Big Bang Theory Crochet Blanket Part 1

We love the TV show Big Bang Theory in our house. Now I started watching it a few years ago on late night TV then it became  tea time TV and the Beloved became hooked so we could watch it loads!!
Who doesn't love Amy Farrar Fowler's crochet blanket and of course Sheldon x

I have literally spent hours and hours looking at the few pictures out there trying to work out a pattern to make the blanket.

It will be by no means an identical replica of the blanket, that I think is impossible, but the most important bit I think is to have the red triangle shapes on the four sides.
Hopefully it will look similar  and be recognisable as a homage to the original blanket.
This will be one of my biggest projects to date! Approx 143 squares!!! Or more.
I have ordered some extra yarn for the colours I was missing... mainly red and we are good to go!

Thinking at the moment black, lemon, parchment, willow, aster, pale rose, gold, wisteria, plum and lipstick in Stylecraft Special DK and a 4mm hook.

Classic granny square design.

Apologies for the quality of the picture!

Wish me luck and hopefully not too long to the next instalment!

xxx Eirawen

Frozen Stars

I love the flowers in the snow pattern by Solstrikke. It is simple yet very effective and can look very different depending upon whether you use few or many colours.
Its a while since I made anything with this pattern so decided it was time for a revisit!
I decided on a cool colour palette.

Stylecraft Special DK in white, bluebell, silver, graphite and sherbet and a 4mm hook.

This is the finished circle to square. I will be omitting the final round of turning the circle to square as I will join as I go. The flowers in the snow pattern by Solstrikke is here.

48 circles later...

I used three different pattern colour ways:
Top-2nd and 3rd row same colour.
Middle- 3 different colours
Bottom-2 diffent colours

I went for a random pattern... always so difficult as it doesn't matter how much you scan the rows you are bound to find one in the wrong place after joining! I am also a symmetrical girl and this made my eye twitch but I persevered!

Ok all ready to join. Join as you go here we come... Attic24 has a good tutorial on this.

 It is just so neat!

I did a block stitch border of 11 rows and then a 3 chain braid to finish. Simples!

This was going to be a very exciting blocking moment as my new blocking boards had arrived. I had ordered 12 as they are sold individually and at a cost of £4 a block not a cheap investment but they did not disappoint! These are Boye Crochet Dude blocking boards.They have a grid and are 12x12" square. I got mine from http://www.carolescraftsuk.co.uk/  with free shipping.

Sooo much easier than running round the table with a tape measure and it seemed to dry much quicker too... result!!

Ta'Dah!

Blanket size 100x80cms. I wanted to give this blanket a 'cool' name and toyed with arctic sea, winter's night, snow queen etc then it was suggested on Instagram to call it Frozen Stars... I liked that :)

xxx Eirawen