but all good.

Last week the UK was affected by a rather unusual weather pattern, which resulted in a lot of pollution finding it's way here from the continent.  This meant that instead of having warm spring sunshine and blue skies we ended up with grey days, mist and fog.  As Autumn is my most favourite season, I have to confess that I rather enjoyed this (apologies to anyone out there whose health was affected by the weather).  A little bit of Autumn in the Spring...

In my job I have to travel around quite a bit, and one morning had to make a phone call to one of my centres.  Now, I can answer calls on the hands-free, but seem incapable of dialing out.  So, I pulled over, switched off the car, and made the call.  After finishing the call, I took a few seconds to really look around me.  And decided to take these photos...

 Dark and grey...

Skeletal trees...

Old iron railings...

Looking across the lake....

A little bit of spring peeking through the autumn mists...

 Of course all this autumnal weather meant that crocheting more squares for my blanket challenge (weeks 14 and 15) was the order of the day...

 Now at this point, dear readers, I do have a teeny little confession to make...this                                  yarn is not from my stash...I was in a tiny little yarn store in one of our local villages, and noticed that they were selling Stylecraft DK.  Now I have read lots and lots of favourable comments on a lot of your blogs, but I have never used this brand before.  I loved this colour, and thought it would add a touch of lightness to the colours I already have for my blanket challenge.  So I bought 2 100g balls.  And I am loving this yarn, it is a dream to work with, no splitting, and it is so snuggly soft and smooth.

 It cost 60p more than my usual acrylic brand I buy from our local market, but I have to say it is worth that little bit extra.  I can get 10 squares from a 100g ball so that is quite reasonable.  The shop had a decent selection of colours, so I think I might pop back there next week and get three more balls so that I can make some potholders - I need to make some little gifts to send to relatives overseas, something small and light.  Potholders will fit the bill nicely, and make a nice little project for the Easter weekend methinks.

Well, must away, quite a few errands to run today.  But hopefully there will be some hooky time later.

Have a wonderful Saturday!

Helenxx