I woke up really early yesterday morning, read a bit more of Hidden Depths, the third book in the Vera series by Anne Cleeves and then fell back asleep for a few hours. When I woke I scrolled a bit on Insta and found I had a burning need to crochet a hexagon!
Do you ever feel like that? You just have to grab some scraps of yarn and a hook and go for it?
I’d seen Anita’s Vintage Hexagons a while back and that was the pattern I settled on. It’s free and here on her brand new website. She’s so clever with colour and original blanket designs. We’ve followed each other for years on Insta, but now she’s really taking designing up a notch. Check out her accounts.
I’ve been on a mission for a long time to finish all the things already started, or to unravel them, but I made an allowance yesterday. A few hexies, using oddments from blanket making, wouldn’t exactly be breaking the plan. I fancied something colourful. I really like the variegated Hayfield Spirit wool acrylic mix I’m using for my Coast blanket, but it’s quite muted.
Crocheting motifs bit by bit would be an ideal project for short bursts of crochet. I’d get that feeling of completing something, without crippling pain at the end of a mammoth row of a blanket. Anyway, I’m always drawn to hexagons, they’re probably my most favourite shapes.
Do you recognise my colour combo? I’ve used it a little more more than I realised. Thank goodness for my account on Pinterest. I had a quick look through my pins to spot everything made with this colour combo. My Pinterest doesn’t feature everything, but it’s a good selection. It’s amazing how many people end up here clicking through from Pinterest.
Anyway, back to yesterday…
I think I might stop here and change yarns. I’ve become used to more of a wool content, even 20%, and the plasticy look of this acrylic is not doing it for me. Or maybe I should try a different brand?
This week I may donate what I’ve made so far, and the little middles I also made, with the rest of the oddments. I could pop in a note telling the buyer where to find the free pattern online too.
What’s your go-to yarn for blanket making? I’m not about to buy a vast quantity of pure wool. I crochet and knit with wool or blends for smaller makes, as I prefer to wear it rather than 100% acrylic. It would be way too expensive and too valuable for throwing about as an everyday blanket. Another brand of acrylic, or a wool blend would be good to try. Any recommendations would be welcome. Then I can go to wool shop to have a squish…
…when I’ve completed my ‘Finish everything and do not buy any more yarn’ mission, of course!
The Little Room of Rachell 
I too like hexagons and that is a pretty pattern. As you may have gathered I use Stylecraft Special DK for most of my blankets because of the amazing colour choices but as time goes by I am finding more and more inconsistencies in the quality/style of the yarn. I had hoped the Scheepjes yarn might be a good alternative but it feel rather fragile to my mind, very soft but a bit insubstantial. I haven’t found other acrylics than Stylecraft are better. I am not sure about wool for blankets for myself as ordinary wool makes me itch, though alpaca seems okay! Sorry this isn’t very helpful.
Anita always uses Hayfield Bonus, which I believe is 100% acrylic. I haven’t tried any so am not sure what it’s like to crochet. I love the marled colours in the range she used in the hexagons.
I’ve a pal who’s allergic to wool, but she recently discovered that superwash merino is fine for her to crochet with and to wear. It’s no exaggeration to sat that it’s changed her life!
Yes. I couldn’t remember when I wrote the reply but I bought some Drops Big Merino and made a bed jacket out of it. I have found that I can wear it in the summer when my arms are bare as well as in the winter when I have sleeves on my nighties. Shame you can’t get as many colours as acrylic.
I used Sheepjies stonewashed for my nature’s walk blanket. That was the first time I’d ever crocheted and the project I used to teach myself. it’s a cotton / acrylic blend and is holding up well after nearly 2 years of being used as a sofa-snuggler. However, I also used it for a cardigan for MrG, which stretched hugely and where it rubs it’s bobbled very badly. Have you considered a tension guide to assist with the cramping? You can get them from lots of places, by lots of makers. The feedback I get from my customers is that it makes a massive difference and improvement to cramping and yarn burn.
The superwash merino/nylon I’ve been using for a few other projects (including some socks) seems to hold up much better.