Granny’s Secret Garden Blanket

Hello again, from the depths of winter in bonnie Scotland. January usually seems an interminably long month with short dark gloomy days and long cold nights, but this year we’ve had a fair amount of sunshine and the weeks are going by pretty fast. I can’t complain.

It’s been helped along as well, by my latest crochet project. This perfectly formed little beauty took precisely eleven days, start to finish and was an absolute joy to make.

Firstly, because the pattern is a simple one. There were no head scratching moments trying to work out the maths of getting parts to fit and I could spend my evenings in rhythmic delight, letting my hands take over from my brain.

Secondly, I’m pretty sure you know by now that Stylecraft Batik is a favourite yarn of mine.

I love it for the feel – there’s 20% wool in the mix, although it’s still easily machine washable – and for the watercolour effect of the dyeing. It makes the colours blend as if from a paintbrush and gives a really soft overall look.

I’ve used it exclusively in blankets before and also mixed it with other yarns as it blends so well, but I have been wary to make another design which depended solely on batik, because Stylecraft have been sadly discontinuing certain colours now and again without warning.

That being said, I was tempted again this time and I’m so glad I was. One of the shades I’ve used, Lupin has been discontinued but I’ve kept it in because lots of online yarn stores still have stocks. You just need to Google search “Stylecraft Batik Lupin”

I’ll go into more detail in a minute, but I can say that my intention is to future proof the blanket with an alternative version in a different yarn, which will be included in the pattern, and which I’m about to start right now! Come back in another eleven days!

Anyway, this little blanket started life in its first form a number of years ago, and was actually the very first granny square design I’d ever attempted. A lot of learning went on in that blanket!

It had always been a favourite of mine, I think because it fitted right in with my crazy kitchen colours and looked right at home beside my painted chairs.

Thanks to the encouragement of my social media friends, I decided to make a second one as my post Christmas project, and this was in order to write up a pattern and gauge yarn quantities. There have been a couple of colour changes from the original because, as I said some shades are no longer available, but I actually think it looks better now than before.

Now, the thing about this one of course, is that being simple it’s PERFECT as a project for a new crocheter. I intend the pattern to be as easily explained as possible, with lots of photos and tips. But that shouldn’t put off the experienced guys either. It’s such a happy little blanket I’m sure anyone would love it.

Back to the Batik yarn – as I said, the shade Lupin which is a beautiful blue (see that square at the top left in the photo above) has been discontinued. Why oh why?! But there are still stocks out there, so I’ve put together the Batik Yarn List and quantities for you now in case you want to get ordering.

Once Lupin has gone though, I can step in with the suggested alternative of the Wisteria shade. It’s a lilac colour but I’ve made a sample square and it fits in nicely with the blanket as well. So all will not be lost.

Anyway, here is the Yarn List. By the way, I’ve also listed the actual amount used of each colour in case you already have some in your stash.

Batik is available from many different yarn stores online and the price can vary from one to another. If you are overseas, then I’m informed that the best website is http://www.woolwarehouse.co.uk for speed of delivery and reasonable shipping charges. However, they have no stocks left of Lupin.

If you are in the UK, http://www.simplyyarn.co.uk have offered to put together a yarn pack for this blanket, although that still has to be finalised. I believe that http://www.craftopiaingleton.co.uk has some of the Lupin shade left at the moment too.

There we are then. Version one of Granny’s Secret Garden Blanket is finished and the Yarn List published. Now my next task is to make version 2, and this will be the one where I’ll be photographing, videoing and writing up as I go along, so the pattern for both won’t be available until that is done . There will also be a yarn list coming for it soon.

I better get started! Bye for now xx

PS Watch this space – as soon as the pattern is published, I’ll put a link to it.

UPDATE February

Hot off the press……..The Second Version of the blanket is finished, the pattern has been written up and today it went live in my Etsy shop.

Version 2 uses Stylecraft Special DK in similar, but brighter shades to the Batik version. I think I really like both versions just as much.

I know that Stylecraft Special is a staple for a lot of you crocheters, so I’m pretty sure there will be some stash raiding going on for this blanket. I know of one lucky person who already has all the yarn needed in her stash for the Batik version!

For those of you buying the yarn from scratch, Veronica of http://www.simplyyarn.co.uk has put together yarn packs for both versions, and you can find them in the Woolthreadpaint shop on her website. This is just for customers in the U.K. though I believe, as she doesn’t ship overseas as standard – although you could always ask.

And here is the all important link to the pattern in my Etsy shop –

Granny’s Secret Garden Blanket

I hope you have fun with this pattern if you decide to give it a go. It’s perfect for beginners, but it’s is also a relaxing project for those more experienced.

Happy crocheting,

Marion xx