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Monday 20 July 2015

I finished my first crochet blanket!


We all know I love to crochet.  I started off about 5 or 6 years ago by googling "how to crochet" then doing some basic Amigurumi and toys for my girls and some of their little friends (a great way to learn crochet by the way), then I moved on to hats ... lots and lots of hats, and some booties and slippers.  I have also made a couple of little crochet vests for the girls, a poncho or two, and some scarves.  But small, quick projects like that are where my crochet love has stopped .... until now.  It's time for some bigger projects.


So, at the start of winter this year, I decided that I was going to make a crochet lap rug for each of my girls for them to snuggle under while they read a book in their rooms, or when cuddling on the couch.  But, well, a-hem it hasn't happened.  I got stuck.  I couldn't decide on a design, or a yarn.   I wanted to use some beautiful Bendigo Cotton which is just lovely (I bought a couple of balls to play with, and it's gorgeous!), but it's also a little more expensive than I usually spend because it is such lovely quality.  I hated the thought of buying up big, then deciding I didn't like the design, or getting bored half-way through or something.  So, I decided I needed a trial run.  And a new little baby seemed like the perfect excuse.


A friend that I first met at playgroup when Bethany was little, and who's kids now go to school and pre-school with mine has just had her 4th baby.  And after 3 beautiful little boys, this time she's had a girl.  I really wanted to make her something girly to celebrate this new little one, and this felt like the perfect time to try my hand at a bigger crochet project.


I found this pattern and used some super soft 8-ply acrylic that I picked up in Big W.  It's really soft, and perfect for a baby gift as it will wash and wear well.  I used 5 balls for this rug, which measures just under 1 metre in diameter.  This is a bit smaller than the pattern suggests, but I thought this size was better for a new little baby, and that's the beauty of a pattern like this.  Once you get going you can make it whatever size you like really.  Hopefully it'll be perfect as a little floor-play rug, or as a warm snuggly blanket in the pram or car.


So, I started crocheting around and around and loved watching this one grow.  It's actually a really fun and easy crochet once you get going and it grows really quickly, though by the end it was taking over an hour for each round, simply due to the size.  An absolutely perfect way to spend this cosy winter-nights on the couch.

I finished my 5th ball of white, and decided I would girly this one up with just a couple of rows of pink, from the same super-soft acrylic.  I think it works well.  


I'm really happy with how this one turned out, and it's definitely whet my appetite for crocheting some more rugs.  Maybe my girls will get theirs by next winter ... 

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