New Baby, New Blanket

Another brand new gorgeous baby has joined the family circle.

With every new baby, must come a new crocheted blanket!

Look at how much has been done in only 1 week!

42 rows completed in 8 days

I'm so pleased with this pattern:
"Heirloom Ruffles" by Kay Meadors
(published by Leisure Arts)

I was looking for a pattern that would be quick and easy to crochet and this one fits the bill beautifully.

A single colour means no messing around with fiddly colour changes and more economical use of yarn.  

No matter which pattern is chosen, there will always be some leftover yarn. I would rather have leftovers of one colour instead of many leftovers of many colours.   

Also, a pattern for a single coloured project will usually use fewer skeins compared with the same pattern in a mixed colour scheme.  That keeps it more affordable for my small budget too!

"Heirloom Ruffles" was on a short list of possibilities. The other choices for consideration were:

In 5–8 ply:

• "Modern Grace Baby Blanket" by Alison LoBianco
  Grit / Griddle stitch blanket with simple shell border.
• "Cherished Reminder" by Kay Meadors
  A lacy blanket with a fancy shell and picot border.
• "Pretty in Pink" by Candi Jensen
  A textured cable blanket with a plain border.
• "Lavender Lace Baby Afghan" by Hilary Murphy
  A plain seed stitch blanket bordered by lacy Solomon's knots.
• "Tender Hearts" by Anne Halliday
  An all-over pattern of filet crocheted love hearts in squares.

In 8–10 ply

• "Baby Blue" by Kay Meadors
  A simple pattern in thicker yarn.

In order to decide, I examined the patterns to compare the finished sizes and amounts of yarn required.  It was interesting to note that the final dimensions of each blanket did not necessarily reflect the amount of yarn needed.

Pattern	Yarn (m)	Dimensions	Area (cm³)	Hook (mm)
#3 DK, light, 5-8 ply:
Modern Grace	993	21" x 26" / 53.34 x 66 cm	3523	4
Cherished Reminder	1050	33.5" x 41" / 85 x 104 cm	8840	4
Pretty in Pink	1386	35" x 36" / 89 x 91.5 cm	8143.5	4.5
Lavender Lace	1400	35" x 41" / 88.9 x 104.14	9258	5
Tender Hearts	1485	36" x 46.5" / 91.5 x 118 cm	10797	4
Heirloom Ruffles	1575	34.25" x 44.25" / 87 x 112.5 cm	9787	4.25
#4 worsted, medium, 10 ply:
Baby Blue	1050	33" x 44.5" / 84 x 113 cm	9492	6

Different stitch patterns will use different amounts of yarn depending on whether they are lacy (lots of holes) or textured (thicker fabric).

I am enjoying the stitch pattern of this "Heirloom Ruffles" blanket very much. It is a 'column' pattern so it is very easy to 'read' and to see where the stitches need to go. Some stitches work into spaces which makes it even easier to handle.

This pattern is perfect for crocheting while watching television or having a conversation.

We Aussies are in football finals season right now so there have been lots of games to watch. No wonder this blanket is growing so quickly! 

My team, the Adelaide Crows, won the 'home and away' season this year and will play Richmond in the Grand Final in Melbourne this weekend. Sadly, I am unable to travel to Melbourne this year so I will be watching the game on television.

Go Crows! 

Go Crochet! 

I had a lovely 'possie' undercover at Adelaide Oval
for the First Qualifying Final between
The Adelaide Crows and Greater Western Sydney Giants
7 September 2017
Final scores: Adelaide 12.12 (84) vs Giants 6.12 (48)

 

Pattern Details

"Baby Blue" by Kay Meadors, The Big Book of Baby Afghans, book #5518, Leisure Arts, ISBN-13: 978-1-60900-143-8, www.leisurearts.com, USA, 2011:

• Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/baby-blue-3

"Cherished Reminder" by Kay Meadors, The Big Book of Baby Afghans, book #5518, Leisure Arts, ISBN-13: 978-1-60900-143-8, www.leisurearts.com, USA, 2011:

• Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/cherished-reminder 

"Heirloom Ruffles" by Kay Meadors, The Big Book of Baby Afghans, book #5518, Leisure Arts, ISBN-13: 978-1-60900-143-8, www.leisurearts.com, USA, 2011:

• Ravelry:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/heirloom-ruffles

"Lavender Lace Baby Afghan" by Hilary C. Murphy, Crochet for a Quiet Evening, edited by Carol Alexander, Crochet! magazine, crochetmagazine.com, Crochet Guild of America, October 2013, USA:

• Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lavender-lace-baby-afghan

"Modern Grace Baby Blanket" by Alison LoBianco, Modern Grace Design, web site, 4 September 2012, Toronto, Canada: 

• Blog: http://moderngracedesign.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/baby-blanket-free-pattern.html
• Etsy:  https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/ModernGraceDesign
• Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/baby-blanket-44

"Pretty in Pink" by Candi Jensen, Candy Blankies: Cuddly Crochet for Babies &Toddlers, Sixth & Spring, ISBN 1-931543-41-0, USA, 2004:

• Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/pretty-in-pink-3

"Tender Hearts" by Anne Halliday, The Big Book of Baby Afghans, book #5518, Leisure Arts, ISBN-13: 978-1-60900-143-8, www.leisurearts.com, USA, 2011:

• Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/tender-hearts

Links & Related Posts

Adelaide Football Club: http://www.afc.com.au/

Gaskin, Lee, "Match Report: Crows Crush Giants in the Wet", Australian Football League, online article, 7 September 2017:  http://www.afl.com.au/match-centre/2017/24/adel-v-gws

Greater Western Sydney Football Club:  http://www.gwsgiants.com.au/

Lupey Loops, "A Quickie", blog entry, 5 September 2017: https://lupeyloops.blogspot.com.au/2017/09/a-quickie.html