Recently, I decided that I wanted to make a large throw blanket for our family room. We had some blankets, but the colours didn’t match the space and the blankets were on the smaller size. My husband complained they were only hobbit sized, and so I thought it was time to make a really big blanket we could use for years to come.
So I started HUGE blanket using some Caron Blossom Cakes I had in my yarn stash. I decided that I wanted the primary colour of the blanket to be blue, so I pulled out every cake I had that had blues in it and started crocheting. I chose to transition to a second skein and alternate every few rows so that I didn’t get a lot of colour blocking because I knew that if the blanket had large colour blocks I would feel as though the blanket was similar to a scarp-y blanket, and I did not want that feel for this project. So I was very intentional about when I transitioned to a colour in the cakes, alternating only two cakes at a time.
And I really love the way the blanket turned out. And I thought I would share some thoughts about creating heirloom blankets. Bear in mind, these are my thoughts and opinions based on this very recent heirloom blanket making experience.
Be Intentional
With this project, because it involved so many colour ways and was such a big project, I needed to be really intentional about the cakes I chose and when I chose to transition and which order to place the cakes in, as I stated above. Being intentional was really important for this project because I wanted blue to be the central colour–any shade of blue, but the blanket needed to primarily be blue. It was also really important to be so intentional because this is a blanket I hope our family will have for many years to come. Maybe my son can even carry it to university with him, if he choses to go.
And if this is a blanket that I want to last generations, I had to be intentional about creating a piece that was functional (hence it’s size) and that fit into our home, instead of only being one that I would like for a season or that only reflected me.
So that’s my first tip is to be really be intentional. Think about:
- the function
- colours
- how colours work in the project
- the fibre you chose–acrylic, wool, a blend, cotton
Once you have established the above, you’re on your way to creating an heirloom blanket.
Chose a Design
If you are going to make a heirloom blanket, you’ll want it to be one that has some visual interest. In my case, my visual interest was the colours which was why I had to be so intentional about how I transitioned those colours.
However, your visual interest could be something else. Visual interest could be:
- a textured stitch
- granny squares
- colour
- other motifs
I would strongly recommend you chose something that will you will enjoy making rather than trying to work on a project that will become tedious. It would be a shame for your heirloom blanket to lie about in a basket for years because you don’t enjoy working on the project.
Decide on a Fibre
Big blanket projects require a bit of planning when it comes to what yarn you will use. While wool might seem attractive, it can also be costly. Wool is also requires special care and needs to be hand washed–unless you are using super wash wool–and so you do need consider what fibre you are using. A wool blend might be more friendly when it comes to your pocketbook, and easier to wash. Acrylic yarn is also a choice but should be carefully chosen as some acrylics are better quality than others.
The yarn I used was a blend of cotton and acrylic, which is a nice combo as cotton alone can be quite heavy. And I will say, because of the size of the blanket, the blanket I made is quite heavy.
Therefore I think you need to consider:
- preferred fibre
- cost
- size of blanket
You’ll want to think about this before you dive into making the blanket so that you aren’t too much out of pocket mid way through the project–I started my blanket using yarn from my yarn stash, however, I did have to go out and buy some yarn because I didn’t have enough blue colour ways. Because I more or less designed my own blanket, I didn’t know how much yarn exactly that I would need, and I was pretty close in my estimation of having enough in stash–but if you chose a pattern, you’ll be able to better gauge how much yarn you will need, and decide on what kind of fibre you will want to use. Cost might factor in, as well as how easily that fibre can be cared for in the finished piece.
Final Thoughts
Don’t over think this friends. You don’t have to have it all figured out before you start, you just need to be aware of these considerations so that you can create a heirloom blanket that you love, and that you want to pass down to your children and grandchildren. I hope some of these thoughts and ideas are helpful to you.
Have you ever made an heirloom piece? Please share in the comments!