Today’s the day!  Part 1 of the Down Memory Lane Blanket CAL is now available on Ravelry.   Part 1 is an easy start with 2 simple squares.

If you have purchased the pattern you should have received notification from Ravelry that it has been updated.    There are 2 versions – UK and US crochet terms, so make sure you select the correct one.

If you are following the free version then Motif 1 is a sold motif found here and Motif 2 is a more lacy motif found here.  In each version you need to make 10 rounds to get the correct size.

Both these photos are of the unblocked motifs.   I recommend you block before joining!

I always start blanket CALs with easy motifs, as they help you work out your size/tension and allow you to play with your colours without getting stressed over a more complex design.  These 2 are also pretty sturdy squares which give good weight to the blanket, which makes it a proper blanket not a throw!

Motif 1 is also useful in working out your yarn requirements.  I worked out it uses an average amount of yarn for all the 12 designs of motif, so is a good guide as to how much each motif will use.  Here’s a brief guide on how to do it:

First make the motif in yarn you know the weight and meterage (or yardage) of.   Then measure your motif. Using this measurement work out how big you want your blanket to be – so if the motif is 25cm and you want a blanket 150cm square then it will need to be 6 motifs square – that’s 36 motifs.  Whatever size you want let’s just say the number of motifs you want is N
Now weigh your motif – it doesn’t matter if you weigh in grams or ounces. Let’s just say that weight is W
For the motifs you need yarn with a total weight of N times W, but you need to add a margin for joining, colour matching/changing and a border. I recommend a minimum of 10% (which works for a very small border and if you are careful with colour matching) or 20% (which works well with a larger border) or 25% (if you aren’t confident about colour matching and/or don’t really know what you want to do for a border).
So take N by W, add 10%, 20% or 25% and then divide by the size (weight) of skeins/balls for the yarn you are using.

The estimating works if you are using all the same yarn throughout the blanket, if you use different brands of yarn then you should look carefully on the ball band to find out how many m or yd are in each brand – they vary quite a lot. If yours vary, then you’ll have to do some more maths to work out your requirements. Essentially you need to work out the meterage or yardage of your motif, rather than just the weight.

The blanket I have is 7 by 7, so needs 49 squares.   I made 4 of each of these first 2.

Please join the discussion on Ravelry here and feel free to ask any questions.

Until next week….Happy Crocheting xx