Goodness me, I am SO glad to be here after what has been a truly long, exhausting week for us here in the Attic. On Monday, Little B went into hospital to have a minor operation on his hands which has understandably been quite stressful for us all. The operation went well (he had advanced congenital trigger thumb in both hands) and so we've had an enforced week of slow, stay-home recovery. It has been quite draining I have to admit - having both his hands out of action has meant him needing a lot of help with everyday things, and a week of sofa time. I thank my lucky stars that I'm in a position to stay at home and do the looking after without a huge amount of interruption - darning in ends and making crochet tutorials can happen on the sofa and I've been very, very glad of something to keep me occupied during the days.
This blanket has been such a comfort this past week, it has kept us warm and cosy on the sofa, but also I have to tell you that it has been so much more than just a blanket to snuggle under. It has been true therapy for me - it has eased my worries and given me colour-happy vibes. Working on the edging has provided me with a gentle, rhythmic occupation whilst simultaneously allowing me to watch film after film, day after day with my Little One as he's been healing. There will be some very vivid memories attached to this blanket that's for sure, a reminder of this difficult but gentle healing time.
I decided to once again use my "Spot On" edging and it has worked beautifully with the Granny Stripe. This is in fact the third time I've made this blanket edging - you may remember it from the Interlocking Colour Ripple and the Granny Patchwork Blanket. I never got round to writing a tutorial for it, so I'm happy to make amends and share the pattern with you now. It can be used around the edge of any blanket, and is a fun way to get you to that very pleasant ta-dah moment. I know some people don't like to edge or border their blankets, but I am most certainly not one of those people - I think edgings and borders, even very small, narrow ones make a huge difference to the look and finish of a blanket. It turns a square/rectangle of crochet into a finished object.
I am really, really happy with the way the edging turned out, it is everything the blanket needed to look finished and complete.
The first stage of working this edging is to go all around the four sides of the blanket with a round of trebles. I call this the Base Round, and you can find a full tutorial for making the Base Round for the Sunny Granny Stripe blanket at the end of the Granny Stripe Blanket tutorial. I used Sage yarn for this round.
You'll need to scroll down through the post - the Base Round pattern comes after all the colour sequence information.
Once you've made your Base Round in Sage yarn, you are ready for the Spot On Edging tutorial. This is worked in 3 rounds, and I've chosen to use Violet, Turquoise and Plum yarn.
Feel free to have a play with the colours for your Spot On edging - if you've made the Sunny Granny Stripe blanket following my colour sequence, you'll have equal amounts of all colours left. This means you could use any combination of three colours to work your edging.
This edging works best if you keep rows 1 and 3 very similar (eg two shades of blue/purple, or two shades of red/pink) and choose a contrasting colour to create the "spots" in round 2. So for example how about this - round 1 Petrol, round 2 Magenta, round 3 Aster? Or reverse the hot/cold effect and try round 1 magenta, round 2 Aster, round 3 Fondant.......oooo the possibilities!!
I would love to see you have a play with the colours and make your Spot on Edging unique to you, it's a lot of fun.
So a quick recap re the Sunny Granny Stripe Edging....
1. work your BASE ROUND (scroll down through the Granny Stripe Tutorial, the base round pattern is towards the end)
2. choose your three colours (or follow my choice) and work your SPOT ON EDGING
I'll be sharing a full Ta-dah moment for my blanket in the next few days once I've taken some pictures - here's hoping the stormy weather and poor daylight improves a bit.
So after a week caring for Little B and making the edging and tutorial for the Granny Stripe, yesterday morning I suddenly realised that I was very behind with my Log Cabin blanket. Squares 9 and 10 were needed for today and yikes, I hadn't even worked out the colour sequences let alone started any of the crochet. Lucky for me, the weather was on my side yesterday, it was absolutely appalling out there - fierce winds and lashing rain. So I was granted permission by the family to stay put on the sofa and crochet the day away. The Little People came and went alongside me (and sometimes in Little B's case, right on top of me) and every so often I put down my hook in order to provide snacks, give cuddles, put piles of laundry in and out of the washing machine and tumble drier, light the fire and make food. It was a pretty decent arrangement and by the very end of the yesterday (whilst watching Gremlins) I had finished. I confess I still have some ends to darn in, but shhhhh don't tell.
So here we have squares 9 and 10 (just in the nick of time), looking very radiant and sunny. Delicious.
SQUARE 9 (pattern HERE)
♥ 1. Lime ♥ 2. Spice ♥ 3. Lipstick ♥ 4. Meadow ♥
♥ 5. Sage ♥ 6. Bright Pink ♥ 7. Claret ♥ 8. Aster ♥
♥ 9. Wisteria ♥ 10. Plum ♥ 11. Magenta ♥ 12. Violet ♥
♥ 13. Turquoise ♥ 14. Fondant ♥15. Shrimp ♥ 16. Petrol ♥
SQUARE 10 (pattern HERE)
♥ 1. Plum ♥ 2. Petrol ♥ 3. Sage ♥ 4. Magenta ♥
♥ 5. Spice ♥ 6. Aster ♥ 7. Turquoise ♥ 8. Claret ♥
♥ 9. Lipstick ♥ 10. Wisteria ♥ 11. Lime ♥ 12. Shrimp ♥
♥ 13. Fondant ♥ 14. Violet ♥15. Meadow ♥ 16. Bright Pink ♥
A little reminder to mark the top/first strip with a loop of yarn or stitch marker and leave it in place, and to label/number each square so you can identify it.
If you've been making the Sunny Granny Stripe along with me, I really hope you have loved the stripy journey and enjoy making your edging. I'm looking forward to photographing and sharing my own blanket here in the next few days.
If you're making Log Cabin squares, we've got four more weeks to go with this project - three weeks for the remaining squares, then the final week will be all about the joining and edging. I'm aware that we will be running across Christmas and into the New Year with this, but I will do my very best to keep up with myself and not get behind with my own CAL! I may possibly add in a week's breather between the squares and the joining/edging, which will allow an extra week to catch up, darn in ends, block, breathe.....but I'll make that decision at Christmas time.
The next 3 Sundays for the Log Cabin colour sequences are the 13th, 20th and 27th December. The joining and edging will either be the 3rd or 10th January, I'll let you know nearer the time.
Have a happy, hooky-filled week my lovelies!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Useful links ::
♥ SUNNY YARN PACK - 18 x 100g Stylecraft Special DK.
♥ Granny Stripe Blanket pattern (includes Edging Base Round)
Oooh I love the colours in your sunny granny stripe :) I feel a need to get back crocheting blankets! I've been busy knitting Christmas presents, nearly there, less than a week! Eeek!
Posted by: Colourful Cottage | December 18, 2015 at 02:19 PM
Only up to square 6, too many WIP's, As usual thank you for the wonderful tutorials. Get well soon Little B! Huggs from New York City!
Posted by: Teri Sullivan | December 15, 2015 at 09:57 PM
Big hugs from Germany. I'm in the hospital right now and think of you, little mouse....
Marianne
Posted by: Marianne | December 12, 2015 at 01:18 PM
Many thanks to Carine07 for the link to Drops 'Christmas in Bloom' calendar . I may just have time to make the lovely Christmas in Bloom wreath - probably adding some trailing ribbons and silver bells??
Posted by: Val Edwards | December 10, 2015 at 10:25 AM
I have succumbed! Ordered the pack to do another stripe blanket. Going away next week to a log cabin in the forest so hoping to take it with me to cosy up with. Big hugs to Little B. Hope he heals quickly and gets better soon. xx
Posted by: Hazel | December 09, 2015 at 11:28 AM
Hi Lucy. I'm with you on the edging. I think it's the best bit of a blanket and makes such a difference to the finished look and the bit that I really look forward to working. I have not long finished your cosy stripe blanket using the colours of your coastal blanket and I am very pleased with it.
Wishing Little B a speedy recovery.
Posted by: Jill. Somerset | December 09, 2015 at 08:44 AM
Get well soon little B xx
Posted by: Jean | December 08, 2015 at 10:38 PM
I had an ill girl on Monday for one day and I was so bored I cleaned the oven so I am with you on a weeks worth of intensive mothering. Keep it up! Jo x
http://[email protected]
Posted by: Jo | December 08, 2015 at 07:05 PM
Prayers for little B's healing. I am not a very fast crocheter so I am plugging along on my gorgeous granny blanket. It will be awhile before I finish it as the holidays will probably interrupt it's progress BUT I will get it done. I had never seen an edging on a crocheted blanket till I saw yours and fell in love with it. Now I am edging all my blankets. It really does give it a finished look.
Posted by: Penny | December 08, 2015 at 04:10 PM
So glad to hear his surgery went well. Lucky lad to have his mum to stay with him and keep him occupied. Bless you both.
Posted by: Kim | December 08, 2015 at 03:46 AM
I'm sorry to hear about your little one. Crochet is good therapy, and that blanket is absolutely beautiful. I LOVE those bright colors! I hope a speedy recovery for Little B, and a less stressful week for you.
Posted by: Christina | December 07, 2015 at 08:25 PM
I love your patterns and colors.
My 54 year old daughter was just diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
I sent her the Granny Stripe blanket and told her it is a big hug from me. She loves it and wraps up in each for each of her cemo sessions. We are determined that this is just a hick-up in her life and she is going to kick cancer's butt.
The blanket brings her light and love and happiness and what else can one wish for from a blanket.
Thanks for being you.
Posted by: Iris White | December 07, 2015 at 06:09 PM
I have to say these two blankets have really rocked my world. The colors are just fabulous! I love the edging. It is so bright and perfect. I hope Little B recovers quickly! It is really nice he has mom for snuggle time to make him feel better. Take care Lucy. Thank you so much for all you share. XXXXX
Robin
Posted by: Robin Summers | December 07, 2015 at 05:24 PM
Big hugs to your little one....children seem to bounce back so well, he'll be fine. I think I must be a slow crocheter as I'm still way behind so please don't worry on my behalf if you don't make it to the edging stage until next year! The way I'm going it might be Easter for me!
Posted by: Rae | December 07, 2015 at 05:13 PM
Aww hope your little fella makes a rapid recovery , what a worry ! bless him !
Perfectly lovely blanket edging ,btw, so pretty :))
Posted by: Ali Dufty | December 07, 2015 at 04:46 PM
It's coming along fabulously Lucy! Sending big hugs and speedy recovery wishes to L.B. I'm sure he has gained great comfort snuggling with mum on the sofa, and remember that the most. Hope this week will be filled with easy breathing and sunshine!x
Posted by: Angela-Southern USA | December 07, 2015 at 02:27 PM
I must be insane - this year I have completed both the coastal and Cosy ripple blankets. I have also promised to make another coastal one as a present. However, I note desperately want to make a granny stripe blanket! It is summer here in Australia and I desperately need to use up my existing stash but this blanket is calling me.
Posted by: Nadia | December 07, 2015 at 12:04 PM
Poor Little B. But happy, cosy, blanket time together.
Posted by: Claire | December 07, 2015 at 11:27 AM
The blanket seems very vivid; a touch of colors in this gloomy weather/season.
Just in case you do not know: have you seen the advent calendar for crochet/knit lovers from Drops http://www.garnstudio.com/christmas-calendar.php ? I may start crocheting some mittens (this pattern http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/vargavinter) now because of it ;) (my knitting skills are poor).
Posted by: Carine07 | December 07, 2015 at 01:01 AM
Have switched in mid stream and am now doing the granny strip.. Did the original granny strip. Wishing Little B quick healing. Like the service from Wool Warehouse to the US. Thanks for a great CAL.
Posted by: Charlotte | December 07, 2015 at 12:35 AM
I'm so sorry that Little B had to have surgery! My 6 year old had trigger finger a couple of years ago, and it was upsetting for sure! His was not congenital, and we were able to get it unlocked, wear a splint, and do a couple of months of occupational therapy exercises to fix it, so he did not have to have surgery (though we were worried he might). I hope Little B heals perfectly and can get back to doing all the things he loves very soon!
Posted by: Jenny B. | December 06, 2015 at 11:54 PM
I'm with the 'edgers' here - 'no edge' is, to me, a bit like a skirt without a hem, and the edges keep the blanket in shape. However, it's a long, long way round a full sized blanket, and I've only attempted baby size up to now .....
Posted by: Val Edwards | December 06, 2015 at 10:44 PM
Dear little B, I hope he gets better soon especially in time for Christmas. I hope that you are enjoying your break :)
Rose x
Posted by: Rose from Happy Ramblings blog | December 06, 2015 at 09:18 PM
Hope little B is going on ok and healing nicely. Lovely cosy colourful post Xx lots of love Joy Xx
Posted by: Joy | December 06, 2015 at 09:04 PM
So many pretty blankets! I am glad that your little man is through the surgery and recovering well x
Posted by: Holly | December 06, 2015 at 08:47 PM