The Finished Object: An Extraordinarily Ordinary Cowboy Blanket

Since we’ve had no tinterwebs for a few weeks, I haven’t been able to share with you any finished WIPs. Including this! I finally finished Albie’s blanket, just after we moved in to the house. Do you remember the blanket’s progress?

 I based the colours on Albie’s Cath Kidston cowboy print nappy changing bag. I wanted a vintage ‘boys’ feel to it, so followed the pattern from Dottie Angel, then simply edged it with three rows of double crochet (single for US readers) then a simple picot edge.

 The pattern is thusly:

Foundation row: chain 40, ch 3 for turning.

Row 1: Treble crochet (Double for US peeps) into the fourth chain from the hook, then work on treble into each chain stitch. Alternatively you could work just a double (single) crochet into each stitch, before building a square with treble crochets. At the end of the row, ch3, turn, skip one stitch then work a treble into every stitch. Ch3, turn.

Rows 2-21: Works as row 1!

Joining: To join the squares, I joined them on-the-go. After I made my first square, I started the second with a foundation row again, then at the end I slip stitched the ‘square’ into the bottom and top of the treble crochet in the next square, ch 3, slip stitch into the top of the treble on the row on the first square, turned the work then continued trebling into the SECOND stitch. It’s easier than it sounds, trust me. See Dottie Angel’s pattern, she has lovely images to explain a similar thing with the same ‘eyelet’ detail between each square.

Edge: Join in your edge colour, work a double (single) crochet into each stitch along the top and bottom, adding two DCs into the corner ‘stitch’ to make a corner. Along the sides, just make a double into each treble (long stitch) as best you can. This is why I love crochet, you can make it up as you go along! I worked three rows of double crochet, before creating the very edge. For the picot edging I simply slip stitched into the first three stitches, ch3, sl st into next st, sl st into next 2 sts, ch3…etc.

I worked the blanket up from stash yarn, I think most of it is Stylecraft Special DK:

Cream: Parchment

Blue: Denim

Dark Green: Khanki

Orange: Copper

Grey: Charcoal

Green: Meadow

Red and Brown wools are Bonus DK ones from Hobbycraft, I don’t know their exact colour I’m afraid!

 

  So whaddya think? Nice, eh? Albie is very pleased with it, and is looking forward to snuggly sofa times with it.