Sweet Flower Granny Blanket :: Ta-dah!

Hello my lovelies, thanks as always for taking time to call in and see me, so happy to have you here. As you can see, we're ta-dah-ing today and I am so happy, it feels to me like this moment has been such a long time coming it really does. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that it's spanned across the turn of the year, you know? It makes it seem so long ago when I think about it starting way back Last Year. July to be precise, so six months ago. Half a year to make a modest size blanket, talk about slow progress.

The thing with this sweet little blanket is that it did in fact turn out to be very fiddlesome and time consuming. The centres of each square are made up of small picot flowers with little loopy leaves worked into the back of them. Darning in the ends was a 'mare. So many ends! Fiddle faff fiddle!

This was where I was up to at the end of August. When I first started out with this blanket I  intended doing all the squares the same size. But in the early stages when I was kind of making up the middles first before adding the extra rounds, I got a glimpse of small-next-to-big and immediately liked the look of it. So this is how it ended up, it was all very organic/unplanned really.

Slowly, slowly, the blanket began to grow. Through September......

 
....and on into October. I fiddle-faffed with the sweet little flowers. I cussed the ends. I fretted over my random colour choices which often seemed very iffy. Yet despite these irritations, I began to love this little blanket more and more as it grew.

November saw me put a real spurt into it and I think this is when I really fell in love with it. I found myself doing less cussing and fiddle-faffing and more ooohing and ahhhhing. I began to enjoy the quirky colour combos that were happening. And I had this feeling that the bigger it grew, the better it would be.

The sweet flowers pretty much hibernated throughout December as I pushed them aside to make way for snowflakes and stars and the such like. But once Christmas was over, I couldn't wait to get stuck in again. Truthfully, I was already mentally stacking up my future projects and I wanted this little blanket done and dusted to make way for new things.

Coming to the end of a blanket in the depths of winter has distinct advantages. I really loved sitting by the fireside with this pretty heap draped over me, hooking myself into a state of warm, cosy bliss. When the above photo was taken a few weeks ago, I remember I only had ten more squares left to make.  I was visualising The Edge in my immediate future, and oh my, I was soooooo looking forward to being on The Edge of this blanket! No more itty bitty flowers! no more fiddly-faffy ends to darn!! just row upon row of stripy, hooky happiness!!

The above photo was taken in very early January, when all the squares were finally complete. Little Lady and I counted them :: 82 small squares, 12 big squares, 94 altogether.

I was pleased with the way the squares had worked out, although I found it quite "busy" to look at. But I also knew that I would be adding quite a deep border around the squares, and that the border would probably help to balance it out. Well that was my hope anyhow.

The Edge is worked in granny rows, working two rows of each colour to match with the Granny Stripe. For the first time I tried out a method for a "crinkle free Granny Square border" and it worked amazingly well, I can definitely recommend it. Gosh i really did enjoy working round The Edge of this blanket, it was like the granny stripe all over again. So soothing and easy and rhythmic compared to those pesky sweet flower squares!

The Edge-of-the-edge ( AKA the pink pointy bits) is the same as the Granny Stripe. It's an easy little picot/scallop thingy, as follows..

First work a row of UK double crochet. Then with the right side facing, and in the BACK LOOPS only **work 3 slip stitches, then in the next stitch work the following :: (dc, ch 2, dc)**

Repeat between **
Remember when I say dc, this is UK terms (hook into stitch, yarn over, hook back through stitch (2 loops on hook), yarn over, draw through 2 loops). Tis very easy and very effective I think.

So this is how the border ended up :: seven double rows of granny clusters. One row of UK trebles, one row of UK double crochet, one row of UK trebles, then finally a row of UK double crochet followed by the Pink Pointy Bits.

Gosh I've had  a job photographing this blanket, I took oodles of pics over a number of days trying very hard to capture the true colours. Not easy given the appauling weather and low light levels in my patch of late, but I think I got pretty close in the end.

Ahhh this is my favourite photo of all I think. The blanket looks so, so, so......well, so beautifully blankety in this picture! So drapey and sure of it's blankety goodness!

Oh how I love making blankets (can you tell?!) I love every single part of the process.

I love the planning, the yarn-buying, the beginning, the middle, the end-of-the-middle, the edge, the edge-of-the-edge and finally the completion.

The Completion could possibly be my favourite part, although oooo I do like the beginning of the middle, yes. And the edge-of-the-edge of course.

But when the last stitch comes off the hook and the last thread is darned in and Completion is declared, well that moment is hard to beat.

It is bright this blanket, yes it is. 22 different colours of Stylecraft Special DK in total, all chosen at random as I went along.

It's quite a full-on kind of a blanket.

Remember that I made it to go in our caravan, so I wanted it to be fun and frivolous and happy and holidayish.

Which I do think it is.

Anyhoooooooooooooo, I am rambling. So I shall stop myself right there and proceed forthwith with the Ta-dah.........................................................................................................................

Ta-ta-ta-Ta-ta-ta-dah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In all it's glory, there it is.

My sweet flower granny blanket.

It was a fun journey, but truthfully I was more than happy to reach The Completion stage with this one. For a smallish blanket, it was a lot of work.

But oh-oh-oh, just look how pretty it is!! And look how well it sits next to the Stripe!

Awwwww these two blankets were made for each other and they really do look beautiful together, don't they? I can't wait for the Spring to come so that Connievan can be swung out of her winter sleep and prettified with these two hooky lovelies.

So :: you know the score by now....it's time to talk Riveting Facts!

Yarn :: 22 colours of Stylecraft Special DK, worked on a 4mm hook.

Measures :: 110 x 150 cm (actually I've lost my tape measure, but it's roughly the same dimensions as the G-stripe)

Squares :: 94 (12 big and 82 small)

Balls :: approx 10 x 100g

Weight :: 960g

Cost :: bargainous

Photo :: my usual sofa/blanket self portrait

Blanket :: scrumdiddlyumptious

Me :: happy, yaaaayyyy ☺

You :: wonderful, thank you ♥

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Comments

[Bronchitikat]

Wonderful blanket. It very much reminds me of Kaffe Fasset's work.

[nadia]

This is one gorgeous blanket. Congratulations!Could you share the pattern for the little flowers with leaves ?Thank you.

[Sk]

I am in love with anything crochet which has the word 'granny' attached to it, just by looking at all our wonderful creations...can't wait to start working on them myself...

Thank you sooooo very much for sharing your ideas..
Best wishes :)

[Sues]

Hi Lucy,
Can you tell me how you attach the sweet little flowers and leaves to the centers of the blocks? I've thought about this but think if I tried it my way, the back of the throw would be a mess.
Yours is beautiful, by the way. Thanks for sharing your talent with all of us.
Sues

[Charlotte Chapman]

I am so in love with this blanket. I'd like to make my own version. Do you have a pattern for it, please?

Charlotte

[Lourdes]

Oh my... drooling.... what a lovely sweet blanket!!! Just love it. Do you have a tutorial or a link with instructions on how to make flower granny squares? .... not sure i know how to crochet those.... Thanks in advance!
Lourdes

[Jeanette page]

How did you make the middle of the granny squares look like flowers as opposed to the usual first row of the granny square. I like the ruffle. Any secret?

[Sues]

Hi Lucy,
Do you have a tutorial for this beautiful sweet flower granny blanket? I am new at crocheting but would love to give it a try! Thanks for doing such beautiful work. I love reading your blog!
Sues

[Trudy]

Oh it is soo lovely your colors are just all so beautiful together I would love to have one of these on my bed . You do beautiful work. You inspire me to go with all those beautiful colors and keep crocheting !!

[Peach]

Wow!What a gorgeous blanket!How did you make the flowers and leaves,though ?

[Mary Fogel]

how do you get the pattern?

[Peggy Ekstrom]

I love your blanket!! Please direct me to the pattern and a list of the colors used!

[Adelle]

I just LOVE your blog! I love everything about it - just my style!! A question about the beautiful Sweet Flower Granny Blanket above: It looks like you made the granny squares and the little flowers separate then attached them, right? Unfortunately, I could not find a link for the actual patterns for these (the granny squares and these particular little flowers), and how exactly did you go about attaching them? I really love the granny stripe blanket too. I will be starting a granny square blanket with a larger 3D flower for my 5-year-old soon. Looking through your blog gives me great ideas on how I want to connect the squares and how I want the edging to look. Keep up the beautiful work!

[Cheryl]

Your work is wonderful. I love looking at it. My son just (about an hour ago) asked me to make a blanket for my granddaughter's new (big girl) bed. This would be so perfect. Do you sell your patterns? Please let me know. I am in love with this and I'm sure she will be too.

[Zelda]

Love your blanket, and I have tons of scraps that would work in it.
However, I do not see instructions; do not see how to get that touch of color behind the first set of petals; like the larger square and while I could double a basic square to get the larger square, can count stitches well enough to de-construct, BUT is the start a magic circle? how many double/triple ???? to start???

[Marie]

I love the blanket, it's amazing, the colour's great, :-)
Marie

[Kathy Preston]

Hi I am in South Africa and have a little wool shop. I am blown away by your lovely blanket. I will be visiting this site often now. Regards, Kathy

[Darlene Martensen]

Very pretty. I love the granny square blankets

[Sabrin]

This is an absolutely beautiful blanket. I love granny squares and the flowers as well as the edging are nice touches. :)

[sharelyn]

Glad I'm not the only one looking for the pattern.
I'm really enjoying spending time on your blog, you are very talented, and I thank you for sharing your gift!
Do you have plans to share the pattern for these squares? I would love to attempt one for my daughter.
Thanks!

[Jennifer Libby]

What a beautiful piece of art you have created ! Congratulations. Enjoying snuggling up in it.

[J'Marinde Shephard]

Please,
This is STUNNINGLY LOVELY, but where is the pattern that the link promises?
("Click here for pattern")

[CATHY]

O.M.G. L O V E L O V E L O V E
THAT LUCY!!!!

[Kat]

Hello lovely Lucy, I see you are taking a well earned break. When you are back with your attic24 blog can you please help. I finally joined all my squares and have done some edging, there are so many colours I think I need to do something to improve it so was looking through your blogs at various edging. Looking at the above blanket I really like the last few rows. I see they are made up of uk doubles and trebles. so I started with a row of UK doubles but it's the corners, how do you get the corners to work? I tried to do it like on a granny square so three doubles in each of the chain spaces in the corner, then I googled and it said about doing just three in the corner. It doesn't look good. Pleeeeeeease help when you have time. Thank you muchly, Kat. x

[kerry ann]

love this blanket <3 x x x made 1 similer to this in all sorts of purples and blues looked fab x x