What The Other Circles Want To Be...

Today has been very productive. We have boxed up books, rolled up rugs, and sorted our souvenirs... During breaks for de-stressing and tea, I have also been sewing in ends on the Mumbles Ripple. There aren't too many left now, just 21 stripes to finish off.

But all through today I have been just bursting to tell you about what's new on my hook! I love it so much :D

 

I previously showed you these little multi-coloured circles (I am amused that auto-correct wants to change 'multi-coloured' into 'mulch-coloured'! They're not quite the same thing!!), and I promised that I would explain what they would become…

Well these little things are going to grow up to be another blanket, but this one will be for me!! Well, actually us, as in me and my husband. Because it will be for us, I asked my husband what sort of pattern he would like. I wasn’t sure if he would be too interested – I mean, he’s always been supportive of me crocheting ever since I learned how, but I didn’t know if he would actually want any input. But I showed him a few options, and he was really happy to pick one, and even to talk about the colours! (It was a good job that he was happy about the colours actually, as I had already decided on them…!)

He was so sweet – he got quite excited, and when I asked why he said it was because I was making a blanket for us, and he couldn’t wait to see it grow every day, but for us this time! He said he was quite sad that we couldn’t keep the Mumbles Ripple blanket, so he was really glad we would be having another one :)

On to the blanket: Regarding colours, I am using the colours I talked about here, bought specially for this project. These are all Stylecraft Life DK yarns, with 25% wool. They feel really cuddly and I love the softness of the colours.

L-R: Cream, Rose, Cobalt, Heather, Mixtures Denim, Mint, Crocus, Mixtures Cranberry, and Oatmeal

At the time I bought them I wasn’t sure whether to go for the cool grey neutral, Cobalt, or the warm sand coloured neutral, Oatmeal, so I bought both... But I have made my decision: I will use the Oatmeal for this project :)

I also found this warm brown colour yarn in my stash – I can’t remember what I bought it for in the first place:

Luxury Wool Rich DK in Mink

It’s another Stylecraft, a Luxury Wool Rich DK this time, with 51% wool. This colour is called Mink, and it’s a nice rich, warm brown colour. It feels very similar in texture to the Life DK, and I think they go together beautifully. So these are all of the colours going into this next creation, 9 in total:

Top row, L-R: Mint, Mixtures Denim, Cream, and Rose. Bottom Row, L-R: Crocus, Heather,  Mink,  Mixtures Cranberry, and Oatmeal.

And what will this blanket be like? Well, I’ve had a hankering for hexagons for some time now! I wasn’t 100% sure that hexagons would be the final pattern choice, but they were in my mind when I bought the yarn. I pondered over squares with coloured motifs and a cream background, hexagons with coloured circles and a cream background, or multi-coloured hexagons without a single background colour (i.e. different colours for each final round).

I was leaning towards the hexagons with completely mixed up colours – no single background colour – but I still liked the other pattern ideas too much  to dismiss them. Showing the options to my husband, he easily chose the multi-coloured hexagons option, and another decision was done!!

I had looked at so many pictures that I was pretty sure I could make a hexagon with no pattern, so I had a go, and it did work out! I am very happy with it :)

The central circle I’ve used is basically the same as here in the Weston / Delft blanket. Then it has a row of chain 3, with a UK double into each chain 1 gap of the previous round, repeated all the way round. For the final round, around the 3 chains, I alternate between 3 trebles, chain 2, 3 trebles – creating the corners, and chain 1, 4 trebles, chain 1 – creating the sides. (Don’t panic – this is not my attempt at a pattern! It is only meant to be a vague description, just ask me if you want any more details)

I’m also joining these hexagons as I go – I couldn’t really face the idea of having to crochet these together at the end, plus with the hex’s I rather like how they look when joined on the go. I am doing the colours fairly randomly; by which I mean I have no colour plan or anything, but I am putting a little thought into whether or not certain colours look ok together. Kind of random, but maintaining a power of veto ;)

The hexagons grow differently to the squares. No straight strips in this creation, it’s growing more organically:

When I got to this next point, I thought it would make a lovely cover for a round cushion pad – maybe I will do that with project leftovers in future?

But of course this will be a blanket, and besides, I wasn’t ready to stop yet! So it kept growing:

And growing!

I know this looks like a lot of ends, but it's only the outside row of hex's that I haven't sewn in yet, honest! Trying to get back into my good habits!

I really am feeling the love for this yarn – I know that the Special DK is very popular and has great colours, and I have lots of it myself - it's the main ingredient for the Glastonbury Blanket in fact, and I am sure I will use it for more in the future. 

But I think my heart really lies with the Life range… I love Life! (sorry, I couldn't resist that!) I am thoroughly enjoying the way these colours are working together, and I love how cuddly the yarn is - and how cuddly this blanket is as I work it up. Lovely cuddly hexagons :)   Maybe that’s what I’ll call this blanket, the Cuddly Hexagon Blanket?

I am a bit sad that work on this will have to wait in line behind the Glastonbury Blanket and the Weston / Delft Blanket, as these are gifts for others; but I will definitely be sneaking in new hexagons whenever I get the chance, and I will keep you updated :)