Here we are again – another day, another new pattern. That’s what it feels like anyway!
Hard on the heels of the Touch of Frost blanket comes the Bonfire blanket. Whew, it’s been intense this past few weeks, writing the patterns, then checking and proofreading. My eyes are feeling it from the time spent at a computer screen, and I’m DESPERATE to get back to actual crochet and embroidery, but I can only do one job at a time, as I think I’ve mentioned before, so it was all systems go until the pattern was complete. But hey, that’s another one in the bag!
The links to the pattern are at the end of this post.
Crochet hook here I come!
If you are familiar with my Instagram account, you will already know that this blanket was inspired by a needlepoint piece I made a few months ago.
(Needlepoint is a form of hand embroidery which is worked on a firm canvas, usually in a geometric design of some kind. I tend to work on quite a fine canvas with stranded cotton threads).
This little emdroidery had in turn been inspired by the patterns created by crocheted granny squares, perfect geometric forms. I worked out a stitched version of a granny square which could be done on tapestry canvas with embroidery cottons, and put together a small framed piece worked on a background of spray painted canvas.
There is a whole story behind the crochet-to-canvaswork and canvaswork-to-crochet themes I’ve been exploring lately, which I’ll go into in more detail in another post soon.
But meanwhile, back to this pattern….
The strong colours on the black canvas background really appealed to me, and it was inevitable really that I’d come back to it at some point with the idea of creating a blanket with the needlepoint design as the inspiration.
It was a delight to pick the colours and see them popping against the black, and there was continuing joy when each square was created. I don’t think there are any two squares the same in the whole blanket.
It was while I was working on it that the idea of bonfires and Hallowe’en came to mind and the more I thought of it, the more it seemed appropriate for October nights and pumpkin lanterns.
The section of plain black, dotted with random spots of colour came to be showers of sparks rising up into the night sky, and the colours deepen as they get further away from the fiery centre. I love it.
And this blanket marks a family crochet milestone, because these squares in the photo above were beautifully crocheted by my rookie crochet HUSBAND no less! He painstakingly learned how to make a granny square, starting with a lesson by me, followed by hours of concentration, unpicking and starting again until he got it right. The result was a collection of squares which were identical to mine and which meant I could push through the blanket quickly.
A friend has dubbed him the Hooker Husband (he was a little alarmed at first before the meaning of hooker was explained to him in this context!)
And before you ask, sorry no he doesn’t come with the pattern!
This is a fine pattern for a beginner to tackle as it’s basically just granny squares and some granny stripes, but has enough colour changes to keep everyone interested.
Here is the page in the pattern which includes the Yarn List for your information, with the amount of each I used on the right and where it can be bought from.
I’ve used Stylecraft Special DK throughout, which means it’s a yarn that’s easy to obtain and may even be in your stash already. Some of the colours need only a small amount so it would be great if you could use up bits and pieces you already have.
As you can see, Beth and Veronica at http://www.simplyyarn.co.uk are putting together a pack with all the colours to help with ordering if you are in the UK. They will send overseas on request, but sadly the shipping charges are rather high. It’s best to enquire from them.
I think you will love this blanket, judging by the response on social media and there is plenty of time to crochet it before the nights start to draw in and Autumn is upon us.
You can find the pattern on Ravelry HERE or in my Etsy shop HERE
Now it’s over to you. There is plenty of time to make this in time for Autumn and Hallowe’en, although I’d quite like Summer to stay awhile yet! 🎃
