Friday 17 June 2011

Finally Finished Ta-dah Part Two........

............This is definitely a long time coming.......finally finished........blimey......two finished blankets in a month......I need a rest now!

Last year, I bought a book and fell in love with a blanket in it.

Bought on Ebay


I was still fairly new to crochet, but I had to have a go......so I made a start...then I stopped........then I started........then I stopped. I had too much buzzing in my head. I made a few hexagons...........


.......liked what I made.............


.....made a few more....decided what colour combos I liked and what I didn't (the yellowy/orangy one had to go as Mr H said it looked like a fajita kit packet!).

The pattern said, well,  I am not sure really, it was in Japanese, but I took it to be that it was 34 hexagons in total, but laid out, it looked like a small lap blanket (the picture in the book showed it and it looked rather small), so I doubled it to 68. That's why it took so long. I left it in my pile of WIP's until two weeks ago when I made the last 20 hexagons and started to sew it all together and put the border on.


So....want to see the finished article?


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So......do I like it?

Well, it's funny...........this blanket is soooooooooooo not me in one sense. I mean, it has loads of colour, no one can say it's not vibrant, and I love vibrant........but the combinations are not ones that come naturally to me. I think it's the lack of white I found hard. I like bright colours, but I always seem to stick some white in somewhere to make the colours pop. I did think about adding white. Check out here to see what the blanket looks like with a white border around the hexagons. I think it looks totally ace like that too. The colours pop right out at you. I had already made a similar blanket from another japanese book, remember this one?.....



..........so I wanted this one to be quite different from that one.


This latest blanket is bright...yet muted. Sounds weird. And...........I even put lavender in there! I found making those hexagons REALLY hard to do, but the funny thing was, when I laid out the hexagons without the lavender/purple shades in, it looked wrong, like something was missing. When I put them back in, it seemed right!

I also realised when I went to make the last 20 hexagons that I had not read the pattern properly and a set of stitches was wrong in a row, (a combination of inexperience, and hastiness me thinks!), but the great thing about crochet is that it's no major deal. I also think that the pattern required you to stitch them together as you went along. I did it at the end. As a general rule, I don't really like putting things together as I go along as there is a tendency to group colours too close together so things end up a bit colour patchy! Having said that.....two WIP's I am having to stitch together as I go.........it just means I have to keep putting it at a distance to check what colours I am putting together. It slows me done. Never blessed with patience me!

All in all, I LOVE it! A completely different kind of project for me, but none the less, I LOVEit! It looks bright and vintage looking.

The Bears love it, but Mr H is not quite feeling the love that I am for it! He says it looks very seventies and he is no fan of that era! I think this will be a garden blanket. It looks at home outside don't you think? 

So........I am blanket pooped! Smaller projects now. I have so many WIP's to be getting on with...but silly billy Nessa decided to start yet another new one! Might have that done by next week so watch this space..............!

Have a super weekend. I hope there is a little bit of sun for you if not a HUGE heap this weekend.....and if you have rain........put on those wellies and raincoat and be young again.......it's fun to jump in puddles!!!!!

XXX



86 comments:

  1. How on earth do you find the time to do such lovely things. I've only got 2 small boys and when they visit the land of nod I just want to collapse in a chair!

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  2. Oh wow! This looks amazing!

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  3. Such a gorgeous blanket! I have my wellies ready for the weekend xxxxxx

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  4. *jaw drops* Now that's fantastic!! I love it (once again!), it's great how all the 'hearts' have the same colour. Go you!!!
    Esther.

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  5. Congratulations on such a gorgeous finish. WOW OH WOW, that blanket is just beautiful. I recently started a granny square blanket and I now want to take it apart and learn to make hexies. It is just so pretty. Enjoy!!

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  6. Oh my world!! What a gorgeous blanket!! I am still in the processing of making endless granny squares for my latest attempt one. You are a very quick crocheter. Well done!! xx

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  7. Wow, it looks amazing, very pretty indeed xxx

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  8. I love how all the centers have the same colors! This is such an inspiration to look at, absolutely marvelous <3
    xo wink

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  9. totally in love with this!

    what a huge rewarding accomplishment!!

    throw it on the couch or bed -with some white cushions and sheets for your white fix....bet they never get out from under it!

    lovely!

    melissa xx

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  10. Oh it looks stunning, it really is gorgeous! You are making me want to start a hexagon blanket now!!! well done on finishing two blankets in such a short time too, you are so speedy! :)
    Wishing you a lovely weekend, Jenny x

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  11. Wow ! I actually gasped when I saw your ta-da moment, so so stunning and love the colours , personally I think this one looks better without white - just gooorrrgeeeoouuus!

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  12. Espectacular!!!!!!!!! Gran, gran trabajo. Un abrazo from Argentina.

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  13. Oooh those colours are amazing. I agree it looks great with or without with white border, but I must say I prefer it without so all the bright colours are side by side and bouncing off each other.

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  14. wow! nessa¬! how many of those colourful adorable blankets do you own now! you make them in a speedy way! i still feel too basic with crochet though im enjoying knitting again.
    i kicked myself foe not buying a lovely crochet blanket on hols it was all stripes- actually maybe knitted squares- i loved it, but it was a biggy and we had alot of walking to do that day so i didnt buy it- and now think how lovingly i would have used it now!...oh well!!!! i will just enjoy your heavenly piccys of your wonderful blankets and just sit and admire for a few more mins ;0)xxxx have a lovely weekender!

    very wet here too- its poured all day so far!
    looks very dark as we speak. are we really in june? oh dear! x

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  15. Both blankets are beautiful. I love the top one and I actually like yours best without the white border, the colours are gorgeous and the pattern beautiful. Well done :-)

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  16. It's beautiful.
    Amazing coulours.
    Much better without white I think!

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  17. Wow - I love it!! I find this blanket - and your previous one as well - a real feast for the eyes! The colours are so vibrant, and for a granny blanket you can't be too vibrant! I know what you mean about colour associations - the fahita kit combination made me smile. I usually like to play around with patches for a while before joining them and I think I may have to work that way with a crochet project to get the balance right - so will have to join mine at the end. Your crochet is so beautifully neat and perfect too - just soooo inspiring!! Have a happy weekend. Helen x

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  18. Wow! What a beautiful blanket! It's sooo lovely... I want one! But NO, I Cannot start another project..!! I love the colours that you've used.. they fit together perfectly.
    The photo's are just amazing, how do you make your photo's have that curved edge that looks so lovely..?

    Ashley xx

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  19. wow , so so lovely , please let me have the pattern , you are so clever love HELEN XXX

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  20. Such JOY...I am loving all this colour! You my dear are amazing! Enjoy all the sweetness you can now wrap yourself in. xoxoxo Hugs for a great Weekend.

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  21. It's beautiful. I've never seen a hexagon pattern with a little flower in the middle like that - you were very clever to know the book would be good without being able to read the cover!

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  22. Well I think it looks lovely - in a jumbled up, jazzy kind of way.

    Not my colours at all, but I amaze myself sometimes with the things I acually do like.

    Have a lovely weekend,

    Nina x

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  23. One word ....beautiful!!!!
    Marjo

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  24. Wow, you've worked so hard with your crocheting! it is just beautiful, the colours are wonderful together, well done you! take a break now ;)

    Bee happy x
    Have a delicious day!

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  25. Hi Vanessa,

    Well what can I say apart from WOW BEAUTIFUL!
    Just love the colours and the design. And you used Lavender!;0)

    I know what you mean by doing something a little different. I am in the middle of a project at the moment that is a little different to what I have done before. Very muted colours.

    Thank you very much for your lovely comment on my post yesterday, it meant a lot.


    MBB x

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  26. The blanket is absolutely stunning! Thank you for sharing with us - Enjoy your weekend,
    Andrea

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  27. Oh my word! Amazing, am so in awe of your skills beautiful! How do you do it with 3 little bears! Then I'm a great one to talk! haha
    I do my creative spirt from 12-2, heheh
    as you know! Who needs sleep!
    You are so inspiring! Well done!
    And can I say I love the new look!
    love, love, love it!
    Nice to be different.
    Take care for now, and so will be borrowing your 2 new blankets for next photo shoot!
    xxx

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  28. Wow- this blanket ist great !!!! I LOVE IT !!!
    greetings Bianka

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  29. Swoon, swoon , swoon - totally gorg!!!

    I love it tooooooooo!!!!!

    Have a lovely weekend

    Leah x

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  30. No wonder you love it Vanessa , it's another stunner !!!
    I love this pattern and the way you have photographed it is so professional.
    I also love your version with the white border as well ....got me thinking :0)
    LOVE your blog .
    Have a great weekend .
    Jacquie x

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  31. I've only just started to crochet (I'm still in the throwing it off my lap stage) but that first blanket is AMAZING! Any chance you could post the pattern, pretty please?????? :-)
    Great job, really love all that you make!

    Marjan/ Seattle

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  32. Love it! The colours are wonderful x

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  33. Beautiful work....love those vibrant clashing colours too...my crochet envy is really getting out of hand looking at all these lovelies everywhere!!...
    Hope you have a lovely weekend,
    Susan x

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  34. well, just as long as silly billy Nessa starts beauties of projects like this - and finishes them in the end too - I say: of course I stay tuned!! Bring it on, more lovely looking blankets, more fantastic colors, and more blankets I want to copy :-).
    You really are an amazing crochet-lady and I am a huge fan of your work.
    Have a happy weekend,
    love Maaike

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  35. O MY GOD i am in love, it is the most amazing beautiful blanket i think i have ever seen and i am not joking. Your colour choice are gorgeous, the hexagon shapes i adore and the little frilled edge is just heavenly. I am so jealous i really really so wish i could crochet. I am really blown away by just how beautiful it is. You are an inspiration, dee x

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  36. This is the prettiest hexy blanket I've ever seen! Love it. You must have the patience of a Saint.

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  37. I love both of your blankets, they are both very beautiful! Can't believe you made them both in a month. I have ordered that book also, because it looks amazing and I can't wait till it comes.

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  38. I love that blanket. I have the book and really want to make one eventually. I've lost any desire to crochet recently and maybe that'd help bring it back. Hhhhmmmm, might have to go yarn shopping!

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  39. This blanket is by far my favorite and I definitely like it better without the white! You do such amazing work! I hate to think of it being sent outdoors, though, so perhaps you should send it this way, where it will be kept indoors, pampered and loved! :-)

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  40. WOW! Absolutely stunning and now I HAVE to get that book. There are so many hexies about now that it is so hard which one to choose to do! x

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  41. WOW! I love all the colors and everything! It's really precious! Where do you find your Japanese books?

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  42. crazy question: can you post a tutorial on how you are sewing them together??? i am looking for new ways to sew things together, but i am confused about how you did it!!! please :) and thank you! :)

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  43. It is fantastically GORGEOUS!!!! On a day like today I want to curl up underneath it and hug a warm cuppa! Cx

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  44. BOTH blankets are really scrumptious! Too good for the garden!

    Have a great puddle jumping weekend!

    Sandie xx

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  45. GORGEOUS! gorgeous! GORGEOUS! I LOVE your new blanket,

    Victoria xx

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  46. Vanessa, your blanket looks simply GREAT!! I have just started crocheting granny squares. Hopefully in a couple of months I will have a blanket that is just as beautiful as yours!

    Happy weekend!

    Madelief x

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  47. just stunning - beautiful - i am in awe! xx

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  48. I think your blanket is wanderful! i love it!
    Your crochet is perfect and the colours combination is gorgeous. Much better without the white border around. Looks brighter!!!
    I always follow your beautiful blog.
    you are also a great photographer!!
    Happy Weekend!

    Monica

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  49. your tad moment is quite stunning. i love both blankets, they are so bright, cheerful and wonderful looking ! i am quite new to crochet and just love, love it sooo much ! i did not try hexagons yet, but hope to give it a try this summer. we have a sailboat and spend our week end there, so i always bring something to knit or read and now,crochet, my new passion! ^_^ i do not know how long you have been doing crochet, but i have to tell you you are really good. I have been visiting fora whilenow and love your blog, everything about it is so beautiful, so full of color.
    happy sunnyweek end to you too !
    monique xoxo

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  50. arrgh! i meant to say Ta dah ! saw my mistakes but it was too late, sorry. ;-)

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  51. Love it, love it, love it. I think the colour combination is great, so vibrant. I agree about it making a great garden blanket, it is like a midsummer flower border.
    We are promised rain tomorrow but sun on Sunday which is great because I'm off garden visiting.
    Have a lovely weekend.
    Carol xx

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  52. It's wonderful bright, zingy and full of personality. Well done you, two blankets in a month quite amazing.

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  53. Ahh Vanessa its beautiful. You know sometimes I find it hard to tell where the professional photos end and yours begin. Your photos are truly stunning, and it looks lovely outside the way you have set it up. The blanket is fab, although the colours are not "you" I think they look lovely and cosy xx

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  54. I think it's gorgeous just as it is. I can't believe that you are fairly new to crochet, your work always looks so perfect. I am well impressed. Well done! Have a lovely weekend, Linda x

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  55. Oh I forgot to say, I made your malteser squares and they were yummy, very very naughty, but yummy. So thanks for the recipe, love Linda x

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  56. Absolutely beeeautifulllll!!!!

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  57. Your blanket is magnificent. I think that white in this one would actually decrease the wow factor. You make me so jealous, nothing I have made yet is as spectacular as your blankets! xXx Helen

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  58. Oh wow, I LOVE this! It is indeed different coming from you, but I love all the contrasts of color! The dark edges and the lighter/brighter edges...just wonderful complements to one another! My color is green right now as I'm green with envy! x&o, Annette

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  59. Truly stunning. What a feat of handmade dedication. The result is breathtaking x

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  60. I don’t know how you do it, you are like Super Woman.... not only does it look amazing, it looks gorgeous too. You should be so proud of yourself, you are one clever Lady.... :0)

    Lou xxx

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  61. Incredible!!! All your hard work was sooo well worth it! I love both of the hexagon blankets you have made. Super job!!!

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  62. Your blanket is absolutely amazing! The colours are fabulous - I am completely green with envy!! It's freezing here today - perfect weather to snuggle up on the couch with the small people, cover ourselves in a crochet blanket and watch a movie. Bliss. Have a fab week hon.

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  63. This blanket is my favourite of them all. I think the colours in it are beautiful and the darker shades make the bright shades pop. How did you attach them to each other and what colour yarn did you use? It's all still a bit of a mystery to me, I am still not confident enough with my crochet to just try something.

    I want to be able to crochet like you one day. I hope I can get quicker, there are too many things I want to be able to make.

    Really really lovely. I'm going to look at the photos again, the colours are amazing.

    Sigh.. :)

    Nicki xx

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  64. I love your version, it's such a happy blanket...I prefer it over the o.e with white! You did such a good job...awesome!
    Chris : o)

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  65. Oh Vanessa, that is an absolute stunning beauty of a blanket!
    I love, love, love it!
    I'm so pleased you are feeling the lavender love too!Tee hee!
    Knew it would happen one day!Beautiful photos too!
    You should definitely be a stylist!
    Have a great week!
    Rachel x

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  66. What beautiful crocheted blankets! I do need to learn how to crochet hexagons. I love the border too! Great inspiration!

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  67. Oh I love, love, love that first blankie! I may get to hexagons one day, I'm learning and have begun a simple treble stripey blanket, 39 rows down... only about 25 more to go. It's winter here so it's been good for my hands and it's actually now big enough to keep me warm while crocheting it!!

    Love your blog Vanessa, I feel very 'at home' here, (hope you don't mind)

    Tania

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  68. truely one of the most gorgeous blankets I have ever seen Vanessa!

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  69. Your blanket looks AMAZING! Youve got me all inspired to get the hook out! Congratulations on such a glorious finish!

    x

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  70. Hi Vanessa, love reading your blog. This blanket is just sooooo gorgeous, so vibrant. Funny isn't it how you sometimes you can see colours put together in a way you wouldn't generally do them, and the result is just stunning. You are so clever!! Warm regards from Tania in Australia

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  71. I just saw your blanket on molliemakes blog and it is so pretty. I am not a big fan of crocheted blankets (and, not very good at it either), but this makes me want to go buy a how-to book, some colorful yarns and try it.

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  72. Whowwwww ! I like very much this blanket with these colors. And I prefer without white color.
    Have a good day !

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  73. Hi Vanessa, Lucy at Attic24 suggested I get in touch as I'm about to start the hex blanket from the Japanese book. I think I'm ok interpreting the symbols but just wondered if it was supposed to be worked together as you go along, or all sewn together at the end. If you could offer any words of wisdom Iwould be very grateful! Many thanks, Helen

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  74. this is absolutely gorgeous! it's just amazing to me that you are rather new to crochet-- your use of colors is unbelievably beautiful! :)

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  75. your crochet is stunning, especially for one who hasn't been crocheting all that long. your color sense is divine - and i envy that! please keep sharing your work. it's inspirational.

    jd in st louis
    http://crochet.craftgossip.com

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  76. please tell what yarn you used.

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  77. Hello. I love this piece. I would like to make one for my mom. Are you willing to share the pattern? Kindest thanks! :D

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  78. HOW do I make this?! Please share the pattern, or diagrams? Please?

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  79. I love the first blanket. It is absolutely stunning. I would love the pattern if you can share it. Here is my email; kchardecker@msn.com

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  80. Your work is beautiful. Have you posted the pattern anywhere online?

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