Starting to make up my Vintage Sweethearts blanket

This project has been on the go for a few years, no surprises there then! It was released in sections in Crochet Now, I think back in 2017, and then later in full to purchase on Cherry Heart’s blog. When I first saw the Vintage Sweethearts blanket I knew it would be one I’d be making. As everything I decided to put my own spin on it by choosing my own colours - so my vintage colour way is quite a bit brighter than either of the kits offered at the time it was a crochet along or CAL, and I’m not sorry about that.

In lockdown I picked it up again and made some real progress. As I wasn’t doing this as a CAL I decided to make all of the squares of one design up at once, carefully storing those for the appropriate sections together so that I could follow the making up instructions. And that worked well, with small sandwich bags marked for each section and squares added as they were completed.

During lockdown I remember running out of yellow and lilac and deliberating if I should send for some more wool, but thinking it would surely only be a small amount, or to substitute with wool I already had. I decided to substitute, I’m sure the reasoning was that it was already colourful and adding a small amount of additional colours could only enhance the look.

While clearing through things in our spare bedroom recently I rediscovered the sections still in the sandwich bags, and so I got them out and worked out how much there was left to do. It turned out not much at all, six of the very small squares - and I finished the last of these on Christmas Eve.

Making it up in 2023

So my next job was to start sewing it together. For some reason, it’s not my favourite part of projects and I know that without some accountability it could fester in a cupboard for a while - and it’s way too pretty for that!

Actually the fact that it’s broken down into sections helps, I’m about to start sewing together section five (of eleven) so progress is happening…

SECTION ONE - TICK

The sections aren’t necessarily how you’d expect to make up a blanket - section one (above) has eight granny squares in a cross formation, which allows the non-square section two (below) to slot into the L at the top right of the cross. Section two starts to make use of quarter and third size granny squares, which look good but mean more seams, and more ends to sew in.

SECTION TWO - TICK

Section three takes a different approach, with the first of the larger squares in use. It’s different two as there’s two parts, and each slots into a separate side of the blanket. And the blanket is growing quite quickly, but in a peculiar and non-uniform shape.

SECTION 3A - LAID OUT

SECTION 3B - LAID OUT

Section four has six smaller squares and four of the standard size. This section took a while to complete - so many ends! And yes, I know there’s a school of thought to sew them in as you go, but I’m always so keen to get on with actually crocheting the next bit, even though it leaves a mammoth task at the end.

SECTION 4 - TICK

It’s also clear that I’ll soon run out of floor to lay the whole blanket out, but I’ll tackle that when I come to it - which could be soon!

SECTION 4 - ATTACHED

I’ve made it through four complete sections, with the fifth laid out ready to sew. A busy few days has kept me away from this, but I’m hoping to get back to it soon - this doesn’t even sound like me talking! Clearly batching the sections has worked break this into a smaller task, and may even help me get over my dislike of making things up, who knows?

SECTION FIVE - READY TO GO

I’m amazed though at how many ends these four sections have generated.

I’ve split them into longer and shorter piles - the shorter ones will be no use for anything so they’ll go in the bin, but the longer ones I plan to attach them to create a multi-coloured random coloured ball of scrappy wool for more squares and another project, which combines granny squares and some sewing, if it all works out. Watch this space, but don’t hold your breath!

Reflecting on my week #122

I missed my weekly update post last week, but not because there wasn’t anything to say, but also because after another busy week there was still quite a lot of processing to be done. And now looking back after our first week of co-working from home, the two weeks just gone have merged together.

Our dining room table has become mission control and quite quickly we’ve notched up our first week working at home. I’ve learnt that MOH is much more disciplined than me at taking breaks, and drinking throughout the day and that neither of us are very good at logging off in a timely manner. We’ve both pulled a couple of 8pm finishes and I know it’s not sustainable. We both have plenty of work on, but we both know we need those boundaries.

MOH did ask if I have a butler at work to make me drinks during the day. I don’t, but now he’s suggested it I’m thinking about keeping him on…

He’s also pretty good at Gin & Tonics. Which have become a bit of a thing too, luckily we have plenty of gin.

This weekend I’ve made a concerted effort to switch off, and that’s meant stepping away from the laptop too. So while I had plenty to do blog-wise, it hasn’t been done and I'll make time for that I’m sure. I’ve fitted in some pottering around in my craft room, read some magazines and finally worked out how far I’d got with my Vintage Hearts crochet blanket, and picked it up again.

I'm hoping that over the coming weeks - and who knows how long the current situation will last - I’ll find plenty more time to get my hook out. I've a feeling it will help.

A few new crochet projects

Somehow I seem to be accumulating crochet projects - there’s just so much I want to get on and crochet. Well, not just crochet, but let’s stick with that for this post. I have at least a couple on the go - the main one is the Vintage Hearts colourful throw and the latest additions are these Granny Flora squares. Strangely they’re much easier than they look. They’re the last design I have to complete from the first section, and I’d left them until the end as they looked tricky. So discovering they weren’t has been a bonus.

GRANNY FLORA FROM THE VINTAGE HEARTS THROW

The colours are great aren’t they? The completed throw is destined for our conservatory, and with the bold and colourful cushions I think it’ll fit right in. As well as this I’ve got the square a week green, natural and pink throw almost there. At one point I thought it might be ready in time for Christmas, but soon I realised that was just pure folly. The plan for that when it’s completed is to complement the material throw over the arm of our new sofas, in an attempt to prevent wear and tear.

But you already knew about both of those, so they’re hardly new are they?

This little box of colourful loveliness was one of my Christmas presents. It’s full of small stone or river washed scheepjes wool, with just about every shade imaginable. I spent a few days over the break just admiring them and pondering how I could use them and show them off at their best. I’ve decided on something a little different to my usual squares, and that’s hexagons. I’m thinking something with a flower centre with a couple of colours against a darker background.

SCHEEPJES STONE WASHED DESTINED FOR A HEXI “FLOWER” THROW WITH A DARK BACKGROUND

I spotted a pattern online, with a pattern for sale but on further investigation only a hardcopy if you lived in South Africa, so that didn’t work. But of course I can’t get that pattern out of my mind so I’ve been trying to work it out from the picture. Strangely the centre of Granny Flora has helped a bit, although I’ve managed to draw a chart that looks as if it might work, I’ve still some testing to do before committing these little balls of wool to it.

My next project is already started, and it’s a lot less colourful than anything else I’ve even got planned. In fact every time I look at the photo below I’m convinced it’s black and white, then realise the bookcase isn’t.

MONO - NOT BLACK AND WHITE - QUITE THE CHANGE FOR ME

I saw a beautiful Portuguese tile inspired throw in a magazine, full of yellows and blues and whites, just like my post of Portuguese tiles and patterns and in a complete shock to the system, I chose the monotone wool to complete this in. Clearly it will have a completely different look, but it fulfils my need for variegated wool and crochet, and I don’t think it will suffer for that. And, let’s face it, if I enjoy it and want a colourful version then I can add it to the list.

The tweedy wool below is for another project, this one without a pattern as such. I rarely wear a coat - I find the sleeves oppressive - and the fleecy type wrap I have is getting a bit bobbly. So in a spate of positivity I decided I could create my own. A colleague at work had made a scarf in a stitch I liked and the idea was sown. I’m intrigued to find out how this will work up, and also now wary about if it will work at all.

As I’ve no pattern, I haven’t really got much of a clue as to how much wool it’ll take - and so I’ve probably got too much, so I could be branching out into everything tweed - or having a very short wrap, who knows. Not me, that’s for sure - but even though I’d be happy to have this completed by the end of the winter, I suspect it may take a little longer to complete - because there’s one or two other projects to make progress with too, along with everything else!

But it’s good to have a plan!