Thursday 28 September 2017

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!

A lacy stitch pattern of shells and trebles arranged in columns using mint-coloured 8 ply yarn. The blanket is laid out onto a black background to show the holes in the lacy pattern. Above the blanket is a bullet skein with a yellow-handled 4.25 mm aluminium crochet hook  (US size G). The handle is of the "soft touch" style.
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.



PatternYarn (m)DimensionsArea (cm³)Hook (mm)
#3 DK, light, 5-8 ply:



Modern Grace99321" x 26" / 53.34 x 66 cm35234
Cherished Reminder105033.5" x 41" / 85 x 104 cm88404
Pretty in Pink138635" x 36" / 89 x 91.5 cm8143.54.5
Lavender Lace140035" x 41" / 88.9 x 104.1492585
Tender Hearts148536" x 46.5" / 91.5 x 118 cm107974
Heirloom Ruffles157534.25" x 44.25" / 87 x 112.5 cm97874.25
#4 worsted, medium, 10 ply:


Baby Blue105033" x 44.5" / 84 x 113 cm94926


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! 


A night view of Adelaide Oval from the Eastern stand. The tier above is overhanging and a support beam can be seen in the top right corner of the photo. Opposite is a view of the western stand (Chappell Stand, Sir Donald Bradman Pavilion and Sir Edwin Smith Stand). To the left of the stand is a giant video screen. The stands are still half empty because the game has not started yet. Umpires and players are doing warm ups at this time.
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:


"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:

"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:

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

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

"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:


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 

5 comments:

  1. Lovely blanket and wow you have done so much so fast. Congratulations on the new addition to your family circle!

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    1. Thank you Mary-Anne, I was privileged to hold my tiny 'grand-niece' when she was only a few days old. So special.

      After so much challenge in my crochet lately, I had forgotten the joys of following simple, easy patterns instead of modifying or making things from scratch.

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  2. That is a lovely pattern and it's certainly growing quickly :)

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Tracey, for taking time to visit and leave a comment. Welcome back. Regarding the blanket, I am enjoying the simplicity and speed.

      I'm currently working the first border round into the ends of rows. It is a bit slower because I am counting stitches and trying to be even and neat. Once I get into the border proper, it is bound to speed up again. I want this one finished within the next week or two. Are you crocheting or knitting anything with your beautiful yarns at the moment?

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  3. Thanks for the fantastic guide on using leftover yarn creatively! It's like unlocking a treasure trove of possibilities, from whimsical tassels to vibrant granny square coasters. Happy crafting with those delightful yarn leftovers! 🌈🧵 #YarnCraftingMagic #CraftingJoy

    ReplyDelete