The Big Adventure: Conquering a Large Crochet Blanket - Challenges & Rewards

Hello! The allure of a giant, cosy crochet blanket is undeniable. Snuggling under a masterpiece you created yourself? Pure bliss. I love the pile of crocheted blankets I have sitting in my big basket, ready to be pulled out on a chilly evening - I can't recommend creating a few for yourself enough! At the moment, as many of you know, I'm crocheting a Battenberg Blanket which is a MASSIVE commitment! If you're not familiar with the pattern by Sandra Paul, you should check it out on Ravelry; it's hundreds of teenie granny squares. 

But, before I dive headfirst into a mountain of yarn with you, let's explore the challenges and the rewards that come with crocheting a large blanket.

 

The Challenge of Choice:

Not all patterns are created equal! There are so many patterns out there which have not been tested, never mind tech edited! If you're in for the long-haul you want a pattern you can trust with clear instructions. Look for the words "tested" and "tech edited" when choosing your pattern.

 
Dive Deep vs Keep it Simple:

Are you looking for a relaxing project with repetitive elements suitable for long stretches of crocheting? Or perhaps you're after a challenge with multiple new stitch techniques to challenge yourself? Back in 2016 when I was fairly new to crochet, I pushed myself by taking on the Sophie's Universe Blanket by Dedri Uys and I learned so much!! 

Purpose Perfect:

Consider the blanket's final purpose - a throw for the couch needs a different approach than a blanket to cover a king size bed. Think about size you want, the yarn weight and yarn type for optimal use.

Time Management:

Setting Realistic Goals: Be honest about your crocheting speed and the time which is available to you. It might help you to break down the project into smaller, achievable goals to avoid feeling overwhelmed. For example; one granny square motif a day or six rows an evening.

Mind Your Motivation:

Not gonna lie; large projects can drag on. Things which help me are sheduling dedicated crochet time, joining a CAL for the support and finally, chocolate ... chocolate definitely helps! Perhaps keeping a project page on Ravelry, using my Project Notes Printable or creating a visual chart to see how far you've come will help. These things can be a huge motivator, especially when facing a seemingly endless sea of yarn.

Tracking Your Progress:

The Power of Progress Markers: Large projects benefit from progress markers to track rows, repeats, or colour changes. They can help you pick up right where you left off without any confusion.

The Finishing Line:

You'll find that there's nothing quite like the satisfaction of completing a large scale crochet project. Seeing your creation come to life, knowing the dedication and skill it took, is a reward unlike any other.

So, Are You Ready for the Challenge?

Crocheting a large blanket is a journey of patience, perseverance and ultimately, immense satisfaction. By choosing the right pattern, managing your time, tracking your progress, and finding a supportive community, you can turn that giant yarn stash into a cosy masterpiece. 

I'd like to take this opportunity to highlight one of my large crochet blanket projects! My Scrappy Blanket III has a simple repeat, making it the ideal choice for a relaxing project and is perfect for using up all your little scraps! 

 

The pattern is free on this blog and for those who want the full range of 5 different sizes and gain extra guidance with video tutorials, there's the option to upgrade to a paid-for version. Click here to go to the post on my blog and get started on your large crochet blanket today!

I hope you've found this blog post inspiring, until next time, happy crocheting,

Marta xx

June round up - what have I been up to?

Hello everyone! I hope you are all well? It's been a while since my last post because I've been having issues with my laptop (technology, urgh!). Today I'd like to get back into it by sharing with you some of the things I've been up to this month. Let's dive in ...

At the start of the month my Sunshine Patch crochet competition came to a close and I am pleased to announce the winner was Jane Reid (@created.uniquely on Instagram). I was amazed by the variations and was blown away by some of the creativity on show! The collage above shows some of the entries and you can see Jane's winning coin purse in the bottom left. 

One project that I have returned to this month is my hexipuff blanket. This is a knitted blanket designed by Tiny Owl Knits which features hundreds of 3D knitted hexagons. It's been in hibernation since the end of 2020. Basically, I pull out, work like mad on it, get fed up with it and throw it back in a corner - this has been going on for nearly 2 years, it's definitely a slow craft! However, I can say that, as of this morning, I have kept up with one hexie a day for the whole of June! Whoop!

Another long term blanket I've been working on is my crocheted scrappy blanket. For this one I'm using all sorts of leftover odds and ends of sock weight yarn to create a wavy, bobbly blanket. It's progressing well, I add a few rows most days and I'm enjoying the way the colours are forming. My followers on Instagram are going mad for it too - it's one of my most popular projects! Many of you have asked if I'm publishing the pattern and due to its popularity the answer is a resounding YES! I just need time to finish it and then get lots of pretty photos ...

At the end of May I started a new crochet design for a pair of socks and I'm really pleased to have finished the design, written up the pattern and sent it off to testers! It's my 4th sock pattern and it was a real joy to work on, things went very smoothly. I used Rusty Ferret sock yarn for the design in a bright pink colourway called Concoction 52. The colourway is semi-solid creating lovely little hints of subtle colour change which I love! I'm half-way through crocheting my second pair, testing out the smallest size (it will be available in 4 adult sizes). I plan to release the pattern in July so, if you haven't already, please subscribe to my email list to be kept in the loop on this one. You can subscribe here.

And finally, I finished this cute little donkey! I absolutely love making amigurumi and I'm particularly fond of the designs by Pica Pau Yan. I've so far made about half a dozen of them and they never fail to disappoint me. I really appreciate the attention to detail in the designs and the fact that the animals all have clothing or accessories - it gives them so much character.

Well, looking back like this I can see it's been a busy month (there were a few things I didn't share in this post too) and I'm looking forward to seeing what the month of July brings! What about you? Did you have a productive month? Why not leave me a comment below, I'd love to hear from you,

Marta xx

Back to blogging ...

Hello! I have been a bit quiet on here over the summer due to wonderful weather, school holidays, days out, running a holiday club at church, family visiting from London and all the little day to day things that pop up in the summer months! So, here I am, schools are back, the weather is just beginning to turn and I am refocussing on my blog and my business! In this blog post I would like to share some of the projects that I have completed over the summer and a few of my current WIPs.

3 little cakes

I made these little cakes from a DMC Natura amigurumi kit and they were such fun to crochet!

toddler size socks

These toddler size socks for my niece were super quick to crochet up! I used Paint Box Yarns sock wool and mostly followed a Kat Goldin pattern with a change of heel design to add in a gusset.

Skimming Stones Shawl

 I couldn't resist joining in with The Crochet Project's MCAL, it was amazing to feel part of a big group of like minded people via Instagram and the Facebook group. I used Milbury 4ply (85% BFL, 15% silk) from Eden Cottage Yarns

unicorn!

Another one for my niece - a unicorn that I designed as I went along using up cotton from my stash.

Malvern Cowl

After the MCAL I had some yarn left over so I crochet a Malvern Cowl following Joanne Scrace's pattern, one I have had my eye on for a while!

Mitred Square Blanket

Since early summer I have been working on this Mitred Square Blanket using up scraps from my 4ply stash.  I knit 1 or 2 squares every day and it is slowly growing - hoping to be finished to gift this at Christmas time!

Hoooked project

This jute Hoooked yarn is a recent WIP - it's a bowl/ basket type thing, creating as the feel of the project takes me so I am not sure how it will end up yet.

more socks!

We have taken quite a few train trips this summer and I have always taken my crochet or knitting with me! I have begun another pair of Fallen Leaves socks by Vicki Brown using Cascade Yarns Heritage Prints.

on the train

Here I am on the train to Aberdeen with my knitting (I was knitting a square for my Mitred Square Blanket).

outside Wool For Ewe

Once in Aberdeen we walked out to Rosemount to visit Wool For Ewe - one of my favourite yarn shops! Here is my hubby just before popped in to squish all the yarn!

current project

Well, that take me up to my current project, an aran weight granny square blanket! This one is a stash buster, using up lots of random balls of aran I had accumulated (and perhaps buying a few more along the way!).

Now that I am re-establishing my term time routine I will be back with more regular updates so stay tuned,

Marta xx

Using every scrap!

This week I noticed a common theme with all my current crochet WIPs - they are all scrap busting projects! I love this because apart from the economical use of yarn it is creative in using up every scrap from its source (whether plant, animal or man-made) to spinning then dying and finally retail.

The longest standing of these projects is my Virus Blanket. It is crocheted in 4ply and some of the scraps in this I have had for ages! The pattern is by Joanna Martinez and you can find it on Ravelry here.

Next up is this chunkier aran weight blanket. I hadven't made an aran weight blanket before, I always us double knitting thickness and this is working up so much faster, I love it! The pattern is Granny Shell Blanket and it's a twist on the traditional granny square, written by Remade By Sam. I have written my own final rounds to join the squares together, using the join-as-you-go method. Because of the weight I think I will keep this as more of a lap blanket, much smaller than usual. The colours are particularly clashy in this one, I'm not aiming for my usual colour harmony.

Something much smaller ... crocheted socks! This is only the second pair of crocheted socks I have ever made. The first were my own design (which I didn't write down, they never got past the experimental stage!) and now these by Joanne Scrace of The Crochet Project - you can find the pattern in the book, Crochet Yeah! or on Ravelry here.

My forurth WIP is one I have blogged about twice now, my 100 Days Project blanket. Progress is still going strong on this one - I have just passed the 50 square milestone! Below is a photo to show you some of the many, many coulours involved in this blanket. 

Finally, not a stash busting project but an exciting pattern release announcement! My Lavender Cardigan is at the final photo editing stage and is very, very nearly for release! I have been working on this project since the spring and I can not wait to share it with you! It will be available next week to download from Ravelry and Etsy.

Happy hooking,

Marta xx

What have I been up to in July?

Hello! I know I have been a bit quiet on the blogging front lately so thought I would share a little bit of what I have been up to this month. It's the school summer holidays here in Scotland and my 3 pre-teen/ teenage boys have a whole 6 weeks and 2 days off to enjoy themselves! I embrace this time together without having to rush around to school, clubs and appointments - we can slow down and appreciate life, making up our agenda as we go along.

I shared a blog post about our mini break in Glasgow in the first week of July which you can read about here if you missed it, but I didn't post this photo I took in the Botanical Gardens. The light was just perfect that day and I loved how the spiral staircase up to the top of one of the hothouses contrasted with the lush leaves. I may return to this image as inspiration for crochet design at some point!

Back home I began designing almost at once, working with the hand dyed Queen of Purls Citadel DK that I had bought on my travels. I will share some more about this later!

My eldest boy headed off with the Army Cadets to the outskirts of Liverpool for the middle 2 weeks of the holidays. He returns home on Friday and we look forward to hearing his news ...

I started work on a Kat Goldin pattern too - Lake's Edge hat - for my youngest boy. This was with aran weight wool so it worked up really fast!

I finished the Northmoor Lock shawl by Joanne Scrace. This is possibly my favourite 1 skein project, I have made 3 now! This shawl just needs a good blocking and then it will be ready for gifting.

Once a week my dad, the boys, our dogs and I pile into his car and head for the hills for the day! We go for a short, 8 - 10 mile walk then return home via an icecream shop. I am really enjoying getting out in the fresh air and exploring our beautiful countryside.

I had wanted to start a Virus Shawl by Julia Marquardt for a long time, because it pops up on Instagram so often and is such an eye catching design!! I was given some bamboo/ wool/ polyamide yarn by a friend and decided to use it for this shawl. The pattern worked up beautifully and is now finished, pending final photos and blocking.

Last week I took my boys to stay with my sister in Dunfermline, Fife for a few days. During this time we took a day trip to Edinburgh which we all thoroughly enjoyed. We went shopping, visited the Museum of Scotland, covered loads of charity shops, vintage shops and went to one of my favoutite shops, Greyfriars Art Shop. Below is a photo taken inside the museum - I love the interior architecture of this building and below that my youngest boy in Greyfriars - we both chose a selection of Winsor and Newton pens.

The final thing I have to share with you is something I started just the other day. I decided to hop on board the 100 Day Project - like it sounds, a project completed over the course of 100 days. For my challenge I have chosen to make 1 granny square a day, enough for a large blanket. I will be posting daily photos of my squares over on Instagram and will do some updates on the blog too. They will all follow the same pattern - Edwardian Fancy by Jan Eaton.

Phew, it's been a busy month and there are still a few days to go! Until next time,

Marta xx

My current crochet project

Hello! Today I wanted to share my current crochet project with you - it's a really colourful blanket which is sure to brighten up your day!

I began work on this toddler size blanket back in October last year using all the little scraps from my wool stash.

The individual squares are made up of multiple odd ends of wool, needle felted together to form a continuous ball and then crocheted in corner to corner stitch, before adding a neutral border. The needle felted join creates what I call Happy Scrappy Wool and it's very easy to make your own - I  have even created a You Tube video with step-by-step instructions here.

I very quickly became addicted to the process of adding squares and I soon had a 4 x 4 square blanket!

However, like a lot of my projects, the initial euphoria passed and the project was relegated to the WIP (work in progress) pile! It remained there until I dug it out last week and has seen lots of attention since then, in fact, it's almost finished!

The photo above was taken in my back garden at the weekend and the photo below was taken this morning, just 2 more squares to reach my 6 x 6 target! The next step will be to add a couple of rounds of cream before finishing with a colourful border. I keep changing my mind about how I want this to look because I don't want to detract too much from the individual squares. One thing's for sure, it's not going back in the WIP pile so I should be able to post a finished photo soon!

Until then, happy hooking,

Marta xx

Yarn Review; Three Bears Yarn

I thought it would be interesting to start a series of blog posts reviewing my favourite yarns. At the moment I am working with Three Bears Yarn, affection, DK (double knitting) so I will start with this yarn!

my yarn delivery!

I ordered from Three Bears Yarn after following them on Instagram for some time. They post lots of colourful photos there including many reposts of other people's projects which gave me a good idea of how it was to work with as well as the many endorsements from satisfied customers. For me Instagram is a fantastic place to find inspiration, new friends and new wool, fabric etc ... there's a whole new blog post in that! 

I had decided to follow Spincushions latest mystery crochet-a-long (CAL) and the special 29th of February yarn pack (29 balls for £29!) that Three Bears Yarn had on offer seemed like an excellent choice for this new project. You can find all the details of Spincushions CAL here.

first square

I began the CAL last Monday morning when the first part was released and I loved crocheting with this 100% cotton straight away! It feels very soft and smooth which makes it easy to crochet with. Unlike many cotton yarns I have worked with, this one does not split when I am working, which creates a very neat finish. I think you will agree the stitch definition is amazing too!

4 squares complete

Three Bears Yarn is based in Lancashire in the UK. It was founded in 2015 out of Blackburn Yarn Dyers Ltd. and is a family run business with real passion and enthusiasm for producing quality yarns. 

I am enjoying the mix of colours in this yarn pack and having fun putting different combinations together. I have a feeling this blanket is going to be lovely and colourful! 

I love this yarn!

You can follow my work in progress on Instagram and on Ravelry where there will be lots more colourful photographs. 

Has anyone else tried this yarn? If you have, share a photo in the comments below, I would love to see what you think.

Marta xx

A year in 4 blankets

For me 2015 will be "The Year of the Blankets" because I seemed to spend a lot of my spare time knitting and crocheting blankets! I have just put my hook down and taken photos of my last blanket of the year. I really wanted to finish it by the end of today and with 9 hours to spare I was happy to achieve my deadline!

the 4 blankets

The first blanket I completed this year was crocheted following the gorgeous pattern, "Sophie's Universe", by Dedri Uys. You can find the link to Dedri's pattern here

Sophie's Universe in progress

I loved following this pattern because it taught me so many different stitch techniques and combinations, every day was a school day!

At the very start of the year I began work on my Beekeepers Quilt. This was a knitted blanket, formed by making "hexipuffs" which were worked on 3 double pointed needles. I wrote a blog post about the start of this quilt adventure in January this year if you would like more information on this one.

finished Beekeepers Quilt

I was inspired by an Instagram friend, Anthea, @theforestflower ( link here) to make 1 hexipuff a day for the year, creating enough hexies by the end of the year for a blanket. I made mine using all my scraps of double knitting wool, instead of 4ply wool as the pattern stated, resulting in a very thick and heavy blanket! I decided to stop knitting in the autumn and started to join them together because I was worried about the weight causing damage to the blanket. The pattern for the hexipuffs is by Tiny Owl Knits and is available on Ravelry here

detail of hexipuffs

Throughout the year I worked on another blanket, on and off when I felt like a break between projects or when I had accumulated fresh supplies of scrap yarn. This was the largest of the 4 blankets, big enough to cover our king size bed! It was made up of very simple granny squares, designed by Jan Eaton, it's in her 200 Crochet Blocks book.

my husband, snuggled in the large blanket

This project kept me sane in the run up to Christmas because the squares were so easy to crochet and allowed me to chill out from all the extra goings on at that time.

cuppa and crochet

detail of the large squares

My fourth blanket of 2015 was completely different from the others, this one was self coloured which was a real change for me! I crocheted it following a pattern by Shelley Husband called GREG which was released fortnightly as a mystery CAL (crochet along). This meant that I had no idea how the finished blanket would look but I had been following Shelley on Instagram, as Spincushions  for long enough to have faith in her pattern writing abilities and I knew it would be an awesome blanket!

GREG in progress

I quickly found that working in one single colour meant that little faults and flaws in my crocheting stood out much more than in multi colour work. I learnt a few new techniques to help conceal the start and end of rounds with and I was soon much happier with the finished squares. You can find a link to Shelley's blog which has a link to her new eBook here

another GREG in progress

As the year drew to a close I realised that I had not really considered who the recipients of these blankets would be! I had a feeling that the Beekeepers Quilt would go to my youngest son because he had been sneaking off with as soon as it was big enough to huddle under! The large king size bed blanket was for our bed, I wanted a blanket that was big enough to keep one half of!! The other 2 blankets, what to do with them? I decided to give them to my other 2 boys to keep everyone happy and give everyone an heirloom blanket which I hope will be treasured for years to come.

my boys, posing with their blankets!

Now that they are all finished, what shall I make next? 

Marta xx