Back in the autumn of 2014 I embarked on my latest blanket, an Attic24 Cosy Stripe Blanket blanket to be precise. I ordered my wool pack in time to join in with the online crochet-along or CAL. The plan was to keep up with crocheters around the world as they hooked up the cosy lines of triples and be part of something ‘bigger’.
I did really well for that first week! Then the rot set in. The plan had been to complete the blanket by the end of 2014 that meant we’d having a snuggly warm blanket to cosy up with as we faced a nippy Gibraltarian winter. Yes, I know I sound soft but it does get cold here in winter and we don’t have central heating or double glazing. The cold Atlantic breezes get through the cracks in our old wooden sash windows you know… I’m not getting any sympathy here am I?!
Back to the crochet… so the thing is, quite early into the CAL I fell off the wagon and failed to keep up. I think my problem is that I like so many different crafts that I don’t like to keep on at the one thing all the time. In other words I’m easily distracted… Holiday times meant that I had more time to sit and hook up a few rows and it meant I was more focused on the job. So it came on holiday with us, a few times…
…. to Marbella…
….out for a drink at the poolside bar….
…and to Puerto Banús.
It’s been a regular companion through two series of Downton Abbey! Both on Sunday nights and on catch-up sessions.
It’s grown bigger.
And bigger.
It’s done a spot of sunbathing on our balcony back at home…
And entertained me at coffee break time as I worked (very slowly) through all those colourful rows.
And then the end was in sight, it was time to darn in all those fiddly endy bits.
I shared that photo on Instagram and you’ll never guess who ‘liked’ it? Only Lucy at Attic24! STARSTRUCK!!!
Phew, that was exciting!
And so, the time had come to begin the border…
But I must have got my tension wrong… I didn’t have enough wool – noooo! So I unpicked it and chose an alternative colour and started again:
Not again… just 25 cm short this time! So I had to do half of the original colour and half of the second colour – sorry Lucy, I went a bit off piste! It’s a multicoloured border.
I’m on the home straight at last, it’s the Easter holidays 2016, 17 months after I started my Cosy Stripe CAL, time for a final push at the park.
And it’s finished…. Drum roll please!
Ta-dah!! Looking glorious on a sunny, blustery day with Gibraltar’s Trinity lighthouse as a backdrop.
Thank you Lucy for sharing this brilliant pattern, I have really enjoyed working on it and love the end result. I shall miss snuggling up under it’s colourful rows as it grew slowly on my lap.
What next? Another blanket perhaps, but don’t expect to see it finished for a very long time!
👏👏👏👏 It doesn’t matter how long it’s taken you to finish your cosy blanket, well done, it looks fab. You will enjoy it even more 👏👏👏
Thanks Sue! 😊
Stunning. Well worth the effort and beautifully photographed against the lighthouse. Enjoy it now K xXx
Thanks Karen 🙂
Congratulations on a blanket well hooked, totally gorgeous.
Thank you Cathy! I love it 🙂
Lovely colours and it’s a very well travelled blanket. I have the same problem with quilts – I start them and finish them sometimes years later. I have too many projects on the go at once and ought to concentrate I suppose but where would be the fun in that?
Yes, I am so with you on that! Variety is the spice of life! 😊
It is lovely and you got it finished in time for – er …. Spring 🙂 I generally take more than a year to finish big throws – it’s kind of a long investment I think ………..
Haha I know – a bit late! But I’m really organised for next winter! 😉
WOW! Well done- it was worth the wait! Fabulous blanket and a fabulous blog post about it- made me really smile:)
Thank you Eleonora! 🙂
It’s lovely! And a great size too. Mine rarely end up that big because I give up! Smaller blankets are quicker to make but not so satisfying as a nice, big cosy blanket. 🙂
Thank you! I’m really happy with it. My previous blanket was to cover a king sized bed and that seemed to take an age to do each row so although it’s big it felt a lot easier to make. 🙂
Love this post! An interesting story of a take-along project…and the lighthouse photo is spectacular! You’ll have many, many years of enjoying your cozy new treasure.
Thank you, I’m pleased you enjoyed reading it 😀
Love your blanket! I am rather sporadic with my blankets too, I think the end being so far off puts me off!
Yes, I’m with you on that! It’s such a long haul, I couldn’t possibly see it through to the end in one go!
Most of the pleasure of crocheting a blanket is in the process though, isn’t it? I’m always sad when I finish one and miss being able to pick it up and do a few rows whenever I feel like it. You did a great job and the multi coloured border just serves to make it a bit unique:)
Thank you, yes Sheila I think you hit the nail on the head there, the fun is definitely in the making.
simply gorgeous!
Thank you Claire 🙂