Warm Up America 2024 Crochet Blanket
Hi all! I wanted to share my process of making this blanket. I got this blanket pattern from a crochet challenge, and while I am not interested in particpating in the challenge itself (I don't like time deadlines for crafts), I do still plan to donate the finished blanket. The finished blanket will be donated to Warm Up America, and the information for the challenge and the pattern itself can be found on this blog post.
Warm Up America is a charity I first heard of a couple years back on a crochet podcast. If you are located in the US, and knit or crochet, I really recommend you check them out. There is plenty of info on the website, but they collect crochet and knitted blankets, hats, scarves, and such that are donated to them and then redristribute them to groups in need. This can be shelters, senior centers, foster care services, and much more.
You can also send in knit or crochet 7" by 9" rectangles that then can later be assembled into full blankets. This is an awesome way to use up scrap yarn! It is also great for those who want to contribute, but may not be able to make a full blanket. These squares are collected and shipped out to groups that sew them together to make blankets for those in need in their area. Even if you don't knit/crochet, you may be able to help sew together finished squares!
When I first heard of Warm Up America I made myself a cute little 7" by 9" cardboard cut out, so I could easily measure my rectangles, saved a box that was the perfect size to fill with finished squares, even starting making a couple... and then... uh oh.... ADHD moment. I came accross the pattern I will be using on Youtube and I really like it! I know that challenges tend to attract a lot of participants, but I have found time and time again that I don't care for crafting challenges and I hate putting myself on a time deadline. I will work on this blanket as my main project, but I am not going to push myself to finish it by the challenge deadline (I actually don't even know when it is, I tried not to look lol). I still do plan to donate the finished blanket to Warm Up America though!
I will occassionally post some pictures and updates of the process on here :] I don't know how often I will update, mostly just whenever I feel like I have something to say!
Crochet Challenge For Warm Up America 2024
Start/End: Feb 17, 2024/TBD
Craft: Crochet
Yarn Used:
- Red Heart Super Saver Ombre: in Violet, Jazzy, True Blue, and Deep Teal x1 each
- Lion Brand Pound of Love in Antique White x2
Hook Used: 5.0mm/H (Gauge is important in this pattern as they want all blankets to be similarly sized)
Pattern From: BHooked Crochet
Feb 19, 2024
I liked the ombre effect seen on the sample blanket, so I decided to get the same yarn! My Jo Ann only had these 4 colors, but I like them so that is okay. I also got two of the Pound of Love yarns in an off white. I have never actually bought one of these before. They look so big at the store, but they look even bigger once you get them home! It is bigger than my cat! I probably bought way more of the white than I needed to, but 1.) price wise it made more sense to buy this than buying a bunch of smaller ones with the sales going on and 2.) I can use the leftovers for other projects since it is such a universal color.
I enjoy the spiral texture in the center of these granny squares. I have never made something like this before. When during the first square I was worried I wasn't going to like it. They are a little finicky to make, but I actually really enjoy doing it. The pattern says you can break down making this pattern however you want. I am kinda working in chunks, one color at a time. I make all 7 center swirls, then add the white to make them into a square, then move on to the next color. I also could have done all the swirls and then all the white trim, but I think that would have been too much of the same thing all at once. I like the option for more or less repition.
I could block these if I was really determined, but I don't have a good set up for blocking granny squares, and the pattern writer says it really isn't necessary because attaching it to the rest of the blanket will stretch out the curling parts. You can make an easy granny square blocker from a dollar store pegboard, but mine always seems to be sold out of the pegboards!
Mar 7, 2024
Alrighty! All of my spiral squares for all 4 colors are completed. I needed 7 of each color. You can I never did end up blocking them. I was actually going to the dollar store the day I made my last post and was going to see about getting the supplies to make a blocker, but could not find a pegboard. Oh well, as you can see in my next photo, it truly isn't necessary.
You pick up stitches along the edges of your finished squares and then connect them in the corners. After finishing this first strip I am now realizing how big this finished blanket will be. I have only done throw blankets but I think this is meant to be like a twin sized sheet when it is done. I don't think there was any way I could have had this done in time for the challenge, which by the way ends to 20th, so just under two weeks from today. About a month from challenge start until end. Quite a lot of chrocheting if you ask me! I actually had to slow my roll the past two days because I started getting thumb pain!
Remember everyone, take hand pain very seriously! If your hobbies are hurting your hands, it doesn't mean slow down, it means stop! I was kinda grumbly I had to stop because I had just started watching a movie when I had a strange pain in my thumb. I stopped an let it rest for the rest of the movie. I did some stretches and I have some Thinking Putty I like to play with. This morning, two days later, the pain was gone and I was able to finish this first chevron strip, but I am still going to take it easy the next couple days. I am going to look at some hand stretches and exercises I can do and maybe make a printout of them to put somewhere on my wall to remind me!
May 30, 2024
So I might have uhhhh taken a break from this project. Two things happened 1.) I became really sick at the beginning of March. Found out I had Gastritis and I have might have some other GI related fuckery going on inside of me 2.) I got burnt out. On the very last row of the very last chevron. But don't worry about it, because I finally pushed through and made some progress. I actually had to do a little side project to get me into the crochet mood again, which you can check out here.
Yesterday I finally finished that very last row.
