Speedy Blankets

Need a blanket in a hurry?  

I managed to crochet a snuggly throw in less than 10 days. 

Here's how …



I'm sure it happens to all crafters at some stage–the need for a handcrafted item at short notice.  This happened to me recently ("…But Wait … There's More!").

It amazes me that, after 10 years of crochet , I am still learning new things even with the simplest of projects. 

Day 1: 2¼ stripes completed.

The "Shaded Ripple Afghan" pattern was chosen for speed and based on this premise:

large hooks + chunky yarn = big stitches

= fewer stitches = quicker result

Off I went in search of a warm, super-chunky yarn for my elderly relative whose toes were freezing despite being wrapped in multiple hospital blankets.

Hospital blankets are not that warm. They are made from cotton for easy laundering and sterilising but cotton is not as warm as wool or other fibres. Cotton can be very heavy so the blankets are a very thin open weave to keep them light but the thin weave does not lend itself to warmth at all!

For my blanket, I wanted a wool-acrylic blend–wool for warmth; acrylic to keep it light, easy to wash and quick to dry. 

Unfortunately, my local shop had little variety with the only suitable choice a 100% acrylic, Moda Vera "Shiver".

Moda Vera "Shiver" is a super-chunky, 100% acrylic, loosely plied yarn.
It feels light, soft, 'squishy' and warm.
When choosing colours in the shops, I like to combine the skeins in my basket 
like this to get an idea of the final outcome's colour balance.

The colour range was limited (out of season at the moment) but I was pleased to find colours that I had in mind–blues, greys and beiges to match the home decor for use at home after hospital, plus an accent colour that would be harmonious but also acceptable to the recipient.  The recipient often wears red in his knitwear. I like the warmth of red against the cooler blues and greys, and its depth of colour against the neutral camel.

Day 4: 8 stripes (16 rows) completed.

Planning the Stripes

Colour notes based on the
original pattern specifications.

The original Shaded Ripple Afghan pattern used four colours (as did mine) but before embarking on the crochet, I reached for the coloured pencils to get an idea of the finished look.

I didn't want to work a significant amount of the blanket only to discover that the combination doesn't really work and needs to be ripped back!

(That is not speedy!  It is better to invest a couple of hours planning than to lose more than a couple of hours crocheting, ripping out and re-doing.)

I was happy with the chosen colour palette but didn't like the look of the stripes when worked according to the suggested order of the pattern.

Out came the pencils again to experiment with swapping colours A, B, C or D.  Sadly, I wasn't very satisfied with any of the arrangements.

Experimenting with the order of coloured stripes.

The only thing for it was to abandon the suggested stripe order and work something out by myself, specifically for my colours.

This time I cut out coloured strips so that the order would be easy to rearrange.  After seeking inspiration from examining other patterns, I was no closer to a decision! I just played with the cut-out strips until I found a combination that I liked starting with some known features:

• Seventeen stripes allow for symmetry between centre and edges. 
• I wanted grey on each end so that it wouldn't show up the dirt easily because frequent use can leave the edges of blankets and quilts looking shabby and the edges are usually the first parts to become worn.
• I wanted the blanket to have a bit of symmetry and order, but also to disturb the symmetry in places to keep the colour combination dynamic and interesting.
  When I am sick and cannot do anything but lie there, it is good to have something of interest to observe.  If anyone chose to examine the blanket to look for a pattern, I wanted to provide some intrigue.
• I also wanted a greater percentage of the light camel colour in order to balance the mix of darker colours.

Just as my daughter breezed through the room exclaiming,
"How many more hours are you going to stare at those colours?"  (almost on cue) a pleasing combination appeared!

A pleasing combination of cut-out stripes.
You can also see my stitch diagram for comparing this ripple pattern with others.

My daughter gave me a disbelieving grimace when I rebuked her with the news, "I've just found it!" and then gave her a lecture about the importance of planning.  

Now that I knew what I was doing, I was set. As if I had heard a starter's gun, I was off! With my 10 mm bamboo hook in hand and crochet certainty in my head, the blanket grew very quickly.  

Day 6: 13¾ stripes completed.

Choosing the Right Tools

My bamboo hooks are great for projects like these:

Lightweight but sturdy–to offset the eventual heaviness of a blanket, and easy to hold.

In-line head–for ease of pulling through loops without getting snagged. A loosely plied yarn such as Shiver is more inclined to split and get caught. Because the head of the hook is no wider than the handle, the hook will slide out of a loop as easily as it went in. This reduces delays from getting the hook caught and is less stress on the wrist by not having to twist the hook so much on the way through each stitch. 

Natural material–bamboo is warm compared to metal hooks and a nicer texture and less sweaty than plastic. I find this kinder to my hands, especially with my MCTD*.


Even the type of stitch marker can make a difference.

Locking pin stitch marker.

I had fallen in love with these locking pin stitch markers–secure but also thin enough and smooth enough to get through tight spaces without splitting stitches or yarn.

The stitch marker is sliding through
the top two loops of the last stitch
even though it had been secured on
the open loop.

That's okay for most yarn weights but these markers were too small for super-chunky acrylic.  I had difficulty opening them wide enough to get around the strands without splitting them.

Not only that, but the locking pins themselves were too small to keep the work from unravelling.

The old split ring markers were perfect for this super-chunky yarn. I used the largest of two sizes. 

These markers were large enough to accommodate the strands without splitting them, and also to secure the work properly.  

Stitch marker comparison:
pink locking pin on the left and red split ring on the right.

Stitch markers are useful for securing your stitches and marking out your pattern to avoid mistakes. I marked the first and last stitches of every row for ease of counting. 

This ripple blanket had a relatively short pattern repeat. With longer repeats and when learning to do ripple patterns for the first time, it is helpful to mark the centre stitch of each hill and valley.

Big blue crate for
big super-chunky skeins!

The blanket soon grew too big for the project bag.  A big old blue plastic crate was rescued from the shed and thoroughly scrubbed clean to become a clean, tidy home for blanket and yarn. 

It was so convenient to be able to toss everything into it at the end of the day, knowing it would be kept clean but it was also handy to have next to the sofa, ready to just pick up and put down at a moment's notice.

Day 9: 17 stripes (34 rows) completed 
and ready to wash and block.

On the ninth day, the blanket was complete. I usually damp block my projects but I decided to hand wash this one.  I wanted it to be super soft and thoroughly clean with no trace of sizing or any other impurities on it before giving it to my relative in hospital.

It took much longer to dry even though it is summer time and the blocking board was placed right under a fan. Despite the extra drying time, it was well worth the wait for great results.

Compare the unblocked blanket (above) with the blocked one (below) and see how the blocking process evens out and defines the ripples.

Day 10: On the blocking board, 
all dry and all done, ready to give.

I'm afraid I don't have another photo of the finished, blocked blanket because I was in such a hurry to deliver it that I dashed off to the hospital without another thought!

In summary, here are my tips for a speedy blanket:

• chunky or super-chunky yarn
• large hooks
• simple pattern
• no piecing
• no separate border or border detail included as you go
• plan your project; invest time early to save time later; this includes test swatches or tension squares
• choose tools and materials that are comfortable and easy to manipulate
• in-line hooks
• suitably sized stitch markers
• weave in ends as you go
• store the project in a convenient place
• consider drying time when choosing blocking method

Do you have any tips or tales about speedy blankets?

*MCTD: Mixed Connective Tissue Disease

Project Details

Pattern
Lion Brand, "Shaded Ripple Afghan" free crochet pattern #L0092AD: http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/L0092AD.html?noImages=

Yarn

Moda Vera "Shiver" 100% acrylic 
100 grams / 85 metres per skein.
A. 03 Camel, lot 14749, used 168 g / 143 m (2 skeins)
B.  14 Burgundy, lot 14746, used 140 g / 119 m (2 skeins)
C. 34 Denim, lot 14751, used 140 g / 119 m (2 skeins)
D. 20 Dark Grey, lot 14305, used 153 g / 131 m (2 skeins)

Hook
10 mm bamboo in-line hook

Finished dimensions
91.5 cm wide x 99 cm long / 36 inches wide x 39 inches long

(Original pattern dimensions: 
91.5 cm x 104 cm / 36 inches x 41 inches)

Related Posts, Links and References

Lion Brand, "Shaded Ripple Afghan" free crochet pattern #L0092AD: http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/L0092AD.html?noImages=

Lupey Loops, "…But Wait … There's More!" blog entry, 4 February 2015: http://lupeyloops.blogspot.com.au/2015/02/but-waittheres-more.html

Lupey Loops, "Knitting & Crochet Blog Week: Day 6 A Tool to Covet #4KCBWDAY6", blog entry, 27 April 2013; a stitch marker is a tool to covet: http://lupeyloops.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/knitting-crochet-blog-week-day-6.html

Lupey Loops, "MCTD Resources", blog page: http://lupeyloops.blogspot.com.au/p/blog-page.html