Seaside Stash Busting Blanket – Week 35

And this is it… the very last week of our Seaside Stash Busting Blanket Crochet Along!! The final instructions are further below but first some thoughts… this is a long blog post with lots of photos! 🙂

I’m feeling quite emotional about it! ❤️❤️❤️ This project started out back in January (click here for all the details) as just a little idea that I put out to this amazing online creative community, thinking I might get a few people joining in. I had absolutely no idea that it would grow into this worldwide community project!! It is without a doubt my very favourite crochet project and will always be very special…

Thank you so much to all of you who have taken part but also to those who have followed from the sidelines… it’s people coming together and following along whether they’re crocheting or not which has made this project so special. I love that people have shared their progress online and encouraged and helped each other… friendships really have been made through this blanket! 😊❤️❤️❤️

It’s grown into something wonderful and people are still starting out now. I have no idea exactly how many blankets are being made but it’s in over 25 countries around the world and my blog statistics tell me that many thousands of people have viewed the patterns so far… just amazing!

I’ve struggled to put into words what this project has become and what it’s meant to me both personally and as a crochet designer… I know that’s it taken over my life at times! But it’s something I’m really proud of and a blanket I absolutely adore… 🙂 I love that from one design people have crocheted so many different colour variations and ideas which is just wonderful and I’ve loved unleashing this creativity…

And during this week so many people have shared progress photos over on Instagram

I’ve created 6 collages so that’s 54 beautiful blankets… enjoy! 😊❤️

My own blanket was finished a few weeks ago and my 14 and 16 year old sons took these photos of me with my blanket on our local beach at the end of the summer holidays…

So we begin our very last week mirroring the same rows we started out with back in January.

My blanket measures approximately 105cm in width and 125cm in length before the edging, just to give you an idea. The blankets will all be different sizes though as we’ve all used different yarns. If you feel your blanket needs a little more length then just pick your favourite rows and add them before these rows until you’re happy with the size…😊

So at the end of Row 153 you should have joined with a new colour and made 3ch which counts as the first tr (US dc) of this next row. And remember it’s UK terminology.

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Row 154 Miss next st, 2tr in next st, continue with (miss 1 st, 2tr in next st) to end finishing with 1 tr in final st of row and join with a new colour at end of final st, 3ch, turn (89 groups of 2tr with 1 tr at each side)

We are now creating V’s in the next 2 rows so inserting hook inbetween the sts from previous row…

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Row 155 Miss 1 st, continue with (2tr in-between the sts from previous row) to end, 1tr in final st, join with a new colour at end of final st, 3ch, turn

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Row 156 Repeat Row 155 but do not join with a new colour at the end

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Row 157 1tr in each st to end, fasten off and weave in all those ends!

And now it’s all about the edging for our blankets… I posted about them a few weeks ago here and said that as every blanket is so unique, our edges and borders can be whatever you want! The possibilities are endless… if you feel confident crocheting a border that you like then just go for it!

I’ll give you a few simple options below… I decided on a fluffy ‘sea spray’ edging for my own blanket and used 2 balls of Stylecraft ‘Eskimo’ yarn. The fluffy yarn represents the sea spray of incoming waves on a beach and for me finishes off my seaside blanket perfectly…

The fluffy yarn also covers those row ends which may be a little uneven but I know it’s not for everyone! It can be a little tricky crocheting with fluffy yarn, only because it’s harder to see the stitches clearly, but you do get used to it with a little practice…

So to do this edging join the yarn into any row end with the wrong side of the blanket facing you and make 1ch.

Round 1 Go around the whole blanket working dc (US sc) stitches into the row ends evenly up the sides, and 1dc in each st at top and bottom of blanket. Along the sides I crocheted 1dc into the dc row ends, 2dc into the tr row ends and 3dc into the shell row ends but see how the stitches go and make more or less if needed for your blanket. The key is to crochet evenly around and remember to crochet 3dc into each corner. When you get to the first ch, join the round with a slip stitch, 1ch, turn.

Round 2 1dc in each st around working 3dc into each corner st, ss to first ch, 1ch, turn,

Rounds 3 – 4 Repeat Round 2, at the end of Round 4 fasten off and weave in ends.

If fluffy yarn isn’t for you then as an alternative you could do a simple dc (US sc) edging using the same yarn as in the blanket…

This is worked with 3 Rounds exactly the same as for the fluffy yarn above but we crochet Round 1 with the right side of the blanket facing you.

And finally here’s the pattern for a simple shell edging…

Join the yarn into any row end with the right side of the blanket facing you and make 1ch.

Round 1 Go around the whole blanket working dc (US sc) stitches into the row ends evenly up the sides, and 1dc in each st at top and bottom of blanket. Along the sides I crocheted 1dc into the dc row ends, 2dc into the tr row ends and 3dc into the shell row ends but see how the stitches go and make more or less if needed for your blanket. The key is to crochet evenly around and remember to crochet 3dc into each corner. When you get to the first ch, join the round with a slip stitch, 1ch, turn.

Round 2 1dc in each st around working 3dc into each corner st, ss to first ch, 1ch, turn.

Round 3 (Miss 2 sts, 5tr (US dc) in next st, miss 2 sts, 1dc in next st) and repeat all around, remember to crochet 3dc into the corners, ss to first ch, fasten off and weave in ends.

You may need to squeeze in a shell when approaching the corners, just remember to crochet evenly around…

So many people have left such kind and thoughtful comments on my Instagram, Facebook and this blog over the last week which have really touched me. There are just too many lovely people to mention but I will finish with Margie’s comment all the way from Los Angeles, California. ❤️ At the point I was pondering what to write in this blog post, Margie left the loveliest comment and somehow summed it up better than I ever could… she kindly said I could share her photo and beautiful words…

That really did bring tears to my eyes… ❤️❤️❤️

Just so you all know, I have absolutely no intention of ever removing these blog posts and the weekly instructions will stay up on my blog indefinitely. So if you’re not yet finished or ever decide to make another blanket, don’t worry! 🙂

I’m also keeping the Facebook group open so do keep sharing on there too… as well the hashtag #seasidestashbustingblanket over on Instagram.

And here is where my blanket now lives – we have this chair in our lounge…

And in some other exciting news… I’m going to Yarndale!!! This was a very last minute decision for me earlier in the week and I’m planning on taking my blanket with me… so if any of you are going then I would love to see you there… If you see me then please do say hello! 🙂

Thank you so much for reading to the end of this extra long blog post! And thank you for being a part of this wonderful experience with me… 😊❤️ It really has been wonderful purely because of you lovely people crocheting along!

Happy Crocheting Everyone… 🙂