Hello again from my cottage studio on the east coast of Scotland, and with summer in the northern hemisphere feeling like it’s already giving way to autumn….
Here she is – Miss Sugar Plum has arrived! My new blanket pattern for Christmas 2024 in shades of purple plum and pink, with a sprinkling of sparkle – and some green of course. Christmas has to have some green, doesn’t it?
I must admit, I’m glad to have her off my hands at last. Which might sound strange since I want to persuade you to buy the pattern, but it’s got nothing to do with the blanket itself. It’s just that this summer it’s been particularly hot and sticky up in my attic studio, and that’s not what you need when working on a blanket!
I’ve been trying to keep up to date with filming the video tutorials while making the blanket, but I’ve been battling sweaty squeaky hooks and tickly hay fever coughs along the way. Lovely.
Still, it’s been worth it. I’m really pleased with the result and I’m delighted to share it with you now.
Let’s go back to the beginning. It was June, and time to start thinking about the new Christmas project. Each year I try to come up with something a bit different. This year, the idea of sugar plums came into my head and refused to budge, so I decided to roll with it.
I’ve loved the image of sugar plums ever since I was a child and read the magical poem ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’. I don’t think I ever knew what a sugar plum was, but that didn’t matter – it conjured up sparkly and purple – I’ve always been a sucker for a bit of sparkle and what little girl doesn’t love purple!
Then there is the Sugar Plum fairy from the Nutcracker – more mauve magic!
So I had a theme. Next came choosing the colour palette. My yarn pegs from Eliza and the Giraffe made that easy.
I spent a fun day laying out possible colours, taking photos, swapping out shades and adding others, until I had a collection I was happy with.
Next, the design. There is nothing ever drawn on paper, just an idea in my head. I make a start with some yarn and hook, more often than not discarding the first few attempts. Then something clicks, in this case the holly square – and off I go.
Planning and designing is done as I go, which makes it tricky to film tutorials, because an important part of the design process is RIPPING out if something’s not working. And I don’t want to waste time filming a piece if it’s going to be frogged. So, it means I usually forge ahead a bit then have to go back and film the tutorial on a second, small sample piece.
I call that one the baby plum!
So here it is. I’ve made a vlog all about it for my You Tube channel, with a surprise guest to help introduce it. You can watch it here.
The ability level of the pattern is Confident Beginner. Even if you are new to crochet, the 27 page pattern, with hundreds of photos and diagrams, backed up with the step by step video tutorials on my You Tube channel, means that there is plenty of help to hand to guide you through each section.
The pattern now is in my Etsy and Ravelry shops, and is available in both UK and US versions. Yarn Packs can be found at WoolWarehouse (search Sugar Plum Blanket), with worldwide shipping, and they also have the pattern for sale.
I’ve listed three yarn options for you in the pattern. The main one is Yarnsmiths Create, (which is the yarn in the Wool Warehouse packs) but there are also Stylecraft Special and Scheepjes Colour Crafter if you have a preference for them. The Stylecraft yarn is included as an option, as I know that many of you have secret (and not so secret) stashes of this one. The Colour Crafter is at the request of some of my customers in mainland Europe who find it easier to obtain there.
Two other yarns are used as well, the variegated Stylecraft Batik Elements and Caron Simply Soft Party which is has a bit of sparkle. The latter is Aran weight, a little thicker than the DK, so the recommended hook sizes this time are both 4mm and 5mm.
So, with sparkly plum motifs, holly, snowflakes, candy cane border and little hearts, the Sugar Plum blanket has all the ingredients for a magical Christmas crochet project.
Hope you like it!
