Crochet

Patterns, projects and techniques

MARCH GIVEAWAY – WEEK #4

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Allegro Madil is a bulky boucle yarn composed of 85% wool and 15% nylon with 82 yards per 50 gram ball.   The color in this picture is a bit brighter than the skein I have in front of me.  I’d describe it as a lime green with flecks of grape and deep mauve.  Please don’t hold me to those color names.  Color is not my forte!  Suffice it to say that this yarn is about the color of the skin of a lime with flecks of two purplish colors.  Good enough???

ANSWER THIS QUESTION TO ENTER THE MARCH GIVEAWAY:

What’s your favorite yarn to use for Spring crochet?  Brand name, weight, fiber content, a link to a specific yarn is nice, too – as much information as you can give us.

Here are the rules:

Each item will be mailed to the winner by USPS – books by media mail.  For now, this contest will only be open to participants with a U.S. mailing address.

This is how it will work.  Each Monday, I’ll pose a question on my blog.  Everyone who answers the questions will be entered in the drawing on the last day of that month.  Some ‘answers’ may require you to post a link to a specific pattern or site.  The winner will be announced along with the next Monday’s question.  The winner will have 48 hours to contact me with mailing information.  If the winner doesn’t contact me, the prize will be offered on another occasion.

RESPONSES MUST BE POSTED HERE AND NOT EMAILED TO ME PRIVATELY OR POSTED ELSEWHERE FOR ENTRY.

TO MAKE IT CRYSTAL CLEAR, THE WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON THE LAST FRIDAY OF EACH MONTH AND THE WINNER MUST EMAIL ME ([email protected]) WITHIN 48 HOURS OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT.  So, for sanity’s sake, that deadline will really mean that I need to hear from you no later than 8 PM the following Monday (so you have plenty of time to email me and I’ll get the email for sure even if I don’t sign on to my email on a Sunday).

Simply enter to win by leaving a comment on this post answering the question posed.

Comments

  3. Caron Spa yarn. It’s light and easy to work with and the colors make it look lush and spring like. You can see their colors at NaturallyCaron.com

  4. I’m going to get back to one of my UFOs – a short-sleeved sweater that I’m making with Red Heart Lustersheen in Flamingo (discontinued salmon color). I love this yarn – it’s 100% acrylic so it has easy care, but it feels a lot like cotton when working with it.

  6. I love Caron Simply Soft – working on a pair of fingerless gloves (a pattern on the skein wrapper) that I really hope to finish soon.
    Thanks!

  7. I’m a fan of Bamboo yarn, and the blend I’m using right now is Caron Spa, available at http://www.naturallycaron.com/ . I’m interested in trying other blends but have not found another that I find both interesting and affordable.

  8. That’s hard. There are so many I enjoy. Lately I think Vanna White’s brand is a favorite. I am making spring shawls for my daughter and her friends.

    The other I like is Bernat Jaquards (love this yarn) it’s a finger weight yarn and works up very nicely.

  11. I like Caron Simply Soft, especially the Brights line. I have a dragon I need to finish in Limelight, a lovely bright green.
    Recently I’ve fallen in love with Crystal Palace Yarns http://www.straw.com. The fingerless gloves I worked up in the Taos color scheme, 100% Wool, turned out lovely. I’d call it a 3 weight, perhaps 4. Love it!

  12. Ok, I looked at the Crystal Palace Yarn website, and Taos is the line of this yarn, it looks like my color was Carlsbad. Greens & Purples. It was lovely yarn to work with.

Have you read?

Shock Wave Free Crochet Lap Blanket Pattern

This Free Shock Wave Crochet Lap Blanket Pattern from Mary Maxim looks like one of those wonderfully satisfying projects that gives big cozy payoff without fiddly detail. Mary Maxim lists it as a free download, designed as a crochet afghan/lap blanket, with a finished size of 45 x 50 inches.

What immediately stands out is the yarn choice. The pattern is made with Bernat Blanket Extra Thick, using 5 skeins, and calls for a U.S. U/50 (25 mm) crochet hook. That is gloriously chunky territory, which usually means fast progress and lots of squishy texture. If you are in the mood for a project that feels substantial in your hands and grows quickly row by row, this one definitely has that appeal.

Mary Maxim describes the blanket as having a beautifully textured, plush, soft finish and suggests it as a project for home décor or gifting. Based on the materials and oversized hook alone, that sounds about right. This feels like the sort of blanket you make for curling up on the couch, draping over a chair, or giving as a practical handmade gift that will actually get used instead of folded away “for best.”

The pattern is marked Easy, and the listed stitch requirements are straightforward: chain, repeat, double crochet, single crochet, and slip stitch. That makes it sound approachable for confident beginners and very appealing for anyone who wants a relaxing crochet project without too much counting drama.

I also think the lap blanket size is a smart one. Not every crochet blanket needs to become a giant commitment that takes over the lounge room and your will to live. A 45 x 50 inch blanket is a useful, manageable size for gifting, for wheelchairs or reading nooks, or just for keeping on hand for chilly evenings. That practicality gives this pattern extra appeal. The usability point is my own take based on the finished dimensions Mary Maxim provides.

At the moment, the pattern page shows no reviews, so there is not much customer feedback to go on yet. Still, if you enjoy easy crochet blanket patterns, super chunky crochet throws, or quick lap blanket projects, this one looks like a solid freebie to save.

My overall take? This looks like a fast, cozy, beginner-friendly crochet blanket pattern with plenty of texture and instant-gratification energy. Very much the sort of project you start because it looks easy, then keep going because the yarn feels ridiculously soft.