Colour Theory Blanket
I'm here, at long last, to share the last installment of the thrilling saga that has been this blanket.
Part one was the sorry tale of the murky squares that just didn't fit my blankety vision. Followed by a lull in proceedings while the whole project had a 'time out' over the Christmas season. Then, part two, a tragic tale of multiple rippings but eventual cautious optimism. It's been a roller coaster of a ride, this blanket, it really has and now I'm here with part three. The question is, will there be a happy ending?
Let us take up where we left off then. Since the last post and the crisis intervention meeting with my sister, I at last had some kind of plan for this blanket. It was the loosest of plans, the aim of which was to come up with at least a vaguely equal number of squares with the same last row colour. Like any decent plan it was of course deviated from. I ended up making less of the darker colours in the end and jiggled a little with the amounts to get the right number of squares but at least it gave me something to work towards.
One of the (many) problems I've had with this blanket is not really having any clear idea of what I'm going to end up with. Normally I have an original idea or vision to aim towards. It often changes along the way but generally because I decide to go a different way or decide on a slightly different look or feel. This thing though, this had a mind of it's own and I was just along for the ride, clinging on for dear life. I'd had ideas for it certainly, but every time I thought I knew what I was doing and where I was going with it, I'd sit back and find I'd arrived somewhere else entirely. It's been a slippery old customer this one.
But at least I was able to getting better results with my colour combining at last. When I first started I'd say my success rate was about 50/50. Half the squares I made I either didn't like or wasn't at all sure of. By the time I was half-way through I was getting about a 70/30 split and at the end I'd say 90% of the ones I made, I liked. Even with unravelling and re-making of the squares I really couldn't stand, that still leaves a fair few duff squares in the final mix.
I decided to ignore this bit of information though and just plough on regardless. I could always make some more squares at the end if I needed to. That's what I kept telling myself. In the end though, when I got to the magic number of squares, I just laid them all out as I normally would. Shuffling them around until I was happy with the distribution of colour and balance of light and dark, squinting at it a bit to see if that helped and I forgot about the idea of making any more.
At this stage, I was pretty happy. The plan, such as it was, had worked and I was able to get a nice spread of colours and things looked good. All I had to do, was stitch it together and add the border. Simple.
The only thing I have been sure about, during this whole, testing, experience, is the border. The squares were always, always going to be 'on point', that is, arranged diagonally, so they are sitting up on their 'points' and the border was going to be very simple rows of colour. Nothing fancy. The border colours I had already set aside. Two that I'd ordered and although they are supposed to be different, were absolutely identical to two other colours I already had and a further two colours that I'd picked out because I thought they'd look good.
I set to with the sewing. I mattress stitched them together and it took a while, but I like the flush 'square butted up next to square' look that you get using that stitch. Then on to the border. I did a little bit of experimenting to see how the last row should look. Something unfussy but a definite finishing touch was what I was after. Then I got stuck in. I was still happy. I liked the blanket sewn together, in fact I was quietly pleased with how it had turned out so I was eager for the end.
As always, when you want to get something done quickly, things come up and seem to delay you but eventually I made it all the way round those points and valleys for the last time and I was done, done. Gloriously, wonderfully done.
I laid it out fully, for the first time since I started the border and stepped back....
Oh. Umm. Oh heck, I'm not sure about it now!
The border had changed the look of the blanket and I suddenly wasn't at all sure I liked the colours or the order I'd used them for the border. Oh deary dear.
To be honest I just folded the blanket up and shoved it on the side for a while. Ignoring it and not knowing what to think of it. I certainly wasn't going to contemplate ripping back the offending border and anyway, knowing this blanket, I probably wouldn't like it anymore even if I went to the trouble. (Yep, I was a bit pouty and out of sorts at this point.)
To be honest I just folded the blanket up and shoved it on the side for a while. Ignoring it and not knowing what to think of it. I certainly wasn't going to contemplate ripping back the offending border and anyway, knowing this blanket, I probably wouldn't like it anymore even if I went to the trouble. (Yep, I was a bit pouty and out of sorts at this point.)
So there it is. I'd finished, but I just didn't know what to think.
♡
That was a few weeks ago and ever since then I've had the blanket laid out on my bed, as you see in the picture above and I've seen in every time I walk in my room and I've smoothed it out over the sheets every morning.
So, is there a happy ending to the tale?
Yes.
I've stopped pouting, I've gotten over my issue with the border. It is what it is and that's the way it shall stay. I like it, I really do. It's not quite everything I hoped it would be. In fact, I don't really feel much like I can take credit for it at all in many ways. It feels like something that happened while I was trying to make another blanket. But, there are many things about it which please me. I like it's vibrancy, I like it's randomness, I love the diagonal lines and I adore it's pointy edges.
The best thing is though, it photographs very well! You may not believe it, but I swear to you it looks better in these shots than it does in real life. But then it's a changeable blanket. It looks different at night to how it looks in the day and I'm getting used to the changes in the way I feel about it.
All I know is, I like it right now!
♡
That was a few weeks ago and ever since then I've had the blanket laid out on my bed, as you see in the picture above and I've seen in every time I walk in my room and I've smoothed it out over the sheets every morning.
So, is there a happy ending to the tale?
Yes.
I've stopped pouting, I've gotten over my issue with the border. It is what it is and that's the way it shall stay. I like it, I really do. It's not quite everything I hoped it would be. In fact, I don't really feel much like I can take credit for it at all in many ways. It feels like something that happened while I was trying to make another blanket. But, there are many things about it which please me. I like it's vibrancy, I like it's randomness, I love the diagonal lines and I adore it's pointy edges.
The best thing is though, it photographs very well! You may not believe it, but I swear to you it looks better in these shots than it does in real life. But then it's a changeable blanket. It looks different at night to how it looks in the day and I'm getting used to the changes in the way I feel about it.
All I know is, I like it right now!
♡
Colour Theory Blanket
Yarn: Cascade 220
Hook: 5.0mm (G)
Size: 188x 144cm (75 x 57")
Weight: 1746g
Yardage: 3841
Colours: 27
Colour names:
2415 - Sunflower (The same as Tumeric)
2429 - Irelande Heather
2433 - Pacific Heather
7805 - Famingo Pink
7823 - Tumeric - Border
7824 - Burnt Orange
7827 - Golden Rod
8021 - Beige
8229 - Country Green
8401 - Silver Grey
8420 - Light Purple
8834 - Medium Rose
8914 - Granny Smith
9404 - Ruby Red
9407 - Celery Heather
9449 - Midnight Heather
9450 - Smoke Heather
9452 - Summer Sky Heather
9463B - Gold - (The same as Golden Rod) Border
9474 - Plum - Border
9476 - Maize
9477 - Tutu - Border
9493 - Salmon
9548 - Slate Blue
9578 - Sphere Heather
9601 - Pink Taffy Heather
9602 - Soft Sage
Anything else you'd like to know, check out my Ravelry page, or ask below.
S x
