In the Works: My Cozy Stripe Blanket

While the weather was unseasonably mild before Christmas, the start of the year has brought some downright frigid temperatures. And wind! Goodness it sounds awful to hear that cold, icy wind whipping around the house. This is the kind of weather when I stay inside....and start crocheting another blanket. I still have my v-stitch blanket in a basket beside the couch, ready to be worked on, but I just could not fight the urge to start a New Blanket Project.

The story of this new blanket began one afternoon in early November when I was visiting my favorite blogs, one of which is Attic 24. Are you familiar with this blog? It is absolutely fantastic, a feast of colorful crochet inspiration, just full to the brim with beautiful yarn and gorgeous projects....I truly love it. I have been so inspired by Attic 24 over the years and this particular afternoon was no different. Lucy was introducing her Cozy Stripe Blanket Crochet-A-Long, and I immediately fell in love with what I saw, and knew instantly that this blanket needed to be a project of mine. I ordered the yarn pack from England - 15 balls in total - and was pleasantly surprised when it arrived on my doorstep in less than a week (and for only $40, which I thought was quite reasonable). With November and December being so incredibly hectic, I did not get in on the Crochet-A-Long, which was really too bad as I would have loved to crochet along with Lucy and all the others hookers working on this blanket all over the world. Instead I spent several lovely afternoons over the holidays working up these gorgeous stripes.

The yarn is just gorgeous...both the feel and the colors. I have not seen this yarn (Stylecraft Special DK) for sale in the shops I normally visit, so I will be checking out some of the more specialty yarn shops in my town to see if they carry it. I would love to use this yarn for other crochet projects.

As for the pattern, it is so straightforward and simple. I recall Lucy describing the pattern as one you could work on while having a good chinwag, and after reading that I knew this was a pattern for me. After breaking up with my ripple, I was completely taken with the idea of a pattern with minimal counting and gorgeous colored stripes.

I keep sneaking away to the living room to add another row or two. And I find I am bargaining with myself "just to the end of this row, and then I'll go make dinner". This is a truly addictive blanket - a cozy, colorful, pretty addiction. I just can't stop....can't imagine it will be long between progress updates.