Mornin'!!! How are you all doing, have you had a good week? All is grand here in the Attic and I've been enjoying the gentle rhythm of my days very much. Nothing really momentous has happened this week, but I've felt calmly energised and have managed a pretty good balance between doing the tedious but necessary worky things (annual accounts, I'm looking at you!) and the sweet, sweet creative things (sweet pea, I'm swooning over you!). It's just been a lovely week, in a very normal and ordinary kind of way.
We were forecast snow for this week but as of yet (dare I say it?) it's remained dry and we've just had freezing temperatures instead. I love it when it's properly cold though, I enjoy seasonal weather when it's behaving and doing what it should be doing for the time of year. Below zero temperatures are good, cos it's January and I'm OK with winter weather happening, bring it on! When J and I are both working from home we sometimes light the fire during the afternoon and I do so appreciate the luxury of it. The warmth and light draws me to sit as close as I can get, and crocheting beside the hearth on a cold winters day is one of my greatest pleasures.
As is usual for me during one of my CALs, I've spent another full week immersed in the land of social media, absorbing all the Sweet Pea comings and goings and attempting to keep up as best as I can. The fabulous "Attic24 Moorland and More" Facebook group now has more then 8,600 members, and there are hundreds and hundreds of photos on Instagram with the #sweetpeacal hashtag. To be honest it kind of blows my mind a little, but in a really super-duper good way. It's amazing! All the beautiful connections and friendships, all the happy joy over a shared passion, all the colour and yarny love, it's just incredible and I adore being a part of it.
The above photo was shared on Facebook this week when this gorgeous group of ladies met up in Perth, Western Australia with their Sweet Pea blankets. Oh my goodness, I was moved to tears by the very notion of this happening, and I know there are many more little groups planning on meeting up in various UK locations too. Thank you, to every single one of you hooking this journey with me, you make me so happy!
Before we come to Part Three of the CAL, I want to share some of the blankets that I've come across during my online travels. This week I'm going to show you some blankets that are all using my Trellis Stripe pattern, but with a good many colour variations. I often get asked if I mind that folks use their own colours instead of following my carefully selected CAL colour palette, and the answer is honestly a big resounding No! How can I possibly mind?? My main aim with my CAL is to inspire some happy hooky creativity and for us all to feel connected as we make a blanket (or two) together. I really love to see new ideas and excited sparks of inspiration flying, so let me show you what I mean.......
Helen is using the Summer yarn pack.....
Jo is using the Cottage yarn pack....
Jo B is using the Coast yarn pack....
Vikki is using the Sunny yarn pack (minus Citron and Lipstick)....
...and Lesley is using the Hydrangea yarn pack.
I honestly love every single one of the above blankets and think they all look really great.
There are also plenty of folk who are taking this opportunity to use up yarn they already have, and the Trellis Stripe makes a perfect stash buster blanket. If you know that each stripe is going to need roughly 12g of yarn, you can dig into your stash and use up even the smallest odds and ends left over from other projects.
Let me show you how lovely these stash busting blankets are turning out....
Aline ^^^
Laura ^^^
Gaye ^^^
Diane ^^^
Lynne ^^^
Sandra S ^^^
Aren't they all fabulous? Each blanket has such a unique character and personality and I absolutely love the charm of them all.
I've also spotted some beautiful blankets created with their very own colour palettes, and I find this so inspiring. It's actually not an easy thing to do - if you've attempted to put together a colour palette for yourself, you will know that it takes a certain amount of creative vision to achieve a harmonious overall look and feel.
Yvonne is using a collection of blue shades arranged in a perfect colourwash....
Nia has chosen a serene palette of subtle greens for her blanket.....
Sandra has selected five pastel shades which she's spacing out with cream stripes - this is a very effective way to harmonise colours and create a soft feel perfect for baby blankets.
Karen has selected a stunning rainbow palette for her Trellis stripe, it really sings JOY to me!
B Kae is making THREE trellis stripe blankets for her children using her own colour palettes and I love them all. The one on the left is based on the Sweet Pea palette but with some additional deeper colours added at the end. B is actually making her blankets chunkier by holding two strands of DK yarn together and using a larger hook - this suits the wider bands of colour beautifully.
Jan has carefully selected a colour palette to match her rug which is such a creative idea - I think she's done a terrific job of it too.
I've also noticed a couple of Trellis Stripe blankets being made using the ever popular "cakes" of yarn - I wasn't sure how these built-in colour changes would work, but they are very effective and I imagine they make for a super-breezy crochet experience.....
Carissa is using Caron Cake "Turkish Delight"....
....and Nina is using Caron Cake "Bumbleberry".
One last variation that I honestly didn't see coming, and that is the idea to use all one colour. Teresa is making a Sweet Pea posy blanket, but at the same time she decided to crochet up an all-white baby blanket. Isn't the simplicity appealing? I do love the way the stitch pattern shows up so beautifully. I've also seen an all-grey variation - it's a lovely idea that you can keep just one ball of yarn and a hook in the car or in your bag and you will instantly have an easy crochet project to work on whenever you need it.
I hope you've enjoyed seeing all the beautiful Trellis Stripe blankets.....shall we get back to the business of the Sweet Pea stripe now???
Here we are with week three, and at the end of this week you will be just over half way. Your blanket should be gaining roughly 30cm in height each week, so week three will see you with almost a metre of gorgeous summery colour to drape over your knees as you continue on your journey.
The more this blanket grows, the deeper in love I fall. The sweet medley of pretty pastels and brights just makes me swoon!
I also really, really love the way the stitch pattern is looking too. The bigger the blanket grows, the more it gently stretches out the Trellis pattern so that you can see the subtle vertical texture running through the stripes. It's very quickly become one of my all time favourite patterns to make, and to look at too.
Right then, here is the colour info you need for this week............
SWEET PEA BLANKET CAL PART 3
🌸 POSY 🌸
#teamposy #sweetpeacal
So your last stripe from Posy Part 2 should be Pistachio - that was stripe number 30.
And here is the colour information for Part 3 : stripes 31-45, working from the bottom upwards.
Remember each stripe is worked in two rows, so 15 stripes = 30 rows of crochet.
SWEET PEA POSY Part 3
31. Wisteria
32. Violet.
33. Soft Peach
34. Clematis
35. Cypress
36. Fuchsia Purple
37. Magenta
38. Blush
39. Candyfloss
40. Meadow
41. Plum
42. Pomegranate
43. Lavender
44. Cream
45. Pistachio
I hope you continue to enjoy these colours as you work through week three, they really are a visual pleasure.
Now lets take a look at Part 3 of the Colourwash version............
This week we'll be heading through the palest part of the colourwash which marks the centre of the blanket.
These pale coloured sweet pea flowers are so delicate and subtle, and I adore the softness of them. Truthfully they aren't my best favourite (the deep pinks and rich purples have my heart), but they are extremely pretty.
As well as the cream, I chose three shades to represent the subtle pinks, and we'll be using all three of these colours in part 3 of the colourwash blanket this week.
You'll be continuing with Clematis, and adding in Cream, Candyfloss and Soft Peach.
You may find that you don't instinctively adore these pale colours all sitting together, and I know some of you find Candyfloss especially tricky to get on board with. Please remember that the remaining half of the blanket contains all the rich pinks and purples, and that this paler middle section provides a very necessary balance to all that is to come. I hope you can trust me on this!!
Ah Tilly, always front and centre when I'm attempting to do my thing!!! She spent ages rolling around on my blanket, looking as if she was truly enjoying the experience - she was very cross when I turfed her off!
I've been so lucky in having a small group of pattern testers to help me with the Sweet Pea colourwash blanket. I'm still in the midst of making it myself as I'm making it pretty much in real time along with you all, just one week ahead which is slightly stressful but I'm managing. So it's been invaluable for me to see in advance how the blanket will look as it grows each week. My testers did such a fantastic job photographing their blankets for me too, so I'm going to share a few of them with you......
This is Dawn's blanket ^^^
and Darlene's ^^^
and Heather's ^^^.
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Right, on with the all important colour info for this week's stripes...............
SWEET PEA BLANKET CAL PART 3
🌸 COLOURWASH 🌸
#teamcolourwash #sweetpeacal
So your last stripe from Colourwash Part 2 should be Wisteria - that was stripe number 30.
And here is the colour information for Part 3 : stripes 31-45, working from the bottom upwards.
Remember each stripe is worked in two rows, so 15 stripes = 30 rows of crochet.
SWEET PEA COLOURWASH Part 3
Note that throughout the colourwash blanket there are some double width stripes (4 crochet rows of the same colour). I've marked these in red so that they stand out for you. Remember you don't need to fasten off between the double rows.
31. Clematis
32. Clematis
33. Cream
34. Clematis
35. Cream
36. Clematis
37. Cream
38. Cream
39. Candyfloss
40. Cream
41. Candyfloss
42. Cream
43. Candyfloss
44. Candyfloss
45. Soft Peach
The two blankets {posy} and {colourwash} do look very different at this stage don't you think? I love them both, I honestly do.
I've enjoyed seeing some beautiful Repeating Sweet Pea blankets this week too.......
Tamsin is #teamrepeat and has completed four repeats so far.....
....and Dawn is #teammirror, which is looking fantastic the bigger it grows.
Wonderful work ladies, I've loved seeing all the love and admiration for these blankets on Facebook too.
I'm wishing you all a marvelous seven days ahead as you continue to jaunt along with your Trellis Stripes - ENJOY every minute!!!!
I'll be back with Part 4 on Friday 25th January.....until then, here are the links you might need this week ::
🌸 SWEET PEA BLANKET INTRODUCTION
🌸 SWEET PEA BLANKET PREPARATION (includes a sneak peek of the Posy and Colourwash blankets)
🌸 SWEET PEA CAL PART 1 (colour info for stripes 1-15)
🌸 SWEET PEA CAL PART 2 (colour info for stripes 16-30)
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I wish you would give the pattern with the kit as I have a colour printer but the ink is really expensive I would be willing to pay for the pattern its just the time I have to take printing out the colour sequence.
Posted by: Anne McLaughlin | March 02, 2019 at 07:38 PM
i only wish the parts that require four rows werent in red, for those of us that print out each weeks pattern rows and dont use a colour printer (i mean who really does at home anyway?!) i do wish you'd pop a little (4) beside it instead or even underline those ones or something that'd pop up visibly on a black and white printout. hohum. PLEASE? :-)))) xxxxxxxx yup, i'm a beggin'. x
Posted by: rhona liddle | January 29, 2019 at 10:04 PM
Lucy ( apologies for long post) I am loving your Sweet Pea Cal and find it so relaxing but I seem to have a small problem. I did the test piece to start with and found I could get the correct measurements with a 4.5 hook. Some how my work seems to have come out larger than the given measurements at the end of week 3. This should not be a problem but wondering if I will need to order more yarn. (Bought the pack from Wool warehouse ) my measurements are height 106 1/2 cm and width 113 cms. I know I could just be happy with smaller size but would like to finish as per your pattern. Wondering if I should order more now as postage takes a while to au. ( being born in 1938 may have something to do with chance in tension!)
Posted by: Helen Collins | January 23, 2019 at 03:25 AM
Tilly is so cute.
Posted by: Amy | January 22, 2019 at 04:12 PM
I just placed an order for yarn from Wool Warehouse to participate in the CAL. Looking forward to package and stitching along! Blessings from Midwest USA.
Posted by: Susan McQuade | January 20, 2019 at 07:52 PM
Beautiful. Joyful. Inspirational. Thank thank thank you 🌸🌈
Posted by: Jenny | January 19, 2019 at 09:42 AM
I love each and every photo of this CAL. I just did a blog post of my blanket with 2 weeks of work. I'm doing the sample repeat with a twist. :-)
Now to start the 3rd section!! I adore the colors in this blanket!
((hugs)), Teresa :-)
Posted by: Teresa Kasner | January 19, 2019 at 01:25 AM
Love crochet this Sweet Pea (posy) blanket. Before I saw this CAL I swore I would never crochet another blanket. Colours are amazing.
Posted by: Majella | January 18, 2019 at 11:38 PM
Yippee! I’ve managed to get enough down time to get started and though this is first week I’ve gottothehappystage when I can lay it down and pick up when there are interruptions!
I just love all the creations just wish I could have the time to spend on as much crocheting! Beautiful all of them!
Posted by: Heather Coady | January 18, 2019 at 09:06 PM
Wow, it is honestly all SO inspirational, a real pleasure to see so many variations. I can't imagine how amazing it must feel to you to see everyone joining in with you. Wonderful as ever Lucy, well done all. CJ xx
Posted by: CJ | January 18, 2019 at 09:01 PM
Hi Lucy,
Have you seen the new Emma Bridgewater mug? It’s a sweet little sweet pea mug!
Posted by: Claire Nurse | January 18, 2019 at 08:44 PM
hermosas las mantas!!! te invito a mi blog
https://todoconcrochet.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Adriana | January 18, 2019 at 06:12 PM
I absolutely love the crochet and knit community! The picture of the women in Perth is so heartwarming! I love that creativity brings us together!
Posted by: Elise | January 18, 2019 at 05:26 PM
I am loving the progress photos showing so many different styles.
I am team colour wash. This is a 1st for me as I am usually so late to a CAL party that everyone has gone home. :)
Posted by: Carol WRIGHT | January 18, 2019 at 05:20 PM
So nice to see everyone's blanket color choices.
Posted by: grace horton | January 18, 2019 at 04:42 PM
Thank you for all the lovely pictures. It truly helps to keep me inspired and hooking along. My daughters have expressed an interest in having a blanket when I finish this one. Looks like there will be more crochet in my future. Have a lovely week Lucy.
Posted by: charlotte m. | January 18, 2019 at 02:42 PM
I am in heaven with your sweet pea blanket the pattern and colours flow so beautifully. I've worked hard this last week getting part one and two of the CALs completed so that I was ready for real time today! I'm so excited to get started on part 3 ! Love all the different variations that everyone is doing as well. So thank you Lucy for all your hard work, must go now as my crochet hook is calling me! 😃 xxx
Posted by: Sheelagh Franklin | January 18, 2019 at 02:38 PM
ADORE the beautiful soft colors! I'm really excited after seeing blanket all scrunched up in the middle with the flower petals strewn about. That is gorgeous! I do love how the pattern reveals itself the larger it gets.
Posted by: Mary W | January 18, 2019 at 01:57 PM
Wow what an amazing lot of blankets on today's post, so surprised to see my baby blanket included, it is coming along nicely.
Lovely to see the ladies from Perth joining in and having a great meet up, I'm hoping to join in with the West Bay meet in February.
You have been such an inspiration to me through some difficult times, I would never of started to crochet if not for you blog.
So a big thanks .
Sandra
Posted by: Sandra fox | January 18, 2019 at 01:43 PM
Hello Lucy,
I love your use of color and have secretly been stalking your blog for several years. I've got a book in the works and would love to include you? Please let me know if you are interested.
Lilo
Posted by: Lilo Bowman, Editor-in-Chief,TheQuiltShow.com, | January 18, 2019 at 12:41 PM
ABSOLUTELY LOVE the pale colors !
Posted by: Miss Daisy | January 18, 2019 at 12:23 PM
I am still working on clue 2 but enjoying every row. Thank you for sharing pictures of different color ways. It is fun to see what other possibilities I could make when I make a second blanket.
Posted by: Karen | January 18, 2019 at 10:55 AM
Thank you so much for showing my photo of my rainbow colour palette. I have only been crocheting for a year, and I find your blogs, and colour ways, teaching so inspirational. Thank you. I look forward to doing the actual sweet pea colours later in the year. Thanks again.
Posted by: Karen Fretwell | January 18, 2019 at 10:20 AM
I screamed so loud when I saw you showed my blanket on your famous blog that my dogs started howling! :D Thanks!! Yvonne.
Posted by: Yvonne | January 18, 2019 at 09:41 AM
Finished clue 2 for my double bed an hour ago. Phew! Now to get started on no. 3.
Posted by: Lenore | January 18, 2019 at 08:44 AM