Magic Blanket Ride: The End...

It's done!!! A long ride has come to an end, and today I can finally show you my huge, reversible, grey and white double-ended crochet blanket with multicolored stripes, also known as "The Magic Blanket":

 

I finished the blanket on Thursday and waited until the weather was less dull and cloudy to take some sunny pictures. Today's a cold and sunny day, so I had a little photo session this morning. It still bothers me, that it's almost impossible to get a good full-size picture, so I leave it with these two full-size shots:

(Left: the girl's side - Right: the boy's side)

The final size of the blanket (including the border) is 150cm x 175cm (~ 59in x 69in). Those of you who have followed my statistics might wonder, why the size is still 150cm, although I've added a border - I have no idea, maybe I haven't measured right when I started the blanket, maybe the border draws in a little. Talking about the border, let's have a look:

 

Remember that I've worried about the border in my last post? It was so much easier than I thought it would be! I've found out that with this pattern, I need exactly one sc for a white stripe, and one sc between the stripes to get a flat border, so there was no calculating stitches or wondering where to place them, it all worked out perfectly!

 

I'd like to thank you all for your great suggestions concerning the border! Have you checked out Little Orphan Skein's awesome tutorial for a leapfrog border? It's a great idea for a striped edge like mine and of course I've given it a try. However, I've also tried using just the white yarn, and since the stitches where so easy to place, it looked quite neat and inconspicous - so in the end I've decided to make the base round with white, because it was much quicker and I was eager to finish the blanket.

 

Although I've seen lots of elaborate borders in Edie Eckman's book, I thought a simple border would look best for this blanket. After the white base round, I've made a (1sc, ch1, skip one sc) round with grey, after that a (1sc, ch1) round with white (placing the sc's in the ch1-spaces), then another sc round in grey, and finally - still in grey - a round of reverse sc's, like many of you have suggested.

Now my final evaluation: I've really enjoyed making this blanket and I'm so in LOVE with the finished result, it's the softest piece of fabric I've ever created with a crochet hook! My Mom and Dad immediately fell in love with the blanket when I showed it to them, so maybe I'll make another one for them next year for Christmas (I wouldn't manage it this year, and for now I need a little break from this pattern).

Hey, thank you all so much for joining me on this Magic Blanket Ride! I really enjoyed sharing my experiences here with you, and you really motivated and helped me with all your nice comments and helpful suggestions, you're great!! :)

And now...

The Final Statistics (including border):

Width: 150cm (~59 in)

Length: 175cm (~69 in)

Colored Stripes: 36

Yarn Usage (basic colors): 21 balls of grey + 15 balls of white
Timeline: July 1st - October 20th 2011 (with a big break from August to mid-September)

Days actually worked on the blanket: ~ 51

Estimated hours worked on the blanket: ~ 172

Previous Posts: Introduction - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4  - Chapter 5 - view everything

Now that this blanket is done, I can finally start with the next big project. Unfortunately I can't tell you more about it (yet), although I'd really love to! It's kind of a secret project, in fact it's so suuuuper secret, that I don't even want myself to know about it *lol*. But I know that I cannot work on a big project without sharing anything at all, that's why I started the "Thursday Thoughts" - I'm a fan of good quotes and thought I'd collect some of my favorite quotes here and share tiny little glimpses of the new project until I can reveal it. And I promise, I will! :)

Magic Blanket Ride: Chapter 5

I've made some more progress on the Magic Blanket Ride last week. The blanket's got a length of 140 cm (~ 55 inches) now, that means I just need another 30 - 40 cm (12 - 16 inches) - time to worry about the edging!

You know what I like about granny square blankets? You've always got four nice edges where you can place your stitches for the border, and everything looks neat and perfect. Unfortunately this blanket is made in rows, which means I have to deal with the vertical edges as well - and I hate that! I never know where to put the stitches to avoid holes, or how many stitches I need so that the edge lies flat. Any suggestions from you are more than welcome!! :)

Recently I've bought Edie Eckman's book "Around the Corner - Crochet Borders", because I thought that a magic blanket needs a magic border :) The author's got a good tip actually: she advises to crochet the base round of the border in the same color as the actual fabric, so that those stitches look as inconspicuous as possible. Sounds reasonable, but which color should you use when the blanket is striped? I'll probably have to do a lot of trying, ripping, and trying again. But maybe I should deal with the last 40 cm of the finish line first :)

Intermediate Statistics:

Width: 150cm (~59 in) (no news, I'm sorry)

Length: 140cm (~55 in)

Colored Stripes: 28

Yarn Usage (basic colors): 15 balls of grey + 11 balls of white

Days actually worked on the blanket: ~ 40

Estimated hours worked on the blanket: ~ 122 (easy calculation, it takes about 30 minutes to work back and forth)

Previous Posts: Introduction - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4   view everything

Another thing: don't forget that there's another theme-party here on friday! You've got four more days to vote and it looks like a tight race between blankets and bags/purses - I'm really excited which topic's gonna win! :)

Magic Blanket Ride: Chapter 4

I'm back today with news from the Magic Blanket Ride:

Actually there aren't lots of news, because after a break of several weeks I've just come back to it last week-end and didn't have much time for it because I had a busy week of highs and lows. (If you're not interested in my non-crochet life, just skip the next two paragraphs) :)

My lows were mainly work-related: I've been on emergency duty for the past seven days and had lots of calls and duties after work, even on Saturday and Sunday. I'm working in the warehouse of a medical company, and if there's an emergency outside business hours we have to ship the products (the life-saving ones) via taxi or train. This week I also had a call from an angry customer who started to insult the company and me, after he found out that I couldn't help him and that there was nobobdy else available in the evenings - after that call I was so excited and upset, that I accidently dropped the emergency cell phone into the cleaning bucket full of dirty water next to me - unfortunately thankfully the cell phone had no severe damage and still worked after all. :)

The positive highlight of my week (maybe even year): we have finally booked our "summer" vacation for November!! Together with two good friends, John and I will fly to Egypt for two weeks - the first week we'll be on a cruise on the Nile, visiting the pyramids and temples, and the second week we'll be relaxing in a hotel at the Read Sea, with temperatures of about 27 °C (~ 80 °F). JOY!!

But now back to the Magic Blanket Ride. I think I'm gonna show you more pictures of details, and save the full-size photos until it's finished - otherwise it's like reading a book and already knowing the end (and who likes THAT? *gg*). Maybe some of you would like to know more about double-ended crochet, so here are some step-by-step pictures:

Working from the right to the left, I'm picking up stitches with grey (just like working "unfinished" single crochet stitches):

 

At the end of the row, I turn the blanket, slide the loops to the other hook at the opposite end of the cable, and start working off the stitches - from the left to the right - with white:

When I've got only one loop left on my hook, I do NOT turn the blanket. I continue with white, picking up stitches again (just like step 1):

You already know what's coming: at the end of the row I turn, slide the stitches to the opposite end, and work them off with grey (just like step 2):

You see, it's actually just two rows I'm repeating over and over and over again. Here's a picture of the blanket when I've got all the stitches on my hooks:

And on the next one you see the same edge when the stitches are worked off:

Before this post gets even longer, here's the summary:

Intermediate Statistics:

Width: 150cm (~59 in) (nothing's changed)

Length: 104cm (~41 in)

Colored Stripes: 21

Yarn Usage (basic colors): 11 balls of grey + 8 balls of white

Days actually worked on the blanket: 33 (I took the whole month of August and most of September off)

Previous Posts: Introduction - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3

I hope the next week I'll have more time for crocheting and blogging. Have a wonderful week-end everybody!

Magic Blanket Ride: Chapter 3

We're back from Austria and I think it's time to show you the progress I've made with the Magic Blanket. Here it is, spread out on our bed:

Unfortunately it's another cold and grey day today, so the pictures are a little bit dull. By the way: I really feel like Johnny Cash in Folsom Prison, cause "I ain't seen the sunshine since I don't know when". Thank god we've planned a beach vacation in November (Canary Islands or Dominican Republic), otherwise I'd really go nuts! Pullovers and raincoats in July - how sick is that?? Sorry for the digression and back to blanket, here's a close-up:

The structure of the blanket is similar to this popular ribbed pattern which is often used for knitted socks. It's also quite elastic, here's a close-up of the fabric when it's a little bit stretched:

See the "dark side" shine through? I'm still thrilled about this technique, it's fabulous! Here's another picture where you can see both sides:

Finally I'd like to show you what Bri has called "alien tools" :)

These are my "Crochet on the Double" swivel hooks. I've ordered them in three different sizes, and for this blanket I'm working with the green hook (5mm, H-8). And now the facts:

Intermediate Statistics:

Width: 1,50m (~59 in) (same as always)

Length: 90cm (~35.4 in)

Colored Stripes: 18

Yarn Usage (basic colors): 10 balls of grey + 7 balls of white

Days actually worked on the blanket: 26 (I took the blanket with me to Austria but didn't find a lot of time to work on it)

Previous Posts: Introduction - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2

Half of the blanket is finished, because I was thinking about a final length of ~ 180cm. I still enjoy the Magic Blanket Ride, but I think I have to force myself to put the blanket away for a while. Tomorrow, I'll be back at work, still working overtime (probably until the end of October). So the time for crocheting is still limited and I really do miss working with a "normal" hook, making little items. My aunt gave me some flyers with vintage patterns for potholders and other things, I've still got some stones at home that wait to be dressed, and my fingers are itching to try the Overlay Crochet from Crochet Master Class. So if you're curious about my next projects, I'd be happy to see you back in K-town, soon! :)

Magic Blanket Ride: Chapter 2

Today's the first day of our two weeks summer vacations, yippie! Actually it will rather be a working vacation, because we want to renovate the balcony and the bathroom and buy new furniture. So today we started our "vacations" with a trip to the DIY store and this afternoon John has already painted the wood panelling on the balcony. There's still a lot to do though, but maybe we can still go on a few days vacation to Austria - depending on how much time and money is left after the renovating :)

But now back to the Magic Blanket Ride - it's getting more and more colorful, look:

To tell you the truth, in the beginning I was a little worried, that the blanket might not turn out the way I had it in mind, but now I like it better every day!

It looks so happy with all those different colors, and there are still seven colors left that I haven't used yet!

Here are both sides in a direct comparison, I also love the way the dark side turns out:

Intermediate Statistics:

Width: 1,50m (~59 in) (still the same)

Length: 42cm (~16.5 in)

Colored Stripes: 9

Days actually worked on the blanket: 13 (today was my first day off)

And now I've got to leave you for today - Thursday night is poker night :)

Magic Blanket Ride: Chapter 1

Hello and welcome back to K-town, I hope you’ll enjoy the first chapter of my Magic Blanket Ride!

If you’ve missed the introduction to this project, you can read everything about it in my previous post.

This is what I’ve made so far:

The blanket is 1,50m (~ 59 inches) wide, and I’m planning for a length of at least 1,50m up to 1,80m (~70 in). I make the blanket in one piece, so this time there’s no joining squares and only a few ends to weave in, depending on how many colored stripes I’m gonna make. So far, I’ve made three colored stripes and I’m always looking forward to the next one for a bit of a change (it takes a while to make a long row like this and with only white and grey, it gets a bit boring after a while).

I wasn’t bored at all, when I lost the cable of my hook just when I had almost finished a row. Boy, I was really annoyed, and I needed two more attempts to complete the row because I kept losing the damn cable! Intended as a temporary solution, I’ve connected the hook and the cable with superglue at the swivel, and to me it makes absolutely no difference, so there’s no need to order a new hook. I guess you always have to anticipate some little accidents on a Magic Blanket Ride, don’t you think? :)

Oh, I’ve almost forgot to say a few words about the yarn: this time I’m working with acrylic yarn. For the colored stripes I use mainly “Bravo” by Schachenmayer or similar yarns. The white and grey yarn is from the drugstore, it’s the same quality like the “Bravo”, but it’s slightly cheaper (and I need LOTS of white and grey, that’s for sure). Actually the recommended hook size is 3-4mm, but I’m working with a 5mm hook (US H-8), as double-ended crochet pattern look nicer and feel softer with a slightly larger hook.

Some intermediate statistics at the end:

Width: 1,50m (~59 in) (constant)

Length: 18cm (~7 in)

Colored Stripes: 3

Days actually worked on the blanket: 6 (no day off so far)

I only wished I had more time, but I can only work on the blanket a few hours in the evenings. So please be patient with me, maybe you shouldn’t expect a too substantial progress so soon. Nevertheless, I hope to meet you back here again for Chapter 2 of the Magic Blanket Ride!

Crochet Master Class: Introduction

Recently I've bought this book:

Jean Leinhauser and Rita Weiss - 

"Crochet Master Class: Lessons and Projects from Today's Top Crocheters"

In each chapter a designer presents her (and in one case: his) work with a particular, more or less advanced crochet technique. After an introduction to the basics of that technique, you're invited to have a go at a specific project. It's really an awesome book and exactly what I was looking for!

I actually thought about working my way through the whole book and sharing my experiences here, but then again I'm not enthusiastic enough for really trying every one of the 18 techniques. Luckily, there's someone out there who is! Marie from Underground Crafter has just introduced her idea (i.e. working her way through the whole book) but hasn't started yet - so we can all join her from the beginning, isn't that great? :)

As for my part, I'll probably come back to this book now and then and only pick what I like best. Here are two examples of techniques I'd like to try soon.

The first one is an Overlay Crochet pillow cover, designed by Melody MacDuffee:

 The second one is an example for Painted Crochet by Ferosa Harold:

My favorite chapter however is the Double-Ended Crochet by Darla J. Fanton. This technique is also known as cro-hooking, cro-knitting, double-hooking, Crochenit or Crochet on the Double. I immediately fell in love with this cute baby blankie:

First, I've ordered long double-ended hooks from the UK, because I couldn't find them in German online-shops. I had my first go at the double-ended crochet technique and was thrilled (I've told you about that in a previous post)! Then I decided to make another blanket with that technique. But not just a small baby blanket, no - I want a huuuuuuge blanket for our living room! Unfortunately I couldn't see a way to make a 2 meter blanket with a 30cm hook, so I ordered some so-called "Crochet on the Double Swivel Hooks" (double-ended crochet hooks with swivel-mounted connecting cables) from the USA.

Meanwhile, I've played a little with different patterns and color-combinations (I've also told you about that) and this is the idea I'll use for my blanket:

This is the "girl's side": light, happy and colorful. After some mainly white rows I want to make stripes in many, many different colors. (Note: this is only a 15 cm sample). Have a closer look at the wonderful pattern, it's so soft and cuddly:

Oh, I think I haven't even told you about the backside, have I? The amazing thing about double-ended crochet is, that the backside looks completely different, when you use several colors! So here's the "boy's side" - grown-up, manly and serious:

Last week, I've started with my huuuuuuuuge, reversible, grey and white double-ended crochet blanket with multicolored stripes. But for the future I'm gonna refer to this project as the "Magic Blanket Ride". Hope you all join me on this ride, starting next week with Chapter One.

Have a nice sunday everyone, and don't forget that there's a giveaway on this site, open until friday!