The last few weeks have been very colourful
here at Patchwork House,
as I have worked on another order
for the popular Circle of Friends blanket.
I have been using the pattern written in US terms by Priscilla Hewitt
which you can find
has the most wonderful colour palette
and it is always such a joy to work with a new recipe.
This one which I have named
Juicy Fruits
was put together by my customer
and I'm sure you will agree it is delicious!
To make this blanket you will need
1 each of Stylecraft Special DK in
pale rose
fondant
fuschia purple
tomato
spice
mustard
pistachio
sage
duck egg
bluebell
and
violet
to be joined with
4 denim.
You can but this yarn
 |
| Stylecraft Special DK |
Working in my production line mode again for speed
there have been frequent lines and piles on my coffee table
many cups of tea and dishes of sweets
and tons of photo opportunities at every stage.
The most frequent question I am asked
is how do I plan colours to avoid any repeats
If you missed my popular post a few weeks
ago written about this very thing you can read it
Planning is key
but it's not hard
and becomes second nature.
The colours in this lovely blanket
have given me many exciting photo opportunities to
satisfy my love of crochet mug matches!
Another question I am often asked is about my hooks.
I use Clover Amour hooks
which have a coated, shaped handle.
These have stopped the hand pain that I used to get
and enable me to be very productive, despite health issues.
Storage and organisation of projects in baskets
helps me to keep my work area (living room) tidy
and makes the squares easily portable
to another room (bed) or going out (car).
This is a big blanket which is a special commission.
Laying out the squares in Sudoku fashion
helps me ensure an even distribution of colours.
To join I have used denim
which has nicely balanced out the hot shades
of orange and pink.
Once again I have used the flat braid join
and adapted it to do in the continuous join as you go method.
You can read a tutorial in US terms by Baby Love Brand
I've been tempted by the vibrant colours
to eat sweets at every stage!
Now the blanket is in 1 piece and ready for its border.
Come back next week or watch out on
and
for the final tadaa!
I wish you all a happy hooky weekend
and as always thank you for your support and encouragement.
This year has been difficult learning to cope with a chronic illness
and making the decision to leave my job as a teacher.
You can look forward to more regular blog posts
and many improvements here,
as I seek to work out my role as a full time crochet artist.
Heather
X X X
