Harbour Blanket CAL :: Part 1

YAY, it's CAL DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good morning, a belated Happy New Year to you all and welcome to the start of what I hope is a very happy two month jolly along with these glorious coastal-inspired colours. This is the sixth time that I've shared a blanket journey at the start of the year and I can tell you from experience that it makes a huuuuuuuge difference to the feel of these tricky months. My hope is that you feel it too, and that you enjoy belonging to our vibrant online crochet community as we make a blanket together. I don't think you can beat the joy and satisfaction of immersing yourself in the gentle art of yarning along with a palette of uplifting colours through the darkest months of the year. If you don't crochet, I really hope that my weekly CAL posts will still make you feel good with a little bit of colour therapy, and I'll try my best to chat to you midweek about normal every day life kind of stuff too.

It's been two months since I introduced you to the Harbour blanket, and maybe some of you are new to the Attic and aren't sure what I'm talking about (a warm welcome to you if you're new here!). You can read the introduction post I wrote about the Harbour blanket by clicking on the following link >>

HARBOUR BLANKET INTRODUCTION

These colours are inspired by my childhood growing up by the sea in Dorset, as well the many wonderful holidays I've had at the Yorkshire coast. Harbours and fishing boats have always been a source of happiness for me and hold many memories of much loved places and times spent with special people. 

As is usual for my blankets, I've chose fifteen shades of Stylecraft Special DK for my Harbour blanket.

From left to right :

♥ Lipstick ♥  Tomato ♥  Spice ♥  Clementine ♥  Dandelion ♥

♥ Apple ♥ Aspen ♥ Spearmint ♥ Cloud Blue ♥ Turquoise ♥

♥ Aster ♥ Cornish Blue ♥  Storm Blue ♥ Denim ♥ Lapis ♥

You can find the Harbour yarn pack in my shop at Wool Warehouse, click on the following link...

HARBOUR YARN PACK

I really wanted this blanket to have a joyful, holiday-ish feel to it, and for it to bring forth memories of happy times spent beside the sea. It's an easy pattern (I promise), so easy in fact that I've named it the Easy Eyelet Ripple. I very much wanted to design a ripple pattern that would be perfect for beginners, and I really think this is it so don't be afraid to jump in and give it a go even if you are a complete newbie with the hook. 

For those of you who have made CAL blankets with me before then you will be familiar with the schedule. If this is your first time, here is a quick rundown of the weeks....

Today you have access to the pattern which remains free and accessible here on my blog for ever so that you can use it whenever you like. Each week I'll be giving you a list of stripes so that you can work on a portion of the blanket, and we aim to make 15 stripes a week. Don't worry if this isn't do-able for you, you can absolutely work at your own pace and take ten years to do it if you need to! 

Today - Part 1 (stripes 1 - 15)

14th January - Part 2 (stripes 16 - 30)

21st January - Part 3 (stripes 31 - 45)

28th January - Part 4 (stripes 46 - 60)

4th February - Part 5 (stripes 61 - 75)

11th February - Part 6 (stripes 76 - 84)

18th February - catch up week (darn in those ends!)

25th February - Part 7 - the Border

As always, I've created my usual photo-heavy tutorial to help you crochet your tension sample and learn how to work the Easy Eyelet Ripple. You can find it by clicking on the following link >>

EASY EYELET RIPPLE TUTORIAL

I've also made a simple written pattern that you can download/print if you don't need the step by step help and prefer to have a traditional printed pattern to pop in your bag. You can find it by clicking on the following link >>

DOWNLOAD HARBOUR BLANKET PATTERN

Even if you are an experienced crocheter, I would strongly advise you to crochet a small tension sample before beginning your blanket. This is just 31 chains, then 4 rows of the pattern which is enough for you to familiarise yourself with the way the rows work, as well as giving you reassurance that your hook size/tension is correct. It doesn't take long, and is worth the extra bit of effort I think. You don't have to change colours with the sample if you don't want to - just work up 4 rows in one colour, measure it, then frog it and re-use the yarn.

The Easy Eyelet Ripple uses just one stitch - a UK treble (this is the same as a double crochet in the US) and it's a very intuitive and easy-to-see visual pattern with simple rhythmic counting. It's an absolute joy to crochet, and once you've got that pesky first row out of the way you'll be jollying along with no trouble. I know the first row can be tough - crocheting stitches into a foundation chain can be hard going, especially for new hooksters. Here are my top tips for making this as stress-free as possible:

1. use a bigger hook size to make your chain, then switch down again to work your first row. You can go up two half-sizes to open up the chains a little (eg if you're going to use a 4mm hook for the blanket, make the chain using a 5mm).
2. take your time, and plan to make this first row when you can sit quietly and be completely undisturbed as you count and concentrate on the pattern.
3. make sure you have good light (the first stripe uses Lapis which is a dark blue, so you will need good light to see the chains clearly).
4. use stitch markers. You will need to have an accurate chain count for this to work, there is no room for errors. Make your chains slowly, evenly, and place stitch markers at regular intervals, say every 25 chains. This way, if your mind suddenly goes blank (it happens), or the cat distracts you and you lose count (also a distinct possibility in my house), you only have to go back as far as your last stitch marker.
5. when you work your first row, get into the habit of checking back over your stitches after every single ripple repeat (8 stitches). That way, if you've accidentally gone wrong and made too many or two few stitches, you can easily trouble shoot straight away. The eyelets really help with this - you will know straight away if you come to an eyelet space and you've mis-counted the previous stitches.

After that first row, you will probably need a coffee, or maybe a hefty glass of wine, but you will know that from here on out those rows will be flying off your hook. This is a repetitive, meditative pattern with uber-easy repeats so you will very quickly be able to ditch the written pattern and hook along to your heart's content. 

When I was crocheting the first part of the Harbour Ripple, I actually happened to be taking a short break by the sea at one of the places that inspired these colours. I really wanted to photograph the blanket beginning by the sea, and so I planned this trip to make it happen. It was back at the end of September, and the weather was mild enough for me to sit quietly on a bench overlooking the beach as I completed stripe number fifteen. Sitting and hooking outdoors with a sea view is one of my greatest pleasures, so of course I was in absolute heaven!

I mean, just look at it!!!! How wonderful this blanket looks already, after only 15 stripes!

In case you were wondering, this charming little harbour is in the enchanting village of Staithes on the North Yorkshire coast. I've been visiting here for decades and it holds some very special memories from when the Little People were small - you can see more of it in this post. 

So here we are back at home, and this is what Part 1 looks like. Fifteen ripply stripes of gloriously vibrant colour.

In the above photo you can clearly see how wonderful those little eyelets are, they add a lovely extra dimension to the look and feel of the blanket, but also they serve to really help when you are crocheting those rows. As they stack very neatly on top of each other they act like a full stop/pause after every eight stitches which will help to keep you on track with the pattern. Tis very clever!

I have a feeling that you are really going to enjoy this pattern, whether you are using the Harbour colour palette or going your own way with your own colours. 

OK.....shall we take a look at the colour order now, so that you can get cracking with it?

Here is the colour info for Part 1 of the "MIXED STRIPE" Harbour Blanket.

Click (( HERE )) for the printable worksheet.

1. Lapis (Foundation chain & rows 1 & 2)

2. Turquoise (rows 3 & 4)

3. Lipstick (rows 5 & 6)

4. Clementine (rows 7 & 8)

5. Cornish Blue (rows 9 & 10)

6. Dandelion (rows 11 & 12)

7. Spearmint (rows 13 & 14)

INSERT OPTIONAL STRIPE HERE - Lapis (for double bed size blankets)

8. Storm Blue (rows 15 & 16)

9. Apple (rows 17 & 18)

10. Tomato (rows 19 & 20)

INSERT OPTIONAL STRIPE HERE - Turquoise (for double bed size blankets)

11. Aster (rows 21 & 22)

12. Cloud Blue (rows 23 & 24)

13. Spice (rows 25 & 26)

14. Aspen (rows 27 & 28)

15. Denim (rows 29 & 30)

I always intended for these ripple stripes to be mixed in a jolly random way, to give something of a carefree holiday-ish feel to the overall design. But at the same time I know that many of you prefer your blankets to have more order and harmony, so I've also created a second "Colourwash" version which you might prefer. 

As you can see in the above image, both blankets will use the same set of colours but the order of them changes the look dramatically. The colourwash version is arranged so that the blues sweep upwards in a wash from dark to light, with the bright boaty-inspired shades popping up in between.

Lets take a closer look......

What do you think? I really love it, although I think my heart still prefers the mixed stripe.

Oh, I need to mention one important thing - this blanket is designed to have 84 stripes which will give a finished length of approx 175cm. The colourwash version is therefore not suitable for making shorter or longer blankets (you will need to follow the "Mixed Stripe" for smaller/longer blankets). 

If the colourwash has stolen your heart and you'd like to take your Harbour colours on this soothing journey, lets take a look at part 1.....

This week you will be using four colours : Lapis, Denim, Lipstick and Tomato.

This is the darkest part of the colourwash, and it's also beautifully vibrant - the combination of red and dark blue is very striking. As the blanket grows you'll see that this section very successfully balances out the lighter shades in the second half, and the whole effect will be stunning.

As you can see in the above photo, there are some parts of the colourwash where you crochet a double stripe (4 rows of the same colour), so there is no need to fasten off and restart your yarn in between these stripes.

Here is the colour info for Part 1 of the "COLOURWASH" Harbour Blanket.

Click (( HERE )) for the printable worksheet (the colourwash is listed on page 2).

1. Lapis (Foundation chain & rows 1 & 2)

2. Lipstick  (rows 3 & 4)

3. Lapis (rows 5 & 6)

4. Lipstick (rows 7 & 8)

5. Lapis (rows 9 & 10)

6. Lipstick (rows 11 & 12)

7. Lipstick (rows 13 & 14)

8. Denim (rows 15 & 16)

9. Lipstick (rows 17 & 18)

10. Denim (rows 19 & 20)

11. Lipstick (rows 21 & 22)

12. Denim (rows 23 & 24)

13. Denim (rows 25 & 26)

14. Tomato (rows 27 & 28)

15. Denim (rows 29 & 30)

I want to gently remind you that if you haven't already done so, you will need to find some way of identifying the yarn colours once you've removed the paper ball band. You can do this by simply sticking some strands of yarn to a piece of paper and writing the colour names next to them, or wrapping yarn pegs like I do. Or you can employ any other clever way that tickles your fancy.......which includes creating an actual shade card for your blanket project.

My friend Veronica has been making and selling these wooden shade cards for a little while now and they've become incredibly popular. She makes them for all of my current blanket designs and you can find them in her Etsy shop - the Harbour shade card is HERE.

I'm also thrilled to share with you these beautiful Harbour Harmony blankets designed by Kaz Hall who is one of the amazing admins in the "Hooked on Attic24" Facebook group. Kaz took my harbour colours and created these stunning versions of my Summer Harmony blanket. 

The Harbour Harmony blanket is being run as a mini CAL within the Hooked on Attic24 Facebook group. Kaz is organising this herself with my blessing, so if you would like to use your yarn pack to create your own Harbour Harmony, head on over to the Facebook group to join in.

There is also a rectangular version which I think is especially stunning - the wash of blues from dark to light makes me feel like I'm looking out to sea....isn't it beautiful?

I would like to say a huge thank you to Kaz for coming up with the idea and organising it all, and also to Sue and Catherine who crocheted the above stunning blankets to show us. Isn't our online crochet community the most amazing and inspirational place? I absolutely love love love being a part of it.

Well, I think that's about all for this week - remember you can share photos or questions on my Facebook page, in the "Hooked on Attic24" Facebook group, or an Instagram (please use the hashtag #harbourcal so I can find your posts).

I really hope you get your blankets off to a great start, have a fabulous, happy hooky week my lovelies!!!!!!!!!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

♥ HARBOUR YARN PACK 

♥ EASY EYELET RIPPLE TUTORIAL

♥ HARBOUR PRINTABLE PATTERN

♥ HARBOUR BLANKET INTRODUCTION

♥ PART 1 COLOUR WORK SHEETS

 

 

Comments

[Alison]

Please could you help with the stitch count as it seems to be 8 stitch repeat if you skip 2 sts not 7 thanks

[Fiona]

wonderful... I love your patterns....
Hugz

[PamelaR]

For those of you in the US that are worried about purchasing the yarn pack from Wool Warehouse, fear not! I live in Tucson, Arizona and from the time of order until I received my yarn was 5 days. I found the prices to be very reasonable and shipping cost was not outrageous. I have ordered from them three times and can totally recommend them. I'm two stripes in already. woohoo!!!

[Carol]

So excited to be a part of this! Thank you Lucy!

[Susan]

I'm going to pluck up the courage and order the pack & just hope it actually arrives at some point this year as I want to do it. They've always come quickly before, but the post has been horrendous due to the Pandemic, but I'll take the risk. I love it and of course we too love Staithes and all along the North Yorkshire coast. Thanks Lucy, take care and hugs.

[Elda Da Fonseca]

Thanks a lot for sharing and being an inspiration!

[Dawn DeMulling]

Thank you Lucy. Your blankets make me happy. I learned to crochet from your excellent tutorials. Beyond grateful to you :)

[Diana Davies]

Thank you Lucy for another wonderful project.

I bought the Dune Blanket pack a little while ago.

I have now fallen in love with the Harbour Blanket.

Would it work if I used the Dune colours to make the

Harbour Banket? Hope this is not a silly question :-)

[Jane Stevens]

Can I buy yarn in US?

[Linda from Boston]

There’s a stitch missing at the beginning of row 2?? Should be Chain 3, tr at the base of chain 3 and then tr in next stitch, tr in next stitch.

[Ann Marie]

I don't crochet...but I love following your projects. the colors are fabulous and inspire my quilting.

[Jane Wolks]

Just lovely, all of it, but I noticed your wrist warmers. Beautiful, are they knitted up by you, I must try to make a pair.

[Carine]

Hello Lucy,

How perfect: today is my day off (every other Friday), so I was able to start right away. And my husband said: you go on with your hobby, I’ll make lunch. The sweetheart. 😊
So first made my colour chart (thanks for the tip!) and now I’m working on my first row in Lapis.

Warm greetings from the Vulkan Eifel,
Carine

[Lesley Yeldham]

Can’t wait to start

[Laurel]

Yes, I think the second row 3 is row 4.

[Laurel]

Yes, I think row is row 4. Made a note.

[Becca L]

Excitedly doing my tension sample and enjoying all the beautiful colours. I think there might be two stitches missed out at the start of row two in the photo tutorial instructions. They're in the written ones :)

[CJ]

I absolutely love the colours in this, very 'bustling harbour', and perfect for a seaside picnic. Lovely photos of the start of your blanket by the coast as well. I do so love the energy of everything in January. CJ xx

[Norma]

Woohoo - Thanks Lucy, off we go down to the harbour on a colourful adventure 😍

[Phyllis Hart]

Lovely to see photos of my home village. Thank you for this x

[Mabel Murphy]

Thank you Lucy for the wonderful pattern and design, i cant choose which one to make :( .LOL so i probably will make both. lol..

[Camcas]

Just got to finish my Yuletide first- another 10 rounds to go - then into this-can’t wait .
I’m going to do the random stripe

[Sue Roberts]

Is it me ? There seem to be two Row Threes on the pattern for the mixed strip.

I’ll change mine.
🤗