More Frankie's Blankies

Try saying that quickly! The adventure that is Frankie's Blankie continues apace. I'm really pleased that so many people have stuck with this KAL this year. The chat and friendship on my ravelry group is definitely going to be one of my highlights of 2018. So many lovely people, from all round the world, encouraging each other with their knitting and sharing stories from their lives.

We're now three quarters of the way through the year which means that the knitters have now finished 36 of their knitted blocks. I continue to be amazed by how different one pattern can look, just with different yarn or colours. I know I've shown pictures from this one before, but look at the difference substituting grey for the stone colour makes.

Laurel, from Wales

Laurel is calling this one 'Textures of Ice  Cream' which is a great name. I've only just realised that this is her first knitted blanket. Considering it includes 48 different stitch patterns, that's pretty impressive. I have to say, I worried that people wouldn't like so many stitches to try - some of which are quite complicated - but I'm glad to say that they've taken it all in their stride. I tend to avoid making my patterns too complicated but there are obviously lots of knitters out there who relish a challenge.

Back to the blankets. Lots of knitters are using this project to get through some of their stash. Barbara is working through her stash of acrylic yarn and, despite all the different colours, I think it works really well as a whole.

Barbara, from the US

You will have noticed a lack of sewing up with this one. Barbara is far from being alone in this. A certain laxness about sewing the squares together is a bit of a feature of this KAL. All I can say is, you'll all be sorry when you've got to do them all at the end.

Here's another beautiful blanket in progress, using stash yarn.

Jackie, from the US

Isn't that lovely? You'll notice that Jackie's used different colours for the singe colour blocks too; this is going to be a wonderful scrap blanket. Also - she's sewn the squares together! 

Melissa is following the colour plan of my original but using shades of Peace Fleece Worsted yarn. I didn't know anything about this company but they look really good. The 'peace' in the name comes from the fact that they use fleece from all round the world to foster mutual understanding and economic interdependence. How about that for a brilliant business model? I see that the worsted yarn comes from Navajo Ramboulliet sheep from the reservation. 

Melissa, from the US

Doesn't this one look fresh and bright? It's going to be a real heirloom when it's finished.

Not everyone is going for the multi-coloured look though. Just look what happens when you stick to one colour ...

Hilary, from Scotland

By the way, Hilary lives in the shadow of Ben Nevis which sounds pretty good to me. For those of you in other parts of the world, Ben Nevis is the tallest mountain in the British Isles. 

Anyway, as you can see, Hilary is using red yarn for all her coloured squares and I think it looks really good. I also feel the need to point out that she only started working on her blanket three months ago and, as well as having caught up, she's SEWN HER SQUARES TOGETHER. Just saying. 

That red yarn is obviously a bit of a favourite, look at this crochet project I found on Hilary's ravelry project page.

As I understand it, this is based on the Wacky Weave Squares pattern by Hilda Steyn, although the centre square is Hilary's own design. This pattern is an example of a technique called Interlocking Crochet which I'd never heard of before but now feel an almost overwhelming desire to try. At once! I may have to get this pattern. 

Concentrate Frankie, we're talking about knitted blankets here. Right, what haven't I shown you? ah yes, this one ...

Monika, from Germany

Isn't this going to be an amazing blanket? Monica is bringing all her different squares together with knitted borders, picking up stitches from the sides of the squares and then casting them off with the three needle cast off. I think that's right anyway. So, no sewing up and a totally unique blanket.

This is just a small selection of some of the many beautiful blankets being worked on from my pattern this year. If you're tempted to join in, or start at the beginning in January 2019 perhaps, the patterns are all available free from my Ravlery Shop. All 48 square patterns will have been published by the end of this year, with the patterns for the knitted border and edging to come in January next year.

And now I'm off to write up a new (and very colourful) pattern, resisting the urge to try that Interlocking Crochet ... or explore the exciting new origami site I've just found, or get on with my first ever linocut, or weave more squares for my pin loom blanket ...