If you’ve ever made a blanket before, you know how intimidating it can seem. You also know how big the payoff is when you finish that last stitch and spread out the blanket to see it all together. Folding it up and putting it in someone’s arms as a gift is one of the most gratifying feelings in the world. A lot of love goes into a blanket, and many times, those blankets become comfort objects for the receiver. To that end, if you’re curious about blankets and are thinking of trying one out for yourself but don’t want to get caught in a boring crochet loop, not to worry – the Willow Square Blanket is the perfect fit for you.
Kirsteen’s blog “Life In My Houseful of Boys” details her account of the blanket-making process. She chose a square design (resembling a granny square) from the book “200 Crochet Blocks” and then joined them together with single crochet. Then she chose a border from the book “Around the Corner” to finish the blanket off. The finished Queen-size blanket was crocheted using DK Stylecraft Special, using the colors “Storm Blue”, “Duck Egg”, “Silver”, and “Sherbet”.
When planning blankets like these, with multiple colors, it is useful to have an online generator to get an idea of the big picture before starting on the project. If you want to try out the granny square generator that Kirsteen used to put together the Willow Square Blanket, you can visit it at granny-squares-color.com and plug in your own color combinations. Try using colors that coordinate with the room it will spend most of its time in, or if you’re making a picnic blanket, try combining the family’s favorite colors. Whichever colors you choose, the blanket pattern and color choices will be beautiful.
If you want to be organized with this project and resist getting overwhelmed by it, you can do what Kirsteen did and make each row of squares separately, then bundle up each row so it’s ready to go when it’s time to join the blanket together. With just a little time spent on organizing, it will be less of a headache to make your own Willow Crochet Blanket. You can also put separate rows in Ziploc bags, and take one bag at a time with you when you’re running errands. When you have a little time, pull out the squares and start joining (just make sure you have scissors and extra yarn with you).
Joining the squares together will create a smooth finish on one side, and a raised seam on the other. You can choose which side to display, but either side is fine. And don’t feel like you have to crochet an edge for the blanket either. You can leave it as is, you can make a simple edge, or you can go as fancy as you like with picot, shells, or your favorite crochet stitch. The Willow Square Blanket is easily customized and makes for a great gift for family members and friends.
If you’d like to look at pictures for inspiration before you get started on the Willow Square Blanket, you can do so at Kirsteen’s site. You can purchase both the books she mentions (there’s a link on the page), or see if they’re available at your local library.
