Welcome to my ‘Picnic on the Beach’ blanket which was a crochet-along I hosted here on my blog from February – April 2021.
The original introductions blog post remains below and all the subsequent weeks with full instructions are here on my blog (go to the menu to access each week).
The full pattern in both UK and US crochet terminology is now also available over in my Ravelry and Etsy Stores.
Here are the links…
Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/picnic-on-the-beach-blanket
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/988529628/
And yarn packs are available from The knitting Network (I earn a little commission if they are purchased through these links):
Summer Yarn Pack: www.theknittingnetwork.co.uk
Autumn Yarn Pack: www.theknittingnetwork.co.uk%2Fpicnic-on-the-beach-cal-colour-pack-autumn-colourway
And here’s where it all began… enjoy! 🙂
Yay… it’s finally time to share all the details about my next blanket crochet along (CAL) design which is called ‘Picnic on the Beach’! 🙂 And in this blog post you’ll have all the information you need to get ready if you want to crochet along… 🙂
The CAL will be 8 weeks in total starting with the first instalment on Friday 26th February and the final instalment on Friday 16th April.
I’m so excited about the picnic theme. Just thinking about packing a picnic basket and heading to the beach fills me with a warm feeling and this blanket design draws so much inspiration from all things picnic related!
We really are going to go on a lovely picnic journey together! ❤️
And I would love for this crochet along to be more than just about crocheting the blanket… let’s enjoy that picnic theme together! 🙂❤️
It will be wonderful if we can share with each other our favourite picnic spots around the world, favourite picnic foods and recipes, fond picnic memories and then all those picnic plans! 🙂
Especially as we emerge from the worldwide pandemic and can begin to look forward to picnic gatherings once more…
I’ve designed this blanket in two colourways – ‘Summer Picnic’ and ‘Autumn Picnic’.
Yarn packs are now available from The Knitting Network and by clicking on the link below you’ll be taken to their website. I earn a small amount of commission for each pack sold through this link which is very much appreciated… thank you! 🙂
Click on this link:
https:www.theknittingnetwork.co.uk%2Fblog%2Fpicnic-on-the-beach-cal
Here are the inspiration photos for the two colourways…
Summer Picnic…
Autumn Picnic…
My last crochet along the ‘Beachcombing Blanket’ brought people together from all over the world as we crocheted through the first Covid-19 lockdowns. And nearly one year later we’re still in difficult times… but there is hope, and picnics on the beach will surely be possible again soon! 🙂
The best places to connect with others and share progress as we crochet this blanket together is in the Facebook Group ‘Coastal Crochet’ or over on Instagram.
The Facebook Group is a really friendly and welcoming group. 🙂
Join the group here:
Coastal Crochet Facebook Group
Sharing over on Instagram is amazing too – just use the following hashtags and when you search the hashtags you’ll be able to see each others photos:
#picniconthebeachcal
#picniconthebeachblanket
#coastalcrochetcal
And here’s everything you’ll need to create this blanket:
Materials
I have used 7 colours for this blanket and I used Stylecraft ‘Special DK’ (100% acrylic, 295m/322yds) in the following colours and quantities:
Summer Picnic colours:
Yarn A: 3 x 100g balls White (1001)
Yarn B: 2 x 100g ball Blush (1833)
Yarn C: 1 x 100g ball Lipstick (1246)
Yarn D: 2 x 100g balls Sherbert (1034)
Yarn E: 2 x 100g ball Citron (1263)
Yarn F: 2 x 100g ball Spring Green (1316)
Yarn G: 2 x 100g balls Stone (1710)
14 x 100g balls in total.
Yarn Packs are available here:
Yarn Packs at The Knitting Network
Autumn Picnic colours:
Yarn A: 3 x 100g balls Cream (1005)
Yarn B: 2 x 100g ball Lavender (1188)
Yarn C: 1 x 100g ball French Navy (1854)
Yarn D: 2 x 100g balls Cornish Blue (1841)
Yarn E: 2 x 100g ball Dandelion (1856)
Yarn F: 2 x 100g ball Cypress (1824)
Yarn G: 2 x 100g balls Vintage Peach (1836)
14 x 100g balls in total.
Yarn Packs are available here:
Yarn Packs at The Knitting Network
• You’ll need a 4.00mm and 4.50mm hook (or hooks to match tension). The Tunisian Entrelac uses a normal standard crochet hook but it’s recommended to go up half a hook size for this part.
• Stitch marker, yarn needle and scissors.
Shade cards have been created exclusively for the CAL by Veronica at ‘Simply Shade Cards’ and they’re available here…
If you click on the links below then it takes you to a PDF showing each blanket in full laid flat. That’s helpful if you’re indecisive about which colour to go for!
Of course you can always choose your own yarns and colours too… 🙂
It’s a rectangular blanket measuring approximately 135cm x 105cm (53 inches x 41 inches)
I’ve used lots of different crochet techniques so there’s plenty to learn if you haven’t tried these stitches before. I will be doing YouTube videos for the less familiar stitches.
There’s Tunisian Entrelac, Basketweave and plenty of raised stitches to give you an idea. And there had to be some gingham checks in there somewhere! Inspired by the quintessential picnic colours for blankets and tablecloths…
And I’m very happy to announce that both Amanda from ‘Mrs G Makes‘ and Liz from ‘KoPoUK’ have designed and created a set of stitch markers especially to accompany this CAL… how wonderful they are! 😍 The stitch markers are available to purchase in their Etsy shops…
Mrs G Makes Summer Picnic Stitch Markers:
Mrs G Makes Autumn Picnic Stitch Markers:
KoPoUK Summer Picnic Stitch Markers:
https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/694630821/summer-picnic-stitch-markers-miniature
Aren’t they lovely?! It’s so nice to be able to collaborate with other independent sellers and I can highly recommend both Mrs G Makes and KoPoUK for their fabulous stitch markers… and stitch markers really can be a crocheter’s best friend! 😄😍
Back to our blanket and here’s a little more about how it’s constructed…
The pattern starts with the central square which is crocheted using Tunisian Entrelac to create the Gingham pattern. Traditional crochet stitches are then crocheted around this square. The rest of the blanket is built up by joining panels as you go and working in long rows to create the finished rectangular blanket shape. A border is crocheted around the entire blanket.
The pattern will be published here on my blog in both UK and US crochet terminology and will be available for free here for everyone to enjoy. But there will also be a printer friendly PDF available in my Ravelry to purchase for a one off payment at the start of the CAL. This is a good way to support my work financially and I truly appreciate each pattern sold!
I came up with the idea for a picnic inspired crochet blanket last year. And I had so much fun setting up my own ‘Picnic on the Beach’ photo shoot back in July…
This was a really hot day (a real summer picnic) – just look at little Salty seeking shade underneath me! 🙂 🙂
As you can see I absolutely loved choosing these summer picnic colours… one of my very favourite parts of the design process is deciding which colours to use, and drawing inspiration from a fun picnic theme was just wonderful!
The autumn colours were carefully chosen too and I really love the different feel these colours give. They were a joy to crochet with and I genuinely don’t have a favourite colourway… I adore them both! 😄
Just looking through all these photos has made me yearn for those picnic days…. ❤️❤️❤️
It will be fabulous to have you crocheting along. You now have all the information you need to get ready… and I can’t wait to go on this picnic together with you all… it’s going to be fun!!
Happy Crocheting Everyone… 🙂 🙂
I’m going to use 4 weight yarn should I drop down a hook size?
Hello… yes, for thinner yarn I recommend using a smaller hook. But do a little sample to make sure you’re happy with the results of your chosen hook size. 💙