Baby blanket revisited

I am pleased to report that I have made some progress with my baby blanket. After purchasing the ergonomic crochet hook, 0.5mm smaller than the one I had been using, I am finding it much easier going! My official review of the new hook is still to come, as promised. I do prefer the smaller holes that the stitches now produce and think it looks better, but am still not sure I love it.

I guess I haven't done too much yet and it is often hard to know in the early stages, but I do like the contrast between the greenish wool and the orangeish-pink one. My biggest difficulty now is that I am doing stripes and am struggling with knowing how big to make them. I don't like symmetrical stripes, as it ends up looking like a beach towel (especially with these colours), but if it is too random or weird, then I think it can look just that! I have only changed colour twice, and have done 8 rows of the orangey colour (plus cast on), then 5 green, and then 7 orange. I toyed with making the combined total of the two (alternate) rows of the same colour equal 15, so that there was some level of symmetry (which is the total of my orange rows so far, ie 8+7), which would mean that I now do 10 rows of green, but am not sure how this would look. I know this might sound like I am obsessing, but I think getting the right stripe ratio and colour balance is important! And I don't want to give the child nightmares!

I then remembered that once, when I made a huge poncho out of different types of orange wools (yes, I do have a thing for orange, which you would know if you read my recent list of 7 things about me), I mapped my stripes out visually, using different orange coloured pencils. I found this chart (I keep everything) and took a pic so you could share in my madness. (Oh dear, Stephanie is going  to love this! She already thinks I'm mental.)

I found this did help, as I could then visualise the effect. I might have a play with something like this and try out some combos first. Unlike my sister, greenolive, I HATE unraveling and trying different attempts (although this is attempt #4 ) if I can avoid it. I much prefer to have a strategy first! Doesn't sound very crafty though does it!

Please let me know your thoughts or experiences with non-symmetrical stripes or combining colour.

Comments

[greenolive]

Hmm, where you got that design technique from? I'd go for an odd number of rows in each stripe, and make sure they are obviously different widths. Eg, 8, 5, 11, 3, 7, etc. And, remember to just go with what looks good.

[Aunty Shabby]

Thanks G - will give it a go and of course, let you know! Are you claiming credit for my (at times dodgy) design techniques??!! Or are you saying that they are indeed dodgy??!!