Wool Eater Blanket Crochetalong

[t1g3rl1ly]

Anyone want to join me? I'm making this for my best friend's baby as a Christmas present...

http://sarah-london.blogspot.com/2007/11/wool-eater-blanket.html

I'm using Plymouth Yarn Encore DK in turquoise, light blue, green, and beige.

[sactownsue]

I like that pattern. But now is not a good time for me to be making a baby blanket.

[RebelTrendsetter]

That is very cute! I'm going to have to bookmark this, i know my mom would just love one of these for christmas so i gotta start soon!

[bubblegum_phoenix]

why is it called the wool eater? looks cute, might give it a go, just need more wool first 

[ZellaBella]

so in when i can afford more yarn! i am suprised someone else wants to do this

[ZellaBella]

why is it called the wool eater? looks cute, might give it a go, just need more wool first 

i think cause you go through the yarn fast since it's 8ply and double trebbles

[bubblegum_phoenix]

lol, ok makes sence. Might give it a go after Christmas, Im crocheting up a stort as it is, and have more UFOs that sence lol

[t1g3rl1ly]

so in when i can afford more yarn!

It may be on the designer's page, or maybe Ravelry, but someone's making it in Caron Simply Brights. Cheap and really saturated colors; it's beautiful!

[dotsamantha]

I love love this blanket! It's a definite on the future project list.

[Amie_C]

I would love to make this, I just need to wait until Christmas break before I start anything new.

[t1g3rl1ly]

Well I've done another couple of rounds so I thought I'd post a new picture. I hate weaving in ends, so every few rounds, I'm trying to stop and weave some in. So far it's working!

[bubblegum_phoenix]

oh wow... that looks awesome. Ive printed the pattern out, all I have to do it get some yarn and Im away

[t1g3rl1ly]

oh wow... that looks awesome. Ive printed the pattern out, all I have to do it get some yarn and Im away

What colors are you going to use?

[bubblegum_phoenix]

Im thinking red black and white. Going to use it as a 'cuddle rug' for my couch. I have a tendency to drift off when Im warm and comfy (and tired) and my partner has to drag a duvet off one of the spare beds  so this should be easier for him. My only worry is the yarn Im thinking of is acrylic  but Im not all that keen on buying tons of nice soft yarn just for me  gets a bit pricey. Got any hints on how to make it softer or will the stitch style keep it from getting too bad?

[t1g3rl1ly]

I don't blame you for wanting to use acrylic because of cost. If you crochet tightly, you could go up a hook size so the blanket isn't so compact and rigid. I think that might help the softness factor. I've done blankets in acrylic before and they wash up ok after a couple washes. If you could find acrylic baby yarns, they always seem to be softer - though I don't know if it's possible to find that type of yarn in those colors!

[t1g3rl1ly]

I've been workin on this blanket nonstop, it seems. It goes by really quickly! I'd say I'm about 75% done.

[bubblegum_phoenix]

lol, my stitches are normally very tight, I learnt to make toys before anything else (even though I was/am doing a scarf along  so now my poor scarf is all different widths, adds character  ) so Ill possibly go up a hook size anyway. Plus, bigger the hook the faster it grows  .
t1g3rl1ly that looks so cool  cant wait to start, but have to finish Christmas crochet first... although could make someone a blanket.... lmao 

[mwagen]

Ohh, that looks so good! I might have to try that pattern. One question though, is the pattern written in US or UK terms?

[bubblegum_phoenix]

Uk/Auzzy, but it has a key so you can read it in American too

[mwagen]

Cool thanks. I;m an aussie, but I learn to crochet through american books, so I don't really get UK/Aussie crocheting terms

[bubblegum_phoenix]

lol, Im a Kiwi and am the same, confuses the heck out of my family when I try to explain a pattern to them 

[t1g3rl1ly]

Well i haven't done a very good job of keeping this CAL going 

BUT I did finish! I took about a month break from crochet, but it's a very quick project. Here's some pics I've been meaning to post. Did anyone else start?

[smrfchic]

I am begging someone to please rewrite it with US terms, please, please, please! It looks like a lovely blanket, and I have a TON of acrylic that I need to use up!

[mwagen]

If it helps, to 'translate' a crochet pattern from UK to USA you need to use the next stitch down. So if a UK pattern calls for a dc, it means sc.

So in a UK pattern

sc= slip stitch
dc= single crochet
htr= half double crochet
tr= double crochet
dtr= triple crochet
trtr= double triple crochet

Does this help at all?

[smrfchic]

Yeah, I've seen the charts that compare the stitches, but I was hoping someone had already taken the time to rewrite it without the substitutions... otherwise I will endlessly be confusing myself. :-D

[mwagen]

Well, I'm pretty sure that the wool eater only uses two stitches, chain and what is written as double treble, which makes it triples all the way through, or yarn over twice.

So the first row would go from this:
1st row: * 5 chain, 4 double treble into ring, leaving all loops on hook, now pull wool through all 5 loops (1 cluny group made), 5 chain, slip stitch into ring. Rep from * 3 more times, (4 cluny groups made).

to this:
1st row: * 5 chain, 4 triple into ring, leaving all loops on hook, now pull wool through all 5 loops (1 cluny group made), 5 chain, slip stitch into ring. Rep from * 3 more times, (4 cluny groups made).

YOu might want to check out http://sarah-london.blogspot.com/2008/07/crochet-terminology.html as well
I can probably email the rest to you if it still doesn't make sense, but I'd like to get permission from the author of the pattern first 

[t1g3rl1ly]

Well, I'm pretty sure that the wool eater only uses two stitches, chain and what is written as double treble, which makes it triples all the way through, or yarn over twice.

You got it, mwagen! Sometimes you make a cluny group and sometimes you do separate triples (without leaving all loops on the hook). As you read the directions pay attention to the corners, because you end up doing 12 stitches in them as opposed to the sides, where you only do 8 stitches.

[smrfchic]

I ended up pasting the instructions into word and had it sub out every double treble for treble... easy peasy!  Much easier to read.

I am using up some leftover acrylic (way, way, way leftover, I had these over at my mom's house so they're at least 15+ years old), and bought some "soft raspberry" Red Heart to round out the colors:


That was my progress as of last night before I went to bed... I am on the 2nd row of the variegated now.  This definitely uses up a lot of yarn though, I am almost through a whole skein of the variegated already, LOL!!

[playswithneedles]

I really like this pattern, I may have to try it. Would someone be able and willing to post a pic of the wrong side, I'm curious as to what it looks like! Thanks 

[smrfchic]

I really like this pattern, I may have to try it. Would someone be able and willing to post a pic of the wrong side, I'm curious as to what it looks like! Thanks 

There's a pic of the back of it in her Flickr group:
http://flickr.com/photos/tonyadoughty/2290143833/in/pool-795003@N25

[playswithneedles]

Thanks - wow that is beautiful. I love patterns like that - each side is so different and beautiful in their own way. I would have a hard time picking which side to be up! hmmm, may have to try this one.....

[madamq]

This looks like a beautiful blanket!

I would love to make one of these!
I am, however, in the process of making 3 other blankets at the moment, so I'll def try whenever I can get around to it!!

[Luckylilcraftergal]

Ohh I started this blanket I'll get pics of what I got so far!!