Ice Creams Down by the Sea

This is the title of my latest finished crochet blanket.

I thoroughly enjoyed Eleonora Tully’s recent Crochet Along, ‘Down by the Sea’

Her design uses a few new techniques which have been fun to try and I was inspired to make a few alterations.

I tried Eleonora’s way of representing the balustrades found at seaside resorts,

but they didn’t go with the dreamy quality of the ‘atmosphere’ of the blanket. Can a blanket have an atmosphere?

I wondered if they would look better in pastel colours, but after a couple of days of looking at it, I realised it was the pointiness of the zig-zags that didn’t sit happily in my version and so I changed them for the waves. I also added a picot on top of each ice creamdid two more stripes in the ‘parasols’ and added an extra row of granny stitches to each side to give the blanket a little more width. Ta Dah!

Made with Stylecraft Special Double Knit and various sized hooks.

8 Colours: Cream, white, toy, clematis, powder pink, duck egg, storm blue, lincoln

Down by the Sea

Another Crochet Along started whilst I was making the Flamingo inspired Virtue blanket.

This one by Eleonora of Coastal Crochet

Resistance, as they say, was useless.

Eleonora’s colour ways are sunny and bright, but as soon as I saw the pattern, I saw it in ice cream colours and then just had to make it.

The pattern is so clever. There is Tunisian crochet made on an ordinary hook in the centre, and there are hook size changes to accommodate different techniques. I am very aware of how much trial, error, unpicking and time that must have gone into creating this pattern.

In order to create the verticle stripes there are chains across the back, and because I chose to make them in two colours my chains are longer and create a thick woven look on the back. If one wanted to create a blanket to keep out the cold, this would be an excellent stitch to choose. I might catch them down at the back once the blanket is finished if I feel that the long chains would be a nuisance in use.

As the green strands became longer to get round the corners, I did the rows on each side separately

I am posting progress photos on Instagram

Made with Stylecraft Special DK

Colours: Cream, White, Toy, Powder Pink, Clematis, Duck Egg, Storm Blue, Lincoln.