MY HOOKY TREASURE

Vicky Gorry tells us about a very special blanket and her clever plans to take the design one step further…

Although my favourite crochet piece is almost always the most recent thing I’ve made, my Old Romance Blanket holds a special place in my heart. After I’d published my first ever pattern (something that happened almost accidentally and was never part of a grand plan!), I didn’t think I’d be able to design anything as good again. But then… I had a new idea.

I found a glorious colour scheme while browsing at my local yarn shop. They are very patient with me, letting me spend hours pulling out balls of yarn, putting them back or even wandering around with them to see them in different light. I eventually picked out a rich palette, inspired by a painting I’d found at a jumble sale that made me think of old tapestries and carpet bags – a little bit vintage and very warm.

The finished Old Romance Blanket design is very detailed and uses surface crochet, post stitch crochet and simple embroidery to bring out the tapestry feel that I wanted to achieve. The main motif is a floral octagon, with little squares and an intricate border. I worked on the whole design for several weeks, but once I was satisfied with the octagon motif, the rest of the design followed fairly easily.

When it was completed, I was thrilled that I could design something so different to my first blanket, something that I felt was better than the first, and it gave me the confidence to believe in myself as a designer and to continue working on new ideas.

Once the pattern was published, I had some lovely feedback on both the design and the colours. I’ve since started to work on a scarf or wrap version of the design. The original blanket is beautiful, but I’d like to have a version that I can wear on a regular basis – I hope that other crocheters will feel the same! You can nd the Old Romance Blanket pattern at www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/old-romanceblanket. Follow Vicky’s creative adventures on Instagram @veraandbess. See her gorgeous diamond shawl pattern for this issue on page 69.