Spice of Life Blanket

Are you bored with the basic single and double crochet stitches? Are you ready to learn some fancier stitches? Would you like some support as you tackle a blanket full of new stitches? Then you are ready to add some SPICE to your LIFE!

The Spice of Life Blanket is the perfect project for advanced beginner crocheters who are ready to advance their skills! We’ll start by talking about yarn choice and gauge (number of stitches/rows per inch) and review the double crochet stitch as well as learningg how to change color. Then, students will learn the 8 different stitch combinations, 1 per week, to make this sampler blanket come to life. We’ll cycle through the stitch pattern twice to make this lovely, large piece, using a different color for just about every row. (The hardest part of this beginner project will be choosing your 13 colors!) Lastly, we’ll put a border on this beauty to finish it off in style.

Supplies:

• 13 colors of DK weight yarn: approximately 60g of each color for the blanket and border.

• Yarn options at Lamb Shoppe: Hikoo Sueno, Hikoo Sueno Tweed, Hikoo Simplicity, Ella Rae Cashmereno Sport, Rowan Felted Tweed, Rowan Cotton Cashmere, or Manos Marla/Sami.

• Shoppe sample is made with Sueno by Hikoo (1 skein x 13 colors)

• G (4.0mm), 7 (4.5 mm), H (5.0mm) or I (5.5mm) crochet hook. Hook size depends on your tension and yarn choice. 

• Shoppe sample is made with an H (5.0mm) hook

• Scissors

• Tapestry needle

• Tape Measure

HOMEWORK FOR FIRST CLASS:

1. Download/print the pattern here.

2. Purchase your yarn and have it wound before class.

3. Determine colors A-M. Download the Spice of Life Colors document here to keep track of your color sequence. 

4. Crochet a swatch to check your gauge with the yarn and hook you’ve picked (Read about gauge here).  Desired gauge is 15 stitches wide by 10 rows tall in a  4" x 4" square. 

1. Chain 24 and place a double crochet stitch in the 4th chain from the hook and each remaining chain across. (22 double crochet stitches, the first of which is made out of the 3 skipped chain stitches).

2. Turn and Chain 3 (counts as double crochet). Skip 1st stitch and place a double crochet in the next stitch and each stitch across, making your last dc in the top of the chain 3 (22 dc).

3. Repeat b until the swatch measures at least 5 inches tall. 

4. You may need (or want) to use a bigger or smaller hook to achieve a fabric you like and /or a blanket the size given in the pattern. Bring your hooks and we’ll talk about this in class.