The Peacock Blanket

The Peacock Blanket

 was designed as an exercise in ombre crochet

 to provide opportunity for playing with colours

 and to showcase the wonderful colour palette

 from Stylecraft Yarns of over 80 shades of

Stylecraft Special DK.

Ombre is a French word meaning

 the gradual blending of one colour hue to another.

I chose to start with the deepest hue

working outwards to the palest.

With 6 shades needed to make 1 square

 the Circle of Friends is a perfect pattern to illustrate this.

 I have used 6 shades for the 8 rounds

 as rounds 3&4 and also 6&7 use the same colour.

(Round 9 will be made in the joining colour)

The wonderful Circle of Friends square

  by Priscilla Hewitt

is written in US crochet terms and

you can find the free written pattern

HERE

Blues and greens are such a restful colour palette

 and they blend easily from one to the other.

 Starting at the purple end of the blues,

moving through the cold blues into turquoise,

then the aqua into green, the forest greens

and finally into the jungle greens.

After much experimentation and fun playing with my shade squares,

I arrived at 9 different squares for my ombre blanket.

Top Row ~ left to right 1 2 3

Middle Row ~ left to right 4 5 6

Bottom Row ~ left to right 7 8 9

Colour Recipes

Stylecraft Special DK in

1 ~ midnight, royal, lobelia, bluebell, lavender, parma violet

2 ~ bottle, khaki, cypress, meadow, sage, duck egg

3 ~ empire, denim, aster, turquoise, cloud blue, sherbet

4 ~  petrol, storm blue, denim, aster, cloud blue, duck egg

5 ~ teal, empire, turquoise, aspen, sage, sherbet

6 ~ green, kelly green, grass green, lime, pistachio, spring green

7 ~ khaki, cypress, meadow, lime, pistachio, spring green

8 ~ midnight, royal, lobelia, denim, aster, cloud blue

9 ~ bottle, teal, sage, aspen, sherbet, duck egg

The pattern has 9 rounds.

I used colours for rounds 1- 8 and

 then my joining and border colour silver for round 9.

Once the squares were all edged in silver and all the ends sewn in,

 I used the flat braid join to make them into a blanket.

I like to work in a continuous fashion

 joining all the squares in 1 go from start to finish,

to avoid adding more ends to sew in.

There are many good patterns around,

 some I have learnt from are by

Priscilla Hewitt

and 

Cypress Textiles

 again these are written in US crochet terms.

I have written a tutorial in UK terms for the 

Continuous Flat Braid Join

As a compliment to the detailed lace join

 I chose a deep lace border,

from the book

Around the Corner by Edie Eckman.

This is an excellent border book written in US terms

with written patterns and charts too.

You can view it and buy it

HERE

So here we have it

The Peacock Blanket

in all its glory, a feast of colour texture and pattern!

I have used 36 squares in a 6 x 6 arrangement,

 4 of each of my 9 colour ways.

It would be very easy to make the blanket bigger

by increasing the number of squares used

and it can be varied by using just a few of the colour combinations.

 All 9 are not needed,

 you can pick and choose whichever colour recipes

you like and arrive at a unique blanket of your own choice!

Finally the washing machine!

Yes I hear you all groan and shudder!

One of the most FAQ I am asked is

why and how I wash blankets.

Washing increases the softness of the yarn

 and tumble drying adds a really special quality!

 Simply follow the instructions on the ball band and you cant go wrong!

 I wash at 30 degrees using my usual soap powder and fabric softener,

 then tumble dry on LOW.

Another FAQ is how do I block my squares . . . well I don't!

They are flat off my hook and easy to join,

 but I find the washing process does help to block

 the completed blanket and make the joins sit nice and flat.

So there you have it

 the tale of the Peacock Blanket!

Happy hookin!

Heather

X X X

The Peacock Blanket

The Peacock Blanket

 was designed as an exercise in ombre crochet

 to provide opportunity for playing with colours

 and to showcase the wonderful colour palette

 from Stylecraft Yarns of over 80 shades of

Stylecraft Special DK.

Ombre is a French word meaning

 the gradual blending of one colour hue to another.

I chose to start with the deepest hue

working outwards to the palest.

With 6 shades needed to make 1 square

 the Circle of Friends is a perfect pattern to illustrate this.

 I have used 6 shades for the 8 rounds

 as rounds 3&4 and also 6&7 use the same colour.

(Round 9 will be made in the joining colour)

The wonderful Circle of Friends square

  by Priscilla Hewitt

is written in US crochet terms and

you can find the free written pattern

HERE

Blues and greens are such a restful colour palette

 and they blend easily from one to the other.

 Starting at the purple end of the blues,

moving through the cold blues into turquoise,

then the aqua into green, the forest greens

and finally into the jungle greens.

After much experimentation and fun playing with my shade squares,

I arrived at 9 different squares for my ombre blanket.

Top Row ~ left to right 1 2 3

Middle Row ~ left to right 4 5 6

Bottom Row ~ left to right 7 8 9

Colour Recipes

Stylecraft Special DK in

1 ~ midnight, royal, lobelia, bluebell, lavender, parma violet

2 ~ bottle, khaki, cypress, meadow, sage, duck egg

3 ~ empire, denim, aster, turquoise, cloud blue, sherbet

4 ~  petrol, storm blue, denim, aster, cloud blue, duck egg

5 ~ teal, empire, turquoise, aspen, sage, sherbet

6 ~ green, kelly green, grass green, lime, pistachio, spring green

7 ~ khaki, cypress, meadow, lime, pistachio, spring green

8 ~ midnight, royal, lobelia, denim, aster, cloud blue

9 ~ bottle, teal, sage, aspen, sherbet, duck egg

The pattern has 9 rounds.

I used colours for rounds 1- 8 and

 then my joining and border colour silver for round 9.

Once the squares were all edged in silver and all the ends sewn in,

 I used the flat braid join to make them into a blanket.

I like to work in a continuous fashion joining all the squares in 1 go from start to finish to avoid adding more ends to sew in.

There are many good patterns around,

 some I have learnt from are by

Priscilla Hewitt

and 

Cypress Textiles

 again these are written in US crochet terms.

As a compliment to the detailed lace join

 I chose a deep lace border,

from the book

Around the Corner by Edie Eckman.

This is an excellent border book written in US terms

with written patterns and charts too.

You can view it and buy it

HERE

So here we have it

The Peacock Blanket

in all its glory, a feast of colour texture and pattern!

I have used 36 squares in a 6 x 6 arrangement,

 4 of each of my 9 colour ways.

It would be very easy to make the blanket bigger

by increasing the number of squares used

and it can be varied by using just a few of the colour combinations.

 All 9 are not needed,

 you can pick and choose whichever colour recipes

you like and arrive at a unique blanket of your own choice!

Finally the washing machine!

Yes I hear you all groan and shudder!

One of the most FAQ I am asked is

why and how I wash blankets.

Washing increases the softness of the yarn

 and tumble drying adds a really special quality!

 Simply follow the instructions on the ball band and you cant go wrong!

 I wash at 30 degrees using my usual soap powder and fabric softener,

 then tumble dry on LOW.

Another FAQ is how do I block my squares . . . well I don't!

They are flat off my hook and easy to join,

 but I find the washing process does help to block

 the completed blanket and make the joins sit nice and flat.

So there you have it

 the tale of the Peacock Blanket!

Happy hookin!

Heather

X X X

Crochet Company

Friday morning in my world

 is turning into a very special place!

Coffee, cake, crochet, yarn, fabric

 and the company and conversation

 of others who get it!

We haven't met before

 and come from many different locations

 and walks of life!

 Age doesn't matter

 as we all speak the same language of hooky!

Yet when you see us sat as a group

 you'd think we were old friends!

 All very comfortable in each others company

 discussing

 stitches patterns colours yarns

 and sometimes just enjoying that companionable silence

 as we count and hook to our hearts content!

The coffees teas and cakes

 are all beautifully served by the lovely ladies at

  Love Stitch

 and we so enjoy the fabulous surroundings

 which make a stitcher's heaven.

 Whether you are into fabric or yarn,

 this shop is definitely worth a visit!

The cute little tearoom

 decorated with patchwork and crocheted cushions,

 coloured painted chairs and chandeliers

 is a delightful place to meet.

We are a newly formed group and welcome newcomers.

We meet on Friday Mornings

 10am to 12 noon

at

Love Stitch, 

Telegraph Rd, Heswall, Wirral CH60 7SG

 Come regularly,

 come occasionally

 or come once to visit!

We will be pleased to meet you

 and share crochet time together.

 Just bring your hooky and enjoy a coffee and cake

 with crochet company and conversation!

Love Stitch

not only sells every type of haberdashery

 you could need

 but they also run many interesting courses

 in sewing knitting crochet and other crafts too.

Take a look at their website

HERE

 to see what's on offer and keep watching!

 Soon I will be offering a series of 

crochet inspiration workshops.

here too!

Whatever you are hookin

have a colourful weekend!

I'm indulging in some rainbow fun

with the gorgeous colours of

Stylecraft Special DK

making a quick corner to corner blanket for a gift.

if you haven't tried this lovely stitch you must!

 I learnt by following the wonderful free pattern by

 Felted Button. 

You will find it

 HERE

Heather

X X X

New Coffee n Crochet group!

Something very exciting is happening!

Hidden up an alley way

 in Heswall on The Wirral 

I have discovered a little gem called Love Stitch! 

If you like fabric, yarn, haberdashery,

 books, tea and cake

 this place is a must!

You can be sure of a wonderful welcome

 from the lovely ladies at Love Stitch

 who obviously really enjoy their work.

This amazing shop tucked away off the main street

 is packed to the brim with delightful treasures.

Beautifully decorated

 with bunting and chandeliers

 this shop is a dream!

It has the cutest little tearoom

 serving homemade cakes

 and will make an ideal meeting place.

It is such a delightful relaxing place

 which I know you ladies will find inspiring

 and I am very excited to announce

 that I am starting a new

 Coffee n Crochet group 

here!

We will meet on

 Friday mornings 10am to 12 noon,

 starting Friday 22nd July.

The shop is situated by the main traffic lights in Heswall centre,

address Telegraph Road, Heswall, Wirral CH60 7SG

 The aim is to start a social group

 where crocheters can meet and enjoy coffee and cake,

 a chat and time to hook.

 Bring your crochet

 and come and enjoy meeting new people. 

No need to come every week, just drop in when you can!

As well as selling fabric, yarn, patterns, ribbons

 and every bit of haberdashery you could want

Love Stitch offers a wealth of courses

 including sewing, knitting and crochet. 

 I am also very pleased to say

 that I will be running crochet inspiration workshops

 here starting in the autumn!

There will be half day courses and full days,

 smaller projects and more ambitious ones too.

 We are still working on the programme

 and as soon as it's finalised

 I will be posting details of the courses and how to book!

So anyone in the Liverpool, Wirral and Chester area 

pass the message on to fellow crocheters!

   I look forward to seeing you there.

 No need to book, just turn up,

treat yourself to a cake and drink

 and enjoy crochet conversation and new friends!

Wishing you all a happy hooky day

Heather

X X X

Stylecraft Blogstar

This weekend I had the privilege

 of being part of a select group of bloggers

 who spent time together

 with the wonderful Stylecraft team at

 Stylecraft Mill

 in Slaithwaite, W Yorkshire!

The mill was once a cotton mill.

We walked the old stone stairs

 that are worn by the original mill workers

 wearing clogs

and the old wooden floors

that have seen generations of mill workers.

It was so interesting to see fleece

in all its different stages

being transformed

into the finest quality yarn.

The mill spins natural fibres

into fine yarn for

making into worsted suiting

and high end knitwear.

But

 I can hear you all saying

 where is the yarn we love to crochet?

The mill works only with natural fibres

so we were lucky to see

where Stylecraft's sister yarn

Yarn Stories 

is made.

This is a high end yarn in DK, aran and 4 ply,

 fine merino wool and baby alpaca.

 It is beautifully soft and comes in a fabulous array of colours

 specially selected to compliment each other.

The Special acrylic yarn many of us love is made in Turkey

but dispatched from the mill in W Yorkshire

so we were drooling at the size of this stash!

Stylecraft Life DK

The purpose of my visit

 was to attend the first meeting of the

 Stylecraft Blogstars

Can you imagine my delight

 when a few months ago

 I was approached by Stylecraft

 and asked to be part of a team of bloggers

 along with these other fabulous ladies!

In the photo you can see left to right

Catherine from Crafternoon Treats

Sandra from Cherry Heart

me

Julia from Hand Knitted Things

Phil from The Twisted Yarn

Helen from The Knitting Exploits of Josie Kitten

Lucy from Attic 24

Sarah from Annaboo's House 

and

Sue Pinner from Suz's Place

also part of the Stylecraft Blogstars

 but unable to attend are

Emma from Emma Varnham

Jane from Janie Crow

and

Angela Armstrong from Get Knotted Yarn Craft

We were treated to talks

 and mood boards

 showing how the new season yarns were developed

and delighted with balls to squish and smooch

in a delicious array of colours

Stylecraft treated us like Royalty

with a wonderful lunch,

and cakes

 and sent us home with a goody bag

 filled with yarn, hooks and chocolate!

 They also gave us bags, keyrings, labels and vouchers

 which I will be using over the next year as giveaway prizes!

Imagine spending time with all those yarn loving people,

 who also blog and are addicted to posting on social media

 and like me prefer being home with crochet more than anything else!

It was better than Christmas!

So I am now officially a

 Stylecraft Blogstar

and you can look forward this year

 to lots of new yarny goodness on my hook

 and up to the minute info on new yarns coming out!

Keep watching folks!

Heather

X X X