The 'All Boys' Blanket.......

So, hip hip hooray, another blanket finished! 

Thank Goodness!

I still have another blanket almost finished, but boy am I churning these babies out! 

I cannot believe that I was muppet enough to take on three blankets at the same time. What was I thinking. It's my downfall. I don't plan. I should plan more, but it would appear that it's just not me.

Now, I was going to name this blanket 'Hearts and Stars', simply because it consisted of a centre which looked pretty and star like, and the second round looked like little hearts smiling at you.

That soon changed though, when, as I was doing the outer edging, one by one, each male in the house came by and said 'I like that, who's it for? Can I have it?'

So it became the 'All Boy's Blanket' just because I won't get a look in!

This blanket was semi planned. In the sense that I had it in mind to do a blanket in these colours.

A few years ago, I was given a craft book as a gift. It was really before I had embarked on my crafting journey. I had left work and knew I was going on some sort of crafty adventure, but I hadn't committed as to which one. In my head it was supposed to be sewing.

The book was Nicki Trench's Homemade Gifts.

I couldn't knit, or crochet but I did feel inspired.

I fell in love with a particular blanket. This one.

It made my heart skip. I ♡LOVED♡ the idea of having a picnic blanket that was handmade. I loved the blue of the blanket and the burst of colour in the flowers. 

At that moment in time I could but dream, as I hadn't the faintest idea of how to work a hook.

When I started to learn to crochet I had several blankets in mind that I knew I had to get out of my system. This was one of them. 

One day I picked up a ball of yarn. It was one ball. It was all the shop had but I liked the colour so much.   A couple of years later I saw a pile of the same coloured yarn and snapped it up so happy with my delicious little purchase.

It remained in a box ready for the right moment. 

I did love Nicki Trench's blanket, but reading The Royal Sisters Blog one day and seeing Michelle's 'Grandma All Square' blanket, I loved her little squares of goodness. I could see the hearts and stars popping out. Suddenly I was thinking what a perfect blanket this would be to use my yarn stash for.

So the squares were made bit by bit.

 The very lovely and talented Michelle has provided a fantastic tutorial to go with this blanket. Now, I'm not entirely sure why, but I didn't follow it to the letter. I think I just looked at a motif and made one up from the picture, so my squares are a little different, and I didn't do the 'join as you go' method either that Michelle uses. So although, it's not entirely the same, along with Nicki Trench's blanket for colour inspiraion, Michelle's blanket provided the main inspiration for the construction.

As usual, me being the impetuous, impulsive, non thinking muppet that I am, I realised half way through putting on the outer edging, that I had not got enough petrol blue to edge all the little circles, sew it all up and add a border. Realising that this was indeed discontinued yarn meant a lot of internet searching and a lot of waiting. So the 'All Boy's Blanket' had to be put on hold. Happily enough though, as seen from a couple of posts ago, this saw the unexpected making of my previous blanket so I cannot complain!

I was getting so excited seeing these little squares all coming together.

I was so glad I took it away with me. It was bliss sitting out in the garden on a beautiful day working on it.

It was lovely to lay it all out and get a feel for how it was coming along.

The Bears had taken a real shine to it and Mr H proclaimed it was by far his favourite.

The border was a tricky one. I had limited yarn, and, although I had wanted a minimal border on this one, it had to be a bit more minimal than I perhaps would have liked. No matter. A couple more rounds would have been preferred but I am happy with the result.

Seeing it finished and draped ready for use, it made my heart sing! I do love it, I REALLY REALLY love it. I know this will be a well used blanket, and that in itself makes me deliriously happy. There is nothing nicer than seeing something that you have spent hours and hours making being used and loved.

 A seriously good feeling!

So, another blanket ticked off the list. Not sure I will get my hands on it, but I think it may be snapped up and taken on the odd picnic or two......

The blanket was made using different scraps of yarn I had available in my stash. I'm definitely a mix and match kind of girl. I don't think i've yet to make something that was all in one brand. Gasp, shock horror, but it works for me.

Righty ho, on to blanket number three now. Just a few more squares to add, a border to put on and some ends to sew in and I will be finished and ready for a post! 

You sick of blanket show and tell yet?!!!!!

xxx