Summer Ripple Blankets :: A Double Ta-dah!

Hellooooo!! Thank you so much for joining me here in the Attic as I leap about celebrating the fact that my first ever bloggy-blanket has reached the grand old age of  t e n. I do enjoy pondering on these milestones, especially when I've been feeling quite nostalgic and retrospective of late. It's possible that all this examining of memories is entirely hormone-driven, but nevertheless I'm enjoying my frequent trips down memory lane and the lengthy spells of reminiscing that come over me these days.

I passed by my ten year blog birthday back in March, but there is something about celebrating an actual physical thing that makes it more tangible somehow. The blanket in question was the second ever blanket I crocheted (the first was a granny square blanket), and the first ever blanket I shared on my blog back in the summer of 2008. It holds a special place in my heart as it was my first attempt at reading and interpreting a written pattern, which I have to say I found ridiculously hard (I still do to be honest). I found myself struggling my way through this ripple pattern, discovering that it didn't really make much sense to me the way it was written, which in turn inspired me to re-work it for my brain to understand it a bit better.

And so began my journey into the realms of designing and creating my own patterns, born out of necessity when I realised I hated the mental struggle and frustration that came with trying to work out other people's patterns. By sharing all this on my blog, I quickly realised that I wasn't alone with the pattern-struggle, and that there were many of you out there who were newbie hookers sat on your lonesome like me, trying to work things out and desperately needing more guidance. We folks are Visual Learners, and it's pictures with plain English sentences that we need, not a whole jumble of abbreviated patterny gobbledegook! I've spent the past ten years creating patterns written in long-winded sentences with oodles of pictures, in the hope that I might inspire someone to make something marvelous when they might otherwise have given up. I wanted to create the next best thing to having me sit right next to you, helping you along as you learn the ways of the hook, which is the very thing I craved when I was starting out. I really want EVERYONE to experience the joy of making blankets, it's that simple.

When I was starting to think about writing this post I went delving through my photo archives to find pictures of my first ever ripple blanket in the making.....yes, I know.....yet another nostalgia trip, but an entirely necessary one. I know I've often said before how crochet blankets are such terrific Guardians of Memories, and this is so, so true. I can look at the above photo and remember so much about the time, even though it was ten years ago. I remember that I was sat up in the Attic widow seat on a warm summer's evening after the Little People (then aged 4 and 5) were tucked up asleep in bed. I remember it was a Tuesday evening because I could hear the sound of the church bells ringing, and I was so happy and content sitting quietly working my ripple stitches.

Another vivid memory caught up in the stitches of this blanket, this time a Dorset holiday picnic one. I remember how baking hot it was as I sat and crocheted with a sea view while the Little People ran themselves ragged in the early afternoon. I remember that I was crocheting the penultimate stripe of my blanket, and I had that slightly sinking feeling that I just didn't want the blanket to end. I felt like I could ripple along forever and never tire of it. I feel like that about all my blankets (possibly not the fiddlesome Sweet Flower Granny blanket which drove me wild with it's faffiness, I was really happy when that came to an end). 

As I still have this blanket and still use it for the best kind of snuggling (well it does contain cashmere), all those happy summer memories stay wrapped around me. I remember the time in my life when I was Mum to two small Little People, and this is precious indeed when the aforementioned Little People are actually rather large and teenage shaped now.

Over the years, I've been asked so many times about the yarn I used for this blanket. I made it without an inkling that anybody might wish to know the colours I crocheted with so I kept no record, wrote nothing down. I remember the brand of the rather expensive yarn that I had chosen - it was Rowan Cashsoft DK with an odd ball of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK, both of which have now been discontinued. I used 11 colours in my original ripple blanket, a rather odd mix of soft, pale summery shades mixed with a few bright zingy ones which bring it all to life. 

In the years following the making of my first ripple blanket, it has continued to be seen  through the archives of my blog, and through the pages of Pinterest and Flickr (does anyone still use Flickr? I was an avid user at one time, in the days before Instagram and Pinterest existed). During this time, the one thing I've been asked over and over again is about the colours I used.

"I want to make a blanket just like the one you made, please can you help me choose the colours?"

There is not a lot that I enjoy more than a creative colour challenge, so earlier this year, back in the depths of winter, I pondered on the idea of re-creating the original ripple colour palette using alternative yarns, in celebration of a whole decade of blanket making. It was slightly tricky as I only had the above photo to go by - the original blanket has faded quite a bit since I first made it, so when I was choosing my new colours I tried to stay true to the original look.....

......and this is what I came up with.

I initially put together the yarn on the right, which is my blankety-favourite Stylecraft Special DK. I stayed true to the original and only picked out 11 colours, which meant that four of them were doubled up to make 15 x 100g balls in total. 

The yarn on the left is King Cole Cottonsoft DK which is a yarn I've wanted to try using for a long time. I have a good friend who makes almost all her blankets using this yarn, so I've been able to see and feel the crochet fabric it produces first hand. It is sooooooo lovely! It's a soft, pure cotton yarn and the only thing that had put me off using it in the past was the more limited choice of colours compared to the Stylecraft yarn I've become used to. However, for this particular blanket project the colours happened to be pretty perfect, so I made the decision to give it a try.

I'll list out the colours for you, please do forgive the sideways photos! I don't know why but Typepad has refused to let me turn them the right way round, so I've had no choice but to show them to you sideways. I've listed the colours according to the way you are seeing the photo though, so as not to confuse you!

15 x 100g balls of Stylecraft Special DK (11 shades)

Left column, top to bottom :

 ♥ Wisteria x 1 ♥ Blush x 2 ♥ Spice x 1 ♥ Pomegranate x 1 ♥

Middle column, top to bottom :

♥ Duck Egg x 2 ♥ Cloud Blue x 1 ♥ Storm Blue x 1 ♥ Sage x 1 ♥

Right column, top to bottom :

♥ Clematis x 2 ♥ Lavender x 1 ♥ Pistachio x 2 ♥

15 x 100g balls of King Cole Cottonsoft DK (11 shades)

Left column, top to bottom :

 ♥ Lavender x 1 ♥ Apricot x 2 ♥ Orange x 1 ♥ Coral x 1 ♥

Middle column, top to bottom :

♥ Violet x 1 ♥ Cloud x 1 ♥ Mint x 2 ♥ Sky x 1 ♥

Right column , top to bottom :

♥ Rose Petal x 2 ♥ Apple x 1 ♥ Sage x 2 ♥

Lets look at these colours again - what do you make of them? I absolutely ADORE them, they are everything that makes my summer-loving heart happy. They are bright and soft, zingy and harmonious, just the essence of pure summer to me. I look at them and think of slightly sun-faded deckchair stripes, fizzy sherbet sweets and fruity ice cream. They are beach and childhood and summer and home to me. They are carefree days and sunshine, picnics and relaxation, everything happy,  joyful and nostalgic that I feel in my heart when I think of Summers past.  Quite simply - they make me happy right down to my toes.

I began with the Stylecraft blanket first as that kept me cosily inside my comfort zone when it came to playing with the colours. For various reasons I wasn't able to re-create the original blanket with the colours in the exact same order, but I really wanted to keep it as close as possible. I wanted it to have the same feel but not necessarily be an exact replica. I started out in late February, hot on the heels of the Woodland Ripple which was lovely actually - making this very summery blanket in the depths of winter was such a tonic!

The Neat Ripple pattern is probably one of the most addictive patterns I've ever come across. There is something about the gentle, repetitive counting and the soothing rhythm that totally sucks you in and makes it almost impossible to put it down. Just one more row.......

.....one more row, oh but I really want to see how this next colour looks so maybe just one more......! Yes, it really is like that. If you've ever crocheted a ripple blanket (and if not, why ever haven't you?) I'm sure you know what I'm on about. It's pure creative therapy, top notch, grade A feel-good. 

Crocheting in winter has some lovely perks, that's for sure. Sitting next to an open fire whilst warming your toes and hooking a few rows is one of my greatest cold weather pleasures. As is snuggling up in bed on a Sunday morning with a few ripples to keep you company whilst you sip your morning coffee and contemplate the day ahead. 

And as with every single ripple blanket I've made over the years, I never want it to end. Luckily for me, as soon as I'd finished the Stylecraft Summer ripple blanket, I was able to move straight onto the Cottonsoft version. A never ending, joyful journey of mountains and valleys, riding those ripples of colour. Happy, happy, happy me!!!

By the time I was ready to begin the Cottonsoft blanket it was mid May, and crochet activity was no longer by the fireside or snuggled in bed (well actually, yes I did still crochet in bed, just with less snuggly layers). 

The weather had heated up considerably and crochet became an al fresco activity for me as we jaunted through the heat of an early summer.

I continued to be obsessed with making these ripples, falling more in love with the colours and the idea of capturing the memories of a (for once) hot summer in these stitches. I crocheted at Coopers Cafe twice a week when we had our knit and natter sessions......

....and I crocheted in the pub with friends. Rippling with a gin and tonic to hand is absolutely heavenly and reaches very high on my personal pleasure-o-meter.

I crocheted at my studio table.....

....and I crocheted at my dining table.

I hooked and rippled and immersed myself completely in these glorious summer colours.

I have to say that crocheting with cotton yarn in the heat of the summer that we are having has been a complete revelation. This yarn was absolutely made with summer sunshine in mind and feels really wonderful in your hands no matter how warm the weather. This isn't a shiny, slippery type of cotton yarn, but it is exceptionally soft and smooth which makes it a joy to work with. I found that my hands never felt sweaty or "squeaky" when I was hooking with it, even when I felt ever so hot in my skin. 

When I decided to use cotton yarn to make a blanket, I had no idea that we were heading for one of our hottest summers on record. Now I'm not somebody who ditches the crochet in warm weather, no way, it's not possible because I'm an obsessive crochet addict and need to feed my addiction every single day of the year. But I really do feel like I hit the jackpot when I picked this yarn to work with during this particular summer. It has been so, so nice! Just lovely in every way. 

It's not at all easy to describe the qualities of how a yarn feels and looks, I'm just now finding that out. But maybe a few pictures can help to show you what I'm talking about. For those of you who have used Stylecraft Special for making blankets, you will know very well how soft and warm it feels. It's not a fluffy yarn really, and yet compared to the Cottonsoft it certainly looks and feels more fluffy and fibre-y. You can see in the above photo that the Cottonsoft is a smooth, slightly silky looking yarn (not to be confused with shiny, it's not shiny). What you can't see from the photo is how it feels - it is so, so soft! It doesn't feel slippery or silky when you touch it, it just feels unbelievably soft. But oh, it's silky to crochet with! It slips and glides on the hook like a dream and I love love love it for that. But best of all....just like the Stylecraft yarn, the Cottonsoft is NON SPLITTY - a very, very important thing for us crocheters. Splitty yarn is an absolute no-go for me, honestly, life is too short for that nonsense.

Lets try and get a closer look....

Stylecraft Special DK on the left and King Cole Cottonsoft DK on the right.

Both of these yarns are truly lovely to to work with, and make absolutely gorgeous blankets.  

Making two blankets together (well one after the other, but I think of them as being together) has been a lot of work in terms of hours that I've spent with a hook in my hand. Hear me complaining? Not ever!!!! It's been so much fun playing with the summery colours and now that they are finished I get to experience the pleasure of using the blankets for years to come. They will forever remind me of the Summer of '18 when our weather was fabulous and so much sunny time was spent enjoying the outdoors. I've got picnic plans for these blankets (I've already enjoyed an outdoor snooze tucked up under the Cottonsoft ripple) and will be taking them to Dorset with me a little later on this Summer, for the pure pleasure of being able to see them with a summery coastal backdrop.

As you would expect for any sort of celebratory ta-dah type event, I have taken a shed load of photos. Heaps of them. I'm now pondering over how to show them to you without giving you Blanket Blindness. 

Are you ready for this?

Lets start with the Stylecraft Special Summer Ripple.........

.......ta-dah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did you enjoy that ripple feast?

Do you love the way the colours dance together? Aren't they beautiful?!

As you know, I've already written a full tutorial to help you get to grips with the Neat Ripple pattern, as well as a separate tutorial which explains how to turn the ripple pattern into an actual blanket (which includes instructions for filling in the rippled edges and working the border). Here are the links for those >>

NEAT RIPPLE STITCH PATTERN

RIPPLE BLANKET KNOW-HOW

What I also want to remind you of is the hook size, blanket size and tension stuff - all this is explained in the blanket know-how tute, but as this was written for Stylecraft yarn it's important to write it again because the Cottonsoft Blanket is different to the Stylecraft blanket.

STYLECRAFT SPECIAL DK SUMMER RIPPLE

YARN PACK at WOOL WAREHOUSE (includes full colour printed pattern)

Finished blanket size : 120cm x 180cm (single bed size)

Hook size : recommended size is 4 mm for Stylecraft yarn.

You can go up or down depending on  personal tension. I'm a tight crocheter so I used a 5 mm hook to create the starting foundation chain (to keep it from pulling too tight and making a rainbow!), then switched to a 4.5 mm for the ripples. I would highly recommend using a bigger hook size to make the foundation chain.

Starting chain (a multiple of 14, plus 3) : chain 213

Number of stripes : 84.

Make the first and last stripe the same colour so that you can easily follow my border instructions.

Here is the stripe order I used. If you buy a Summer Ripple yarn pack from my shop at Wool Warehouse, you will get a full colour printed pattern which includes this info.

SUMMER RIPPLE (STYLECRAFT) STRIPE ORDER
1. storm blue	31. pistachio	61. pomegranate
2. duck egg	32. blush	62. clematis
3. clematis	33. clematis	63. wisteria
4. pomegranate	34. pomegranate	64. spice
5. blush	35. sage	65. lavender
6. lavender	36. duck egg	66. storm blue
7. pistachio	37. pistachio	67. cloud blue
8. cloud blue	38. clematis	68. clematis
9. sage	39. cloud blue	69. pisatchio
10. wisteria	40. blush	70. sage
11. spice	41. wisteria	71. duck egg
12. blush	42. spice	72. lavender
13. lavender	43. pistachio	73. blush
14. clematis	44. duck egg	74. spice
15. pistachio	45. storm blue	75. wisteria
16. duck egg	46. wisteria	76. duck egg
17. cloud blue	47. blush	77. sage
18. storm blue	48. pistachio	78. pistachio
19. pistachio	49. lavender	79. duck egg
20. blush	50. clematis	80. clematis
21. duck egg	51. pomegranate	81. pomegranate
22. clematis	52. lavender	82. blush
23. wisteria	53. blush	83. duck egg
24. pomegranate	54. spice	84. storm blue
25. spice	55. sage
26. pistachio	56. pistachio
27. sage	57. cloud blue	Border
28. cloud blue	58. blush	1. Storm Blue
29. clematis	59. duck egg	2. Pistachio
30. duck egg	60. wisteria	3. Blush

 

So now I'm thinking that you might like to see some more of the the Cottonsoft blanket?

Ok.......more blankety gorgeousness coming up...........

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

I would dearly love you to be able to put your hand into your screen and give this blanket a  good squish. It feels delicious! It's cool and soft to the touch and has a beautiful drapey weightiness to it which makes it feel cosy when it's wrapped around you.  I've made cotton blankets before (my famous hexagon blanket was made using Rowan Handknit cotton DK, and my first ever granny square blanket was made using a mercerised cotton) but they've felt very, very heavy and I've ended up using them as furniture throws rather than snuggle blankets. The Cottonsoft blanket feels different, and it has occurred to me recently that this yarn would be absolutely perfect for making baby blankets. 

So here is the information stuff for you - a reminder of the pattern links ::

NEAT RIPPLE STITCH PATTERN

RIPPLE BLANKET KNOW-HOW

....and the important sizing info for the Cottonsoft yarn.......

KING COLE COTTONSOFT DK SUMMER RIPPLE

YARN PACK at WOOL WAREHOUSE (includes full colour printed pattern)

Finished blanket size : 120cm x 170cm (single bed size, very slightly smaller than the Stylecraft version)

Hook size : recommended size is 3.5 mm for the Cottonsoft yarn.

You can go up or down depending on  personal tension. I'm a tight crocheter so I used a 4.5 mm hook to create the starting foundation chain (to keep it from pulling too tight and making a rainbow!), then switched to a 4mm for the ripples. I would highly recommend using a bigger hook size to make the foundation chain.

PLEASE NOTE !! The Cottonsoft yarn handles very differently to the Stylecraft yarn, and needs a smaller hook size to stop the whole thing becoming too flopsy. Just half a millimetre in hook size can make a huge difference to the finished size and feel of your crochet. Also - even with changing down a hook size, the Cottonosoft yarn still works up bigger than Stylecraft, yes, it's true!! So the starting chain and the number of stripes is reduced accordingly.

Starting chain (a multiple of 14, plus 3) : chain 199

Number of stripes : 73.

Make the first and last stripe the same colour so that you can easily follow my border instructions.

Here is the stripe order I used. If you buy a Summer Ripple yarn pack from my shop at Wool Warehouse, you will get a full colour printed pattern which includes this info.

SUMMER RIPPLE (COTTONSOFT) STRIPE ORDER
1. cloud	31. mint	61. sage
2. mint	32. sage	62. mint
3. rose petal	33. rose petal	63. apricot
4. coral	34.v iolet	64. coral
5. apricot	35. sky	65. rose petal
6. sage	36. lavender	66. mint
7. sky	37. orange	67. apple
8. apple	38. apricot	68. apricot
9. lavender	39. sage	69. violet
10. apricot	40. mint	70. sage
11. orange	41. cloud	71. orange
12. rose petal	42. lavender	72. apricot
13. violet	43. apricot	73. cloud
14. sage	44. coral
15. mint	45. violet
16. sky	46. sky	Border
17. rose petal	47. apple	1. cloud
18. lavender	48. rose petal	2. mint
19. coral	49. sage	3. rose petal
20. orange	50. orange
21. sage	51. apricot
22. apple	52. mint
23. cloud	53. lavender
24. rose petal	54. sage
25. mint	55. rose petal
26. apple	56. sky
27. apricot	57. apricot
28. rose petal	58. mint
29. coral	59. rose petal
30. apple	60. violet

I hope you've enjoyed sharing this double blanket journey of mine, it feels as if it's been quite epic in my mind, but probably that's just me feeling aaaaaaaaaaall the emotions about it all. I am so unbelievably grateful for the way that crochet found me at a time in my life (almost eleven years ago) when I so desperately needed it. It has honestly changed me in ways that I never even dreamed of.

I will always be a maker of blankets, and I am absolutely fine with that. I love all sorts of different types of crochet (I've got something fun to show you tomorrow!), but blanket making is my true pleasure, my obsession, my absolute passion. It feeds my creativity in a way that I can't imagine living without.

And best of all,  I love to be able to share it with the world at large - ten years on and I am still as in love with blogging as ever. I get such a buzz out of sharing my creative endeavours and belonging to this wonderful, nurturing community of ours. Thank you so much for being a part of this journey, I appreciate you more than I can say.

Here are the links all in one place for you >>

♥ NEAT RIPPLE PATTERN

♥ RIPPLE BLANKET KNOW-HOW

♥ STYLECRAFT SPECIAL DK SUMMER YARN PACK

♥ KING COLE COTTONSOFT DK SUMMER YARN PACK

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Comments

[PETIOT NICOLE]

Bonjour,
Ayant découvert ce site depuis peu, j'aimerai faire ces couvertures.
Peut-on encore acheté ces pask de laine qui sont magnifiques
Merci de votre réponse.
N.PETIOT
AJACCIO CORSE(France)

[Margit Kidd]

Have just started the cotton blanket. Getting ready for color 5. This yarn is so delightful to work with! The afghan reminds me of an old soft cotton quilt that you wrap around to ward of the evening chill or the chill you get after getting out of the water and get dressed. Feels soft and homey. Love working on it even though today's high is 90 degrees F. Here in the southeast USA.

[Lisa]

I wanted to crochet your granny stripe blanket using this cotton soft yarn. If I bought the kit would there be enough yarn to do so?

[Donna Hill]

This is just a warning FYI for other crocheters: I am a very tight crocheter so I used a 4.5mm hook for the foundation and a 4.0mm hook for the body of the King Cole Cottonsoft DK version of the Summer Ripple. The pattern did call for a 3.5mm hook but since I crochet tightly I went with the larger hook I love the yarn and pattern but I am running out of most colors on the next-to-last ripple or last ripple of the color, e.g. I just barely finished Row 47 (Apple) and will need one more ripple of Apple on Row 67. I have weighed my remaining yarn and it looks like I will run out of several more colors. This is my first time using King Cole Cottonsoft DK but I have made several other "Lucy" blankets. I suspect I might have been okay if I'd used the 3.5mm hook.

[Emily]

Hi Lucy,

WOW. What an amazing blankets. I completely fell in love with the colours. You're a wizard with colours, they look like magic. So amazing. This blanket is now on my list with things to make, just like all your other blankets. Amazing Lucy, really.

Sweet greetings from The Netherlands,
Emily
(casacreaemilia.blogspot.nl)

[Mary W]

WOW What an amazing and informative comparison between yarns. I can't decide which I like better! I may try the cotton just because - well it's completely different. In Florida with air conditioning, it may be really nice for a bed blanket. Can you tell me if it seems heavier to use? My arthritis may not appreciate the change as my hands require me to work every other day or so. PS-I love the pictures you presented - so many to view. My first and then second through 5th blankets were all ripple - it is so fun to make.

[Mary - Le Coeur Celtique]

These are both so lovely. I've never made a ripple blanket … yet, but it is on my 'to do' list.

[kathryn heywood]

Hello Lucy, Loving making this summer ripple in the cottonsoft and I am now on colour stripe sequence 55, it's looking amazing and feeling absolutely gorgeously cottony wonderful but I have a problem, I only have enough apple to do one row instead of the two required for rows 67! I can't find any online either. Arghhhhhhh, what to do?

[Julie Higgerson]

Lucy, Lucy, Lucy!!!I am so excited about these blankets!!! I wanted the cotton version as it is more to my color preference. It was out of stock but in only a couple of days WW emailed me. It was in stock & I ordered, received today even though I'm in the US! So quick, such beautiful squishably soft beautiful yarn! So what did I do? I just ordered the Stylecraft Special DS yarn pack! I had first ordered the original Attic 24 pack to make a Summer Harmony for my MIL' s sunroom & fell in love with the yarn.Thank you for your wonderful blog & neat ripple pattern as I have crocheted for AGES & made only 1 ripple due to the confusing pattern.

[Ger B]

I’m making the cotton blanket and when I started, it measured 47 inches (120 cm). Before starting row 20, I laid out my work flat on the table and was surprised to see that the bottom is ruffled and that it measures close to 2 inches less in width than it should be. All the stitches are lined up perfectly and my edges are straight. Does anyone know what the problem is? Do you think I could block out the ruffle? I’m really enjoying working with this beautiful cotton!

[Sue Boulding]

Cotton soft yarn just arrived. Can't wait to start on new blanket . Ripples are so good to work , very relaxing .

[Thistle]

I love that you remade this blanket in two new ways. That was a great idea and it will make your original inspiring design more accessible to so many. As always, Lucy, I thank you for your creativity and generosity. You gave me all the tools I was looking for to become a better crocheter and to start thinking differently about my daily life.

[Nora]

AWW....JUST A FEAST FOR THE EYES, LUCY..

MANY THANKS TO YOU FOR SHARING ALL THIS GORGEOUSNESS WITH US

....AND FOR ALL THE TIME AND PATIENCE IT TAKES..

HAPPY HOOKING!

Nora 💕💕💕

[Iris]

Dear Lucy,
thanks for 10 years full of awesome pictures and beautiful crochet things.
I love you blog and especially your blankets.

I did a little counting:
could it be possible that you did 26 blankets so far (not counting the doll blankets).
It's unbelievable!!

[Gina]

Lucy, you are amazing!!! I LOVE both blankets! Thanks so much for 10 years! You make me want to hop on a plane and meet you at the cafe then go for a walk through your charming town! I live in a city and am so amazed when you post your beautiful photos. Any chance you would ever consider making a blanket in sunset colors? Or even just suggesting a palette in Stylecraft dk? Thanks from Boston! 💛

[Louise]

Deliciously beautiful blankets!
It's rather unfortunate/ fortunate that right now I'm ordering my first ever batch of Stylecraft Special DK to be delivered all the way to Kangarooland. I was about to hit 'Pay' on a rather large order. Like SUPER large. I paused. Found this post online and have subsequently added an extra 10 balls. Thanks Luce for enabling my binge. And I say that with genuine happiness with no trace of credit card guilt at all!
But how is it whenever I try and take a photo with my cat as she's rolling over my blankets, she looks at me with disdain, gets up and walks away, whereas your gorgeous moggy stays and rolls around like the super model cat she is?? #catgoals

[Pam]

Hi Lucy, both blankets are beautiful but for me I would take the cost into account. The cotton sounds lovely but at approx £2 per 100g dearer and less yardage it would have to be a really special blanket to justify the extra cost. As I nearly always give my blankets away it is something I bear in mind.

[kathryn heywood]

Hello again Lucy. The cotton pack arrived yesterday, thank you to the lovely people at wool warehouse! I've just completed the first two rows in cloud blue and I am about to start with the mint. I decided on a size 3 hook as I crochet on the loose side and it is working perfectly for me. It is rainy here in Manchester today, so how perfect to snuggle up with a hot coffee and your lovely pattern and colour choices. Thank you Lucy.

[Charlotte.]

As I have recently developed a problem using acrylic yarn, I am very excited to see your cotton alternative and will be ordering it as soon as it is back in stock. I have made several of your patterns with the Stylecraft packs and suddenly n no longer use the acrylic yarn. I have so very happy friends who have been gifted my “excess”.

[Rana]

Thank you, Lucy, for the time and effort you take to photograph and clearly explain your patterns. For the life of me, I cannot read a knit or crochet pattern because I get overwhelmed by the massive amount of abbreviations and numbers. Without your pictures and instructions, I would never be able to enjoy the hours of "hooky goodness" that I do now and have the joy of completing a project, looking upon it with a small amount of pride, and saying "I did that!"

[Myrtle O'donnell]

Lovely work, reminds me of ice cream sprinkles!!!
I still prefer the original cashsoft & cashmerino DK blankets, sorry :( You do get what you pay for, in my humble opinion if you are going to invest weeks of time into a family heirloom then buy the best, softest & most natural content in the yarn as possible.you won't regret it.

[Sarah]

Ahh absolutely gorgeous blankets! The ripple is one of my all time favourites. I've only made a couple but I just love how simple it is and how effective it looks! :)

[Nadine G]

Félicitations, vous êtes "formidable" j'adore vos créations, vous lire me fais voyager aux pays des couleurs. Continuez à me faire rêver de cette douceur. Je vous embrasse.

[Barb W.]

Ohhhhhhh, how pretty Pretty PRETTY! I want to make the cotton version, so perfect for the Gulf Coast of Texas! Have pinned this page and asked Wool Warehouse to notify me when the yarn pack is re-stocked. Did you know they sold out the very first day?

[Autumn]

They look amazing! The stitch definition on the CottonSoft blanket is so clear and precise. I have been really toying with the idea of making a crochet afghan of my own... this post was a good kick in the butt!