Thursday 15 June 2017

I Crocheted A Rainbow


When The Teacher told me that her friend was pregnant I decided that I wanted to crochet a blanket for the baby, something soft and snuggly to play on, sleep beneath and wrap up in.  I have been learning to crochet for a year or so, dipping in and out of a project, but deciding to actually finish something, before a deadline, spurred me on to develop a level of skill that would produce something good enough to give to somebody else.  So, I looked around the internet for inspiration and found these gorgeus rainbow blankets made by Heather at Little Tin Bird.  As soon as I saw them, I knew that I wanted to crochet a rainbow: The Mathematician says that rainbows make people happy and what better wish is there for a new little person than happiness?

I followed Heather's colour scheme to the letter: Stylecraft Special DK in lipstick, spice, saffron, lime, turquoise, violet and magenta, ten rows of trebles in each colour.  I began at home, sitting in front of the computer and trying to master a chainless foundation row, frogging it, trying again, frogging again, beginning again... six or seven times before I had a smooth, straight(ish) row of 104 stitches.  Your comments after I showed you my first stripe of magenta in April encouraged me to keep at it.  I was glad when I reached the yellow because until then, it looked like a peacock and whilst I love peacock colours, I wanted to give the baby a happy rainbow. 


All the hours I spent in the passenger seat of the car during April were spent mastering the hook and Knit and Knatter on Thursday afternoons became Crochet and Cnatter.  I crocheted in the summerhouse, on the sofa and in bed. 

In a fortnight, the blanket was done.  I sewed in the ends and thought about a border.  I am not very good at choosing colours and with so many colours in the blanket itself, I didn't know what to do, although I was repeatedly drawn back to a ball of copper-coloured yarn.  Neither did I know how to make a border.  So, back to the internet I went and when I saw Lucy's spot on edging over at Attic 24 I had a flash of inspiration: the small tortoiseshell butterfly has a row of turquoise spots around its wings.  I wanted to crochet a border of turquoise spots within a copper band, butterfly wings to enclose the rainbow. 
So without further ado, here is the finished blanket, a rainbow held in a butterfly's wings. 
 
TA-DAAAAH!

 
I know that it's not perfect, it's only three simple stitches and many of you make far more complex and delicate things with your hooks and yarn, but I am SOOOOOOOOO ridiculously proud of myself.  This blanket makes me happy every time I look at it.  I hope that it makes Baby Nate happy too.

 
The blanket certainly made someone happy - I have been asked to make another!  Get me!!
 
See you soon.
 
Love, Mrs Tiggywinkle x
  
 
 

22 comments:

  1. It's quite wonderful, I love the border.

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  2. It makes me smile to look at it! Great colours for a baby. Well done!

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  3. Looks great with all the lovely happy colors.

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  4. What a cheerful blanket, the new baby is going to love it!

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    1. I hope so, Karen. One day I might be half as good with a hook as you are. x

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  5. He or she is going to be such a happy baby and I bet baby's Mum will be happy too. what a beautiful blanket and a lovely gift:)

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  6. It looks wonderful, you have every reason to be proud of yourself. Filled with love, the perfect gift.

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    1. Thank you! You are one of the people whose crochet spurred me on to get to grips with it. x

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  7. It's a lovely blanket. And, I love the border design you created. It will be cherished for many years. Pat xx

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  8. This is going to be the perfect baby blanket - such cheerful, happy colours. Well done! I've been doing a lot of frogging myself lately, as I'm tackling lace knitting in the form of a shawl. Hope you are having a lovely weekend. Marie x

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    1. Thanks Marie. I have done a bit of lace knitting myself recently, oh my goodness, SO tricky when you have to frog (and I did)! x

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  9. Wow, it is very pretty such cheerful colours ! You did a great job !

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    1. Thank you. I hope the baby's mum thinks so! x

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  10. Such a lovely and colorful little blanket - well done! A very lucky little one to have his very own rainbow to be wrapped in :) x Karen

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    1. Thanks Karen. I keep looking at the photos because I love it so much! x

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  11. It was made with love , that is what counts. A small child will love the colours, will learn them by name, snuggle up in it, It will be washed and used until the colours fade and the stitching unravels in the corner but that is why you made it, be proud of yourself.....and start the next one. Crochet, like knitting is addictive.

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  12. Ooh yes happy colours, it looks lovely. Jo x

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