Crochet blanket - where to start

[Almahart]

I would like to make a beautiful crochet blanket.

I'm a good knitter but have never crocheted. I know I could scour Ravelry and order yarn and so on but to be honest, I quite fancy buying a kit.

I've looked at Janie Crowther and all her beautiful things but I think I fancy something a bit simpler.

Any ideas?

@Lavalamplady2 I’m doing great. Thanks for asking. I think I’m up to week 26 now. The second lot of basket after some granny stiches. I’m beginning to panic as I’m running out of some of the colours of wool and not sure I have enough to get to the end. I have bought some petrol coloured Eskimo wool for the border this week but I didn’t buy anymore wool for the blanket. How are you doing?

Looks like this now

@murinae that is just gorgeous, and speedy progress too. I love the colours you have used, may use very similar if I brave another one. I’m using pastels to use up supplies but also running low and am only on week 22. But still really enjoying this, the frequent changes keep me interested, I look forward to finding time each day.

@Lavalamplady2 I’m still off work for lockdown so have lots of time. At least it’s stopping me raiding the fridge every 5 mins!!

My wool is left over woolly hugs wool that I never used up so I didn’t choose the colours. I prefer more muted tones!!

@murinae that sounds heavenly, I’m still working and have other commitments so time is limited, I dream of time to crochet and do home improvements - probably wouldn’t be as much fun as I imagine! Keep us posted on how you go. My blanket seems very wide, used a 5mm needle, so suspect I might need to make it longer to be in proportion.

@Lavalamplady2 how you getting on? I’ve finished mine today and wondering what to make next!

@Lavalamplady2 how you getting on? I’ve finished mine today and am wondering what to do next!

I used crochet book blo to bloc it's pretty good there's loads out there

@Murinae that is just beautiful, very clever. And which wool did you use for the border? I really do love it, you must be wondering how to fill your time now! I think I’m on week 26 and rapidly running out of some colours 🤣

I made a blanket following a You Tube video I could knit but only basic crochet the ability to see what she was doing pause and rewind really helped.

@Lavalamplady2 Thanks. I do feel a bit bereft now it’s done 🙁. I ran out of colours too and had to save some blue and petrol to do the last rows so it would match the beginning and I didn’t have enough wool for the last rows of shell as that seems to use loads so did some other stitches instead. The end is a bit too pink/orange as that’s all I had left. I used the Eskimo wool from Stylecraft in colour petrol recommended by coastal crotchet for the border. She used white in hers but I didn’t fancy that. It’s awful to crotchet with though as you can’t see any stitches. Just have to do it by feel! I bought that wool in extra. The rest is stash though!

A learner here.

That blanket is beautiful. I'm a knitter and a sewer, and have a pencil case full of my grandmothers hooks.

Looking for inspiration, support and encouragement.

I've started learning chains and just messing up and starting again at the moment.

@BakedCam once you can do a treble you can do this blanket. The videos are really easy to follow but she doesn’t have a video of the basic treble.

[quote Murinae]@BakedCam once you can do a treble you can do this blanket. The videos are really easy to follow but she doesn’t have a video of the basic treble.[/quote]
Thank you. I'm okay with handling the yarns as a knitter and the hook handling is fine for me.

I'm just RTT now and going back. What are you going to do next? I keep looking at your blanket. It is amazing.

@bakedCam not sure. My daughter bought me a Lidl kit to crotchet a giraffe about three years ago so might do that Never crocheted a soft toy before. I also have wool to crotchet a scarf (also been in the cupboard for about three years) so might do that. I’m still off work (been off 8 weeks now on full pay) so got time to finally do all these things that have been shoved in the cupboard for years.

Honestly I have never done anything like the blanket before and had to watch you tube videos to remember how to do the basic stitches before I started so you don’t need to be an experienced crotcheter to do it. The videos are also really good at showing you what to do. I did have to frog a few rows every now and then (Especially the waves!) and the first row of shells annoy me as they are a bit loose and I should have frogged them so I encourage you to go for it and give it a go.

I learned as a beginner quite easily from a book called Crochet Unravelled by Clare Bojczuk, I am left handed and it was clearly instructed for left and right handed people.

I thought it would be a good idea to teach myself how to crochet a couple of weeks ago, after buying a kit from Aldi!!!
Here's my finished product 🤣🤣🤣

Oh, to be off on full pay! This is the hardest bit for be at the moment - I'm on reduced pay, but still full time and actually busier than ever so even less time for arts and crafts. But ignoring that part...

I've finally finished my hydrangeas stripe, barring the border, so should get that done tomorrow. But not sure what to do next. I've still got a temperature blanket and a bit of amigurumi underway, so should probably finish those, but I like the idea of different. Maybe your stash buster blanket is the answer. Hmm...

Here is my finished stash buster coastal crochet blanket and my work in progress changing tides blanket. I must admit the changing tides is easier and grows quicker as it is Aran and around so easier for me than rows!

@AHobbyaweek

Here is my finished stash buster coastal crochet blanket and my work in progress changing tides blanket. I must admit the changing tides is easier and grows quicker as it is Aran and around so easier for me than rows!

Both are stunning. I'm waiting for my new crochet hooks then I can get cracking.

@BookScark yes being off on full pay is great but we have had emails about future cost cutting and
probable redundancies. Technically I’m not off but working from home. Only problem is I’ve not much to do apart from a few zoom meetings each week. There is some talk of us going back soon.
@Ahobbyaweek your blankets both look stunning. I was looking at maybe doing the latest cal but don’t really need anymore blankets!
@BakedCam I love the soft clover hooks which did you order?

So happy to have found this thread! All of your blankets look amazing. My stash is falling out of my wardrobe and onto the floor (mainly for Candy's hugs so I need to get cracking with them really). I just finished a baby blanket in cotton yarn for a friend, very simple so I won't post it. That stashbuster blanket looks amazing though, looking forward to trying it!

[quote Murinae]@BookScark yes being off on full pay is great but we have had emails about future cost cutting and
probable redundancies. Technically I’m not off but working from home. Only problem is I’ve not much to do apart from a few zoom meetings each week. There is some talk of us going back soon.
@Ahobbyaweek your blankets both look stunning. I was looking at maybe doing the latest cal but don’t really need anymore blankets!
@BakedCam I love the soft clover hooks which did you order?[/quote]
Oh, sorry, didn't mean it to sound like that. More that I keep hearing so much stuff in the media about all the things you could be doing in lockdown, whereas I'm struggling to cope with work and homeschooling. But completely appreciate that a pay cut with a guaranteed job is very different to the uncertainty of furlough. As I said to DD earlier - I don't think I'm doing a great job of work or school right now - but maths that's okay as a short term solution which means we make it out the other side. Really didn't mean to disrail (is that a word?) the thread - sorry.

Anyway, my birthday present blanket is nearly dobe, although given the weather, I'm thinking it might be better saved for Christmas. But I'm now back to hooking for myself. So I think it's a combination of the half-finished amigurumi dragon, and also catching up on my square a day temperature blanket, as I've fallen massively behind!

@Murinae

I tried with the aluminium hooks and just couldn't get on with them. Plus as a knitter, it was very hard to get out of the habit of my hands behaving as a knitter. Spent all day yesterday with swatches on different stitches.

I ordered the YINVA kit, a very reasonable £13.99.

I'm now equipped and feel confident to go ahead with a baby blanket. I'm not too worried about straight edges, as I'll trim up with some ribbon. Will post pictures when I get started.