Harmony Home Stretch

Last night when I uploaded these pictures, I realised that I haven't really talked very much about my current Blanket-In-Progress (my BiP?!). Which is a bit strange as I usually like to talk a LOT about every single bit of crochet that passes through my hands. So I thought that as I'm giddily galloping along the Home Stretch now, perhaps it would be a good time to show you a bit  more of this beauty.

I started working on the squares for my Harmony blanket in early April (just in time for my Easter jollies down in Dorset), and it has proven to be a wonderfully absorbing project. A touch addictive, these cutesome squares really have had me entranced right from the word go. Unusually for me, I approached the making of this blanket in a very methodical way, which I think has really helped the journey to feel relaxed and pleasurable. I started out by making all the middles first (the fiddly first round), then I worked on rounds 2 - 5 in batches of fourteen at a time (which is one vertical strip) so they never felt overwhelming. There are 126 of them in total (14 x 9) and I can honestly say I never once got bored of them. 

Round 6 is the joining round, and I devised a variation of the join-as-you-go method for this round. I joined in vertical strips and loved being able to watch my blanket grow in this way, it's been very satisfying and has delivered rather a lot of hooky feel-good. Also, I've actually remembered to take photographs of my making process so in due course I'll be able to share a full tutorial for making both the Harmony squares and the joining method. In fact, I've been miraculously organised with this blanket, it's really not like me at all as I'm usually flying by the seat of my pants!

On Friday, I finished the last of the joining, quietly folded up my blanket and immediately began to ponder the business of designing a border for it....

....oh those colours!! Yum, yum, yum!!!!!!! The Harmony colour pack has fifteen colours of Stylecraft Special DK in total (14 main colours, plus the soft Parma Violet shade which I used for joining). I knew I wanted to make quite a deep border to frame the squares, so I set about choosing 8 beautifully harmonious colours to do the job. I took aaaaaaaaaaaaages choosing these colours, endlessly swapping them about until I felt truly delighted by the way they play together. 

Working on the border is pure pleasure, I am in love with making these long, easy rows. Being on the Home Stretch is really rather exciting you know, and needless to say I am feeling rather ridiculously excited by the imminent ta-dah moment. I've got that tingly feeling in the pit of my stomach :)  

This was me on Sunday afternoon, stretched out on the sofa enjoying some peaceful hooky. Funny isn't it, the above photo does look very peaceful and tranquil and for a moment I almost convinced myself that that was the reality. But nooooooo - you can add to the above image the soundtrack of "Guardians of the Galaxy" intermingled with the sound of several noisy children playing. And while you're at it, you can also picture me getting up and down numerous times to help build a Lego Batcave/provide refreshments/see to the laundry/find a lost Lego piece/answer the door etc etc. So not peaceful, but at least crochet has the advantage of being easily pick-up-and-put-downable. It's very accommodating like that, tolerates the interruptions of family life rather well in fact.

And in related home-front news, we have a new sofa. It's grey, but that fact is growing easier to live with each and every day. Our old sofa took us valiantly through fifteen years of tough family life, and after three (failed) repairs to it's sagging underparts it finally gave up and died on us last week. It was rather comical at the time as J was sitting on it when it completely collapsed and swallowed him up, man, I laughed so hard I nearly had an accident.

Anyhoooooow, we took a trip to Ikea on Saturday and chose this Tidafors Three Seater which was pretty much the only sofa available that would a) fit in/on the car and b) fit into the house. I can confirm that this is a very comfy piece of furniture, and I predict many hours of happy hooky time will take place right there. Bring it on xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 EDIT TO ADD for those of you asking about the HARMONY colour pack, I'm hoping to have everything ready by the middle of July, so not too long to wait xxxx

Comments

[Steph]

Hi, I too would love to know which pattern the blanket is on the back of your sofa? :-D

[Ruth Spears]

Which blanket is the one on the back of the couch? It's lovely.

[Esme Render]

The colours are lovely. Just finished a baby blanket pink. And only have to put some flowers and leaves on chunky bag. This new blanket will get me moving to finish these. I agree with Franca you are the rainbow fairy.

[dani]

Bonjour Lucy je viens De recevoir le pack de laine pour faire votre plaid , la laine est splendide !!!!!! Malheureusement je comprend très peu l Anglais donc vos explications pour moi sont très confuses pourriez vous me communiquer le tuto du carré en dessin et non en explication écrite. Merci beaucoup. Bonne soirée. Dani

[Rae]

I know exactly how you feel Lucy about time slipping away. We are in Norfolk and although the weather hasn't been brilliant we have had some short spells of nice days with rain, grey days in between. We have only managed two days away so far because of all sorts of annoying reasons so here's hoping for a 2015 "Indian Summer" for all of us. Loving your Harmony Blanket pattern and it's on my winter blanket short list (having a winter project helps me get through it much easier)x

[Joanne Garratt]

Hi Lucy,
When is harmony coming.
Can't wait to get started on it.
Hope all is well.
Thanks,

[Karen Frost]

Hi Lucy
When is Harmony coming - need more wool from Wool Warehouse to make up an order as just finishing off the Original pack - so eagerly waiting to start the next challenge you keep setting!!!!!!! The Coast Blanket is beautiful and all the left over wool have been made into a pram blankie.
Thank you Lucy for inspiring me
Karen Frost

[Margie Winstead]

Can we at least have the color list? I will buy each color and make it with a granny square pattern. PLEASE!

[Margie Winstead]

Hi Lucy,
I don't think you are there! ;)
I REALLY want to do the harmony blanket! You said mid-July, it is now end of July and I have not seen a word from you since June 20!
Hope all is well........BUT!!!!!!
Thanks

[kim mcavoy]

Hi Lucy, can't wait for details on your Harmony Blanket, aiming to do this for my elderly neighbours, they are sisters aged 95 and 85 who live together, have shown them my various crochet blankets, and knitted cowls, and have asked me to do them a blanket/s for their knees when watching TV. Thought this design would be great for them
enjoy the blog
x Kim (the one who started on the travelling Cosy Blanket in a sailboat in San Francisco, which is now complete and living in Hertfordshire)

[Alberto]

Very beatifull

My blog is: http://lalanaengancha.blogspot.com.es/

[Vivian Costa Manso]

Lucy ... Its always overwhelming looking to your projects, you give me peace of mind with your posts. Never ever stop sharing please! Your fan from Brazil, Vivian

[Iris]

I love your blankets and can't wait for the Harmony Pack at WoolWarehouse.
I hope you are not tooooo quick. I still have to finish my Cosy Blanket. And also the Coast Pack is waiting to be started.
So much nice blankets to crochet. I should stop working... ;-)

[Helen Lay]

We have a Tidafors sofa too, I love it. Happy crochet space.

[Danielle]

A size 4,5 instead of a size 4 I mean, I forgot to mention the 4,5 in my previous post, sorry!

[Danielle]

Hi Lucy, now that I've been looking at your photo's in more detail, I see that you have been working with a clover amour needle on the edge of your harmony blanket. I thought you always worked you Stylecraft Special DK on a four? So now I'm wondering if I remembered incorrectly, or you worked your edge with a different needle and if so, for what reason? If you see any chance to explain, I'ld appreciate!

[Patricia Robinson]

Hi Lucy love love the harmony blanket lovely colours combinations can't wait for the pack and tutorial. I'm making baby blankets at the moment for my great grandchildren and loving doing it. Xx

[Jo]

I love your border. Cant wait for the tadaaaa. When your new sofa gets old or if you go off the grey have a peak at bemz.com. They do covers for IKEA sofas in fabulous fabrics.

[Kareen]

So beautiful! The final result and each one of the singles squares <3 Few things can be so absorbing, yet relaxing and stimulating as playing with yarn, specially crocheting -I think I have a cat/spider-like mentality :P

Love your entry as usual :)

[Pam mace]

I love the peaceful uninterrupted times with crochet. As you say though it can appear all tranquil when it's not. It's very tolerant to a family life of interruptions. I have recently come to your blog via another hooked crochet friend. I love looking at your various projects. It's nice to know that you can find making a blanket overwhelming too. I'm making one for our king sized bed at the moment. 1year 3months on now. I too approach it methodically doing a few centers of the squares then all the next part of them and so on. It makes it much easier and faster.

[Liz]

CAnt wait for the harmony pack...nearky finished cosy pack...i have that sofa...but the corner version...very comfy! enjoy!

[Angela]

Oh my gosh, thanks for the laugh about the sofa. That was really funny :) From Angela in New Zealand :)

[Lisa]

I think the grey of the soft provides a nice contrast with your bright & cheery crochet!

Love the new blanket colours too - can't wait to get my hands on the new colour pack.

xxx

[Michelle]

Such a joy to look at - thanks for sharing xx

[france]

ces couleurs sont douces et fraîches !!!!
joli , comme toujours !