Over a year ago I made a commitment to my subscriber base on my YouTube channel to go live for two hours every week (Monday nights) for a virtual stitching gathering. I had an issue however. I needed to crochet while live but I couldn’t work on designer’s patterns due to copyright issues so I started doodling. The original plan was to simply make a blanket for my granddaughter for Christmas that year. (It wasn’t finished by Christmas!) Through the lives my tribe watched me frog, and doodle and frog some more and doodle and eventually they gave the blanket the name “YaYa’s Hugs” because that is what my grand children call me.
When it was finished they screamed for a pattern, but I’d never designed a pattern before. So I set out to learn and thankfully I have some of the best friends a lady could ask for in this industry. Designer friends held my hand as I walked myself through the process, encouraged me as I cried whilst screaming that this was witchcraft and then I had THE BEST group of testers who went over the pattern several times with a fine tooth comb and had the grace not to get annoyed with my mistakes. Seriously, a girl couldn’t ask for a better tribe of people to surround her with love, patience and understanding.
Announcement day is finally here. We’ve had a few bumps in the road but here is all the information you’ll need to get yourself ready for the launch of the crochet – a – long.
CAL Launch Date: August 8th
Length: Six weeks
Level: Beginner
Video Tutorials: It’s Crochet O’Clock YouTube Channel
Facebook Hosting Group: It’s Crochet O’Clock Facebook Group
Blanket Measurements: 38 inches x 38 inches using a 4mm hook
The Yarn:
Kits are available in three different colorways from Good Loops Yarn (Of course!) using Eco-Fusion Yarn from Nurturing Fibres. This yarn is a 50/50 blend of cotton and bamboo and DK weight. The cotton is matte and is quite sturdy while also being remarkably soft and the bamboo gives the project a lovely sheen and beautiful drape.
Raiden (My granddaughter) Sandstone and Fawn
Brantly (My grandson) Raindrops and Baltic
Savannah (One of my favorite cities in the world) Savannah and Patina
If you’d rather not use a kit (but use a kit because they are lovely!) here are the amounts you’ll need before August 8th:
Color One: A variegated yarn that you’ve fallen in love with. You’ll need 500 meters or 547 yards.
Color Two: A solid color that compliments your variegated yarn but IS NOT an actual color in the variegated. You’ll need 1,375 meters or 1,504 yards.
A little tip when choosing your yarn if you happen to not choose a kit. The part about choosing a solid color that compliments the variegated but is not an actual color within the variegated yarn is insanely important. If your solid color matches one of the colors in the variegated part of your stitch definition will end up getting lost in the pattern resulting is a muddy looking blanket. You don’t want that, trust me I tried it!
See you in a few weeks and as always, if you have questions feel free to contact me or ask in the Facebook Group. We’d be happy to help!
xoxox
-Stephanie
Disclaimer: Some of the above links are affiliate links. By using them you are supporting my work here at It’s Crochet O’Clock at no extra cost to you. It is greatly appreciated!
Each week a portion of the pattern will be released. You can find the portions below: