Adaliza

Is this the most colourful crochet blanket ever?

I think it might be!

Carnival is huge and began its journey here and here.  Well over 2m square, there is some method in my madness of colours.  There are large blocks, each made up of 4 smaller squares.  The big blocks have a double border of either Scarlet & Mustard or Fuschia & Blue Thyme.  These are arranged alternately …

There are 42 big squares in a 6 x 7 pattern.  I worked an outer border of 7 rows, following the granny square pattern and then added my favourite Tweed Stitch border with scarlet and teal.  To make the border lay flat and prevent it curling up, I always work a final row or two with the wrong side facing me.  Similarly, the scarlet row in the outer border was worked with wrong side facing – that’s what makes the stitches look like ‘V’s!

The yarn deserves a very special mention.  It’s the remaining yarn from my Gypsy Rose blanket – Julia by Kristin Nicholas.  Julia Yarn is now discontinued but like Phoenix has risen again and goes by the name of Color by Kristin.  It really is the best yarn I have EVER used. Apart from the stunning colours – and they are truly stunning – it’s the perfect weight and texture.  My remaining 30 balls of Julia yarn were eeked out with some other pure wools, but I made sure that every square had at least a couple of Julia rows.  I treated myself to some vintage Jaeger Matchmaker in Teal, and that’s the outer border – luscious.

I can’t tell you how much I love the colours in this blanket.  Kristin, lives her whole life in colour – see her home here in Houzz. I love visiting her blog to hear the vivid accounts of life on a sheep farm in Franklin County, Massachusetts, her collie dogs, workshops and latest designs.

Do pop over to Handmade Monday (No 104) later on, to catch up with all the other ‘creatives’.  I’m going to walk the dogs on the beach and decide what to make next.  My sewing machine, a neat stack of fabrics and just one bag of wools came with me on holiday!  I’ll be showing you some pictures of my just-completed Songbird Quilt in a day or two, so do pop back.

Missing you already -

Yours, in a cottage by the beach in sunny Cornwall!

Adaliza x

Tagged: Adaliza crochet, Carnival crochet blanket, carnival time, colourful crochet, colourful crochet project, granny square blanket, large crochet blanket

§ 29 Responses to Carnival time

• Kristin Nicholas says:

  17/02/2013 at 17:26

  Oh my goodness – this turned out stunning! No wonder it took you a while. It is HUGE! Just love the grannies and the borders and the crazy colors!

  It is my dream one day to make a blanket or two for a bed. You are an inspiration! I am going to share this on my blog and FB page. And of course point people to your blog!

  Congratulations on such a great job. Gorgeous photos too!
• adaliza says:

  17/02/2013 at 17:36

  Thanks Kristin – you’re the inspiration! It’s those colours – there’s no yarn like them anywhere. Thanks so much for the lovely comments.
• knitnrun4sanity says:

  17/02/2013 at 18:28

  Wow – this must have taken you ages. There is so much work here but well worth the time and expense. I really love the border in particular. I really hope that it brings you a great deal of joy over the coming months and years.
• CatkinJane says:

  17/02/2013 at 18:33

  I do love your outdoor shots – the colours are just so vibrant!
• Wendy says:

  17/02/2013 at 18:40

  Oh my word, it is gorgeous. I love the riot of colours. Your lovely photos have set it off beautifully, too. Anchor Cottage looks a lovely place!
• Ali says:

  17/02/2013 at 19:16

  Your blanket is beautiful, it does look amazing on the bed. And all the colours are wonderful. Thanks for letting us know about Kristin’s blog just having a quick peak I could see it’s a colourful place. Have a lovely week.
  Ali x
• Jill Spain (@JillSpain) says:

  17/02/2013 at 20:21

  Absolutely beautiful and I love the photographs you have taken – they really set of your work very well. Hope you have a good week.
• Cyd says:

  17/02/2013 at 20:26

  Imagine the Technicolor dreams you’d have sleeping under this! Hooray for Julia’s yarn coming back – bad call on Nashua’s part to drop it–viva Julia & Kristin!
• Ginny says:

  17/02/2013 at 20:36

  Your blanket looks perfect on the bed, just because the rest of the room is so white. One great big splash of colour.
• adaliza says:

  17/02/2013 at 20:43

  Couldn’t agree more – just shows that there’s a need for outstanding yarn – viva Julia & Kristin!
• Gertie says:

  17/02/2013 at 21:08

  Wow – colourful or what !!!! Because the bedroom is white, it really shows off the colours. I bet it’ll keep you nice and and warm too.
• Mythillogical (@Mythillogical) says:

  17/02/2013 at 21:20

  Gorgeous blanket in a gorgeous location! I love how striking it looks on the cottage wall and on the bead- beautiful!
• freespiritdesigns says:

  17/02/2013 at 22:05

  Oh wow!! This is just stunning! I especially love the photo of it draped over the white wall in front of the houses.. sooooooooo pretty!!

  It must have taken you ages to make… i’m sure it will be treasured for generations x
• Jan @ Handcrafted by Picto says:

  17/02/2013 at 22:28

  Wow oh wow the colours are so brilliant, I adore the photo’s. Anchor Cottage looks such a pretty place, I love the finished songbird quilt too.
  Thank you for popping over to see me, I love the idea of a dandelion clock

  Jan x
• Martha says:

  17/02/2013 at 22:43

  Oh my word!!!! This blanket is a crochet masterpiece! Absolutely stunning and a real wowser! I imagine all that hard work than went into making it. The place the photo session took place is wonderful too. love the photo with the sea in the distance. What a magnificent view!

  Now I am so close to converting to crocheting! I swear, I wanna run to my crochet books, open them, sit with the crochet hooks and yarn by my side and learn, learn, learn…
• adaliza says:

  17/02/2013 at 23:06

  Just do it – crochet is wonderful. I’m going to teach classes later on this year and I can’t wait to do some converting!
• thriftwood says:

  18/02/2013 at 07:12

  Absolutely beautiful! I’ve just started a blanket … only got 2 squares so far, am a bit daunted by it now!

  Have a Happy Monday

  Claire xxx
• adaliza says:

  18/02/2013 at 08:21

  It didn’t take me that long. Joining the squares as you go is a great time-saver. I also found that I could make a big square (4 small ones in a block) most evenings without any hassle. It grew really fast – about 6 weeks altogether.
• Bits and Bobs Crafts says:

  18/02/2013 at 16:04

  Its an amazing blanket and a fantastic achievement. I love the colours and your photo’s are really inspiring too!
• adaliza says:

  18/02/2013 at 17:09

  Thanks for following and your lovely comments.
• Scotti Creations says:

  18/02/2013 at 17:19

  Wow those colours are great. I know just how time consuming it can be to make a blanket, but so satisfying once it’s finished.
• fiddlyfingers says:

  18/02/2013 at 21:07

  Wow! Absolutely stunning!
• Susan Scribner says:

  18/02/2013 at 21:23

  I love this, the crochet is so close and fine (if that makes sense). The colors are amazing! Just wow! Amazing, it’s a piece of art that you can use.
• Lilly My Cat says:

  19/02/2013 at 03:01

  Oh I am so jealous of your beautiful surroundings! I am here in sunny palm tree California but my heart is in England. Beautiful blanket. I’m looking forward to following your blog. Have a great week.

  Pat
• Simmi says:

  22/02/2013 at 17:46

  What a beautiful beautiful creation! Well done – it really is amazing Simmi x
• highland monkeys says:

  24/02/2013 at 18:42

  Lovely quilt, I’m a sucker for anything red and your quilt certainly hits the spot. Great free motion embroidery. (it is strange how the eye turns the stitching t’other way around, I’ve had the same problem) Lovely photos as well.
• Ginny says:

  24/02/2013 at 21:27

  What a lovely quilt. I love the colours, and the little details. I am trying to work out where you live. How is it so gorgeous and sunny?
• adaliza says:

  24/02/2013 at 21:46

  We were on holiday in Cornwall last week and the sun shone EVERY day. It was still bitterly cold though!
• ChrissieD says:

  26/02/2013 at 04:26

  Your quilt is gorgeous and your quilting, such detail. Beautiful photos too