The Art of Crochet Blankets: 18 Projects Inspired by Modern Makers

by Rachele Carmona

Overview

Discover a new source of inspiration for your crochet hook...the beautiful work of today's modern makers!
 
Follow popular crochet blanket designer Rachele Carmona through her unique collection of crochet blankets inspired by the work of popular independent artists. The Art of Crochet Blankets will help you create your own colorful crochet blankets as unique works of art for your home! Inside this one-of-a-kind crochet blanket guide you'll find:

   • Details on how to translate art to hook with 18 bold and unique crochet afghan patterns influenced by the works of their feature artist.
   • Modern quilts, fabric designs, tapestry weaving, digital art, and more become the source of one-of-a-kind projects for a more artful home.
   • Biographies and beautiful photos profiling 6 inspiring modern makers—Tula Pink, April Rhodes, Maryanne Moodie, Fransisco Valle, Maud Vantours, and Caitline Dowe-Sandes.
 Discover the inspiration that lies beyond the world of crochet with The Art of Crochet Blankets.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781632505736
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	11/13/2018
Pages:	144
Sales rank:	128,331
Product dimensions:	7.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.70(d)

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

Weaving

MARYANNE MOODIE

The Artist

Maryanne Moodie is an Australian textile artist and educator with a studio based in Brooklyn, New York. As an author and a self-proclaimed "fiber-obsessed" weaver, she explores the tradition of weaving and tapestry while playing with color, form, and texture to bring new life to an ancient art. She is very involved in the textile art community in New York and Australia and spends much of her time teaching the skill to others through workshops worldwide. Maryanne's work has been featured in New York magazine; Anthology; O, The Oprah Magazine; Grazia; Interwoven; and online on Design*Sponge and The Design Files.

The Inspiration

Loom weaving is as connected to the earth as petals to a flower, and it draws from the naturally occurring textured surfaces all around us: the dappled pastures of rolling meadows; the geometric striations of rock formations; the lines of a landscape against an orange sunset. The textured planes and contrasting colors in Maryanne's woven art remind me of these nature scenes, and I have designed the blankets for this chapter with them in mind.

To design these blankets, instead of creating an overall pattern as for a typical crocheted piece, I pictured the blanket vertically, with a definite top and bottom, and integrated asymmetric artistic elements that purposefully guide the eye down the piece. This method of designing a blanket from top to bottom is a direct by-product of examining the weaving process, which also focuses on vertical movement to construct an art piece.

Like a natural loom weaver, I also played with diverse textures to design these blankets. Each project is inspired by one of Maryanne's works and features a different way to crochet a woven stitch. Rolling Plains features springtime colors and gentle texture, including rows of puff stitches, which mimic the thicker fibers that Maryanne incorporates into her pieces. Rock Ridge combines a clay-like landscape with textural stony layers in linen stitch and a unique fringe trim. Sun and Sky is a fun piece that layers puff y white clouds over warm and cool basket-weave corner-to-corner patches.

ROLLING Plains

You'll fall in love with texture and color in this unique piece, inspired by Maryanne Moodie's weaving New World. With three identical panels constructed in a clever way, this is a fast make that will be perfect for gifting — and even better for keeping!

FINISHED SIZE

26 × 36" (66 × 91.5 cm).

YARN

DK weight (#3 light).

Shown here: Stylecraft Classique Cotton DK (100% cotton; 100 yd [92 m]/13/4 oz [50g]): #3674 Shrimp (A), 2 balls; #3097 Leaf (B), 1 ball; #3656 Toff ee (C), 1 ball; #3663 Soft Lime (D), 2 balls; #3665 Ivory (E), 3 balls; #3662 Sunflower (F), 1 ball; #3671 Azure (G), 2 balls; #3566 Teal (H), 1 ball; #3096 Dove (I), 1 ball.

HOOK

US size G-6 (4.25 mm) hook.

Adjust hook size if necessary to achieve gauge.

NOTIONS

Stitch markers; tapestry needle.

GAUGE

6 V-sts and 7 rows = 4" (10 cm), in the V-st pattern of Section 1a.

STITCH GUIDE

Puff st

(Yo, insert hook in st/sp indicated, yo, draw up loop) 4 times, yo, draw yarn through all loops on hook. Note: Only ch 1 after the puff st if directed in the pattern.

Panel 1

Section 1a

Row 1: (WS) With A, ch 43, dc in 5th ch from hook (turning ch counts as a dc, sk 1 ch), (ch 1, dc2tog as follows: yo, insert hook in same ch as prev st, yo, pull up lp, yo, draw yarn through 2 lps on hook, yo, sk next ch, insert hook in next ch, yo, pull up lp, yo, draw yarn through 2 lps on hook, yo, draw yarn through all 3 lps on hook) 9 times, ch 1, dc in same ch as prev st, sk 2 chs, [(puff st [see Stitch Guide], ch 2, puff st) in next ch, sk 2 chs] 3 times, ch 1, dc in next ch, [ch 1, dc2tog as before] 3 times, ch 1, dc in same ch as prev st, sk next st, dc in last ch, turn.

Row 2: Beg dc (see Glossary) in first st, dc in next ch-sp, (ch 1, dc2tog as follows here and throughout the rem of the section: yo, insert hook in same ch-sp as prev st, yo, pull up lp, yo, draw yarn through 2 lps on hook, yo, insert hook in next ch-sp, yo, pull up lp, yo, draw yarn through 2 lps on hook, yo, draw yarn through all 3 lps on hook) 3 times, ch 1, dc in same st as prev st, (puff st, ch 2, puff st) in each of next 3 ch-sps, ch 1, dc in next ch-sp, (ch 1, dc2tog as before) 9 times, ch 1, dc in same ch-sp as prev st, dc in last st, turn.

Row 3: Beg dc in first st, dc in each of next 2 ch-sps, [ch 1, dc2tog as before] 8 times, ch 1, dc in same ch-sp as prev st, (puff st, ch 2, puff st) in each of next 3 ch-sps, ch 1, dc in next ch-sp, [ch 1, dc2tog] 3 times, ch 1, dc in same ch-sp as prev st, dc in last st, turn.

Row 4: Beg dc, dc in first ch-sp, (ch 1, dc2tog) 3 times, ch 1, dc in same ch-sp as prev st, (puff st, ch 2, puff st) in each of next 3 ch-sps, ch 1, dc in next ch-sp, [ch 1, dc2tog] 7 times, ch 1, work ending dec as follows: yo, insert hook in next ch-sp, yo, pull up lp, yo, draw yarn through 2 lps on hook, yo, sk next dc, insert hook in next dc, yo, pull up lp, yo, draw yarn through 2 lps on hook, yo, draw yarn through all 3 lps on hook, leave Beg dc unworked, turn.

Row 5: Beg dc in ending dec, dc in next 2 ch-sps, [ch 1, dc2tog] 6 times, ch 1, dc in same ch-sp as prev st, (puff st, ch 2, puff st) in each of next 3 ch-sps, ch 1, dc in next ch-sp, [ch 1, dc2tog] 3 times, ch 1, dc in same ch-sp as prev st, dc in last st, turn.

Row 6: Beg dc in first st, dc in first ch-sp, [ch 1, dc2tog] 3 times, ch 1, dc in same ch-sp as prev st, (puff st, ch 2, puff st) in each of next 3 ch-sps, ch 1, dc in next ch-sp, [ch 1, dc2tog] 5 times, ch 1, work ending dec, turn.

Row 7: Beg dc in ending dec, dc in each of next 2 ch-sps, [ch 1, dc2tog] 4 times, ch 1, dc in same ch-sp as prev st, (puff st, ch 2, puff st) in each of next 3 ch-sps, ch 1, dc in next ch-sp, [ch 1, dc2tog] 3 times, ch 1, dc in same ch-sp as prev st, dc in last st, turn.

Row 8: Beg dc in first st, dc in first ch-sp, [ch 1, dc2tog] 3 times, ch 1, dc in same ch-sp as prev st, (puff st, ch 2, puff st) in each of next 3 ch-sps, ch 1, dc in next ch-sp, [ch 1, dc2tog] 3 times, ch 1, work ending dec, turn.

Row 9: Beg dc in ending dec, dc in next 2 ch-sps, [ch 1, dc2tog] twice, ch 1, dc in same ch-sp as prev st, (puff st, ch 2, puff st) in each of next 3 ch-sps, ch 1, dc in next ch-sp, [ch 1, dc2tog] 3 times, ch 1, dc in same ch-sp as prev st, dc in last st, turn.

Row 10: Beg dc in first st, dc in first ch-sp, [ch 1, dc2tog] 3 times, ch 1, dc in same ch-sp as prev st, (puff st, ch 2, puff st) in each of next 3 ch-sps, ch 1, dc in next ch-sp, ch 1, dc2tog, ch 1, work ending dec, turn.

Row 11: Beg dc in ending dec, dc in next 2 ch-sps, ch 1, dc in same ch-sp as prev st, (puff st, ch 2, puff st) in each of next 3 ch-sps, ch 1, dc in next ch-sp, [ch 1, dc2tog] 3 times, ch 1, dc in same ch-sp as prev st, dc in last st, turn.

Row 12: Beg dc in first st, dc in first ch-sp, [ch 1, dc2tog] 3 times, ch 1, dc in same ch-sp as prev st, (puff st, ch 2, puff st) in next 3 ch-sps, ch 1, work ending dec, turn.

Row 13: Beg dc in ending dec, (puff st, ch 2, puff st) in next 3 ch-sps, ch 1, dc in next ch-sp, [ch 1, dc2tog] 3 times, ch 1, dc in same ch-sp as prev st, dc in last st, turn.

Row 14: Beg dc, dc in first ch-sp, [ch 1, dc2tog] 3 times, ch 1, dc in same ch-sp as prev st, (puff st, ch 2, puff st) in each of next 2 ch-sps, puff st in next ch-sp, ch 1, dc in Beg dc, turn.

Row 15: Beg dc in first st, dc in next puff st, (puff st, ch 2, puff st) in each of next 2 ch-sps, ch 1, dc in next ch-sp, [ch 1, dc2tog] 3 times, ch 1, dc in same ch-sp as prev st, dc in last st, turn.

Row 16: Beg dc in first st, dc in first ch-sp, [ch 1, dc2tog] 3 times, ch 1, dc in same ch-sp as prev st, (puff st, ch 2, puff st) in next ch-sp, puff st in next ch-sp, ch 1, dc in next dc, turn, leaving Beg dc unworked.

Row 17: Beg dc in first st, dc in next puff st, (puff st, ch 2, puff st) in next ch-sp, ch 1, dc in next ch-sp, [ch 1, dc2tog] 3 times, ch 1, dc in same ch-sp as prev st, dc in last st, turn.

Row 18: Beg dc in first st, dc in first ch-sp, [ch 1, dc2tog] 3 times, ch 1, dc in same ch-sp as prev st, puff st in next ch-sp, ch 1, dc in last st, turn.

Row 19: Beg dc in first st, dc in next puff st, dc in next ch-sp, [ch 1, dc2tog] 3 times, ch 1, dc in same ch-sp as prev st, dc in last st, turn.

Row 20: Beg dc in first st, dc in first ch-sp, [ch 1, dc2tog] twice, ch 1, dc in same ch-sp as prev st, work ending dec, turn.

Row 21: Beg dc in first st, dc in each of next 2 ch-sps, dc2tog, ch 1, dc in same ch-sp as prev st, dc in last st, turn.

Row 22: Beg dc in first st, dc in next ch-sp, ch 1, dc in same ch-sp as prev st, work ending dec, turn.

Row 23: Beg dc in first st, dc in next ch-sp, dc in last st, turn.

Row 24: Beg dc in first st, dc in next dc, ch 1 and pull ch closed to secure last st. Do not fasten off.

Border rnd: (RS) 3 sc in last st, work 53 sc evenly spaced across long diagonal, 2 sc in top side of dc from Row 2, 3 sc in corner, work 39 sc evenly spaced across bottom edge to next corner, 3 sc in next corner, work 47 sc evenly spaced across to beg, sl st in first st. Fasten off.

Section 1b

Rows 1–24: Work as for Section 1a. Note: Row 1 is RS. Do not fasten off.

Border rnd: (RS) Turn work, 3 sc in last st, work 47 sc evenly spaced across left side to next corner, 3 sc in corner, work 39 sc evenly spaced across bottom edge to next corner, 3 sc in corner, sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in top side of dc from Row 2, work 53 sc evenly spaced across long diagonal to beg, sl st in first st. Fasten off.

Section 2

Row 1: Lay Section 1a and Section 1b out with RS facing as shown in Schematic, locate the long diagonal of Section 1a, and find the 2 sc at the top. Starting at the beginning of the 53 sc sts, count 28 sts down and mark that st. Do the same for Section 1b. Using B, sl st in the marked st on Section 1b, and remove marker, sc in the same st, and sc in the following 27 sts, starting in the st right before the 53 sc diagonal of Section 1a, sc in the first 28 sts, placing the final sc in the marked st, removing marker, turn.

Row 2: Beg dc in first st, dc in all sts to final 2 sts of Section 1a, dc4tog (see Glossary) over next 4 sts, dc in all sts to end, turn.

Row 3: Beg dc in first st, (ch 1, sk next st, dc in next st) across to 3 sts before center dec, ch 1, sk next st, dc5tog (see Glossary) over next 5 sts, (ch 1, sk next st, dc in next st) across to end, turn.

Rows 4–6: Beg dc, dc in all sts/sps to final dc before center dec, dc5tog over next 5 sts, dc in each st and sp across, turn.

Rows 7–14: Rep Rows 3–6 (twice).

Row 15: Beg dc in first st, dc4tog over next 4 sts. Fasten off.

Border row: With RS facing, locate the sc on Section 1b that is just before the first st of Section 2, Row 1. This is the 27th sc down on the long diagonal. Join B with a sl st in that st, sc in the side of the first sc of Row 1, work 25 sc evenly spaced across Section 2 to the next dc4tog, 3 sc in dc4tog, mark the center sc of this corner, work 26 sc evenly spaced across next side, sl st in the next sc on Section 1a located just after the last st of Section 2, Row 1. Fasten off.

Section 3a

Row 1: With RS facing, join C with a sl st in 2nd sc from marked st at center top of Section 2, sc in same st, work 25 sc evenly spaced across side of Section 2, work 26 sc evenly spaced across side of Section 1a, ending 1 st before the 2 sc increase at the top of the long diagonal, turn.

Row 2: Beg dc3tog (see Glossary) over first 3 sts, dc in each of next 8 sts, sk next 2 sts, (puff st, ch 2, puff st) in next st, ch 1, sk next 2 sts, dc in each of next 8 sts, dc4tog over next 4 sts, dc in each of next 8 sts, sk next 2 sts, (puff st, ch 2, puff st) in next st, sk next 2 sts, dc in each of next 8 sts, dc3tog (see Glossary) over last 3 sts, turn.

Row 3: Beg dc3tog over first 3 sts, dc in each dc across to next puff st, (puff st, ch 2, puff st) in next ch-2 sp, ch 1, dc in each dc across to 2 sts before center dec, dc5tog over next 5 sts, dc in each dc across to next puff st, (puff st, ch 2, puff st) in next ch-sp, ch 1, dc in each dc across to last 3 sts, dc3tog over last 3 sts, turn.

Rows 4–6: Rep Row 3.

Row 7: Beg dc in first st, (puff st, ch 2, puff st) in each of next 2 ch-sps, turn.

Row 8: Beg dc in first st, sc in each of next 2 ch-2 sps, dc in last st. Fasten off.

Border row: With RS facing, join C with a sl st in sc on Section 2 that is located just before the first sc of Section 3a, Row 1, work 44 sc evenly spaced across the top edge of Section 3a, sl st in the sc on Section 1a that is located just after the final sc of Section 3a, Row 1. Fasten off.

Section 3b

Row 1: With RS facing, join C with a sl st in 26th sc on left side of Section 1b above junction with Section 2, sc in same st, sc 25 sts across side of Section 1b, sc 26 sts across side of Section 2, turn.

Complete same as Section 3a.

Panel border rnd: With RS facing, join E with a sl st in any corner st, *3 sc in same st, sc evenly across to next corner (working a multiple of 4 sts); rep from * around, join with a sl st in first sc. Fasten off.

Panel 2

Work as for Panel 1, working Sections 1a and 1b with D; Section 2 with E; Sections 3a and 3b with F; and Panel border with E.

Panel 3

Work as for Panel 1, working Sections 1a and 1b with G; Section 2 with H; Sections 3a and 3b with I; and Panel border with E.

Join Panels

Lay panels out as shown in Schematic. Hold the first two panels with WS together, and with E, sl st through back loops of both panels to join them, sl st in back loops only across. Fasten off. Rep for next joining edge.

Work the Border

Rnd 1: With RS facing, join E with a sl st in any corner st, *3 sc in same st, sc evenly across to next corner (working a multiple of 4 sts); rep from * around, join with a sl st in first sc. Fasten off.

Note: Be sure opposing sides have equal number of sts.

Rnd 2: Sl st in corner sc, (Beg dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in corner st, *dc in each st across to next corner**, (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in next corner st; rep from * around, ending last rep at **, dc in first corner to complete it, join with a sl st in top of Beg dc.

Rnd 3: Sl st in next corner ch-sp, (Beg dc, ch 3, sc in prev dc for picot, 2 dc) in corner st, *sk next st, (dc, ch 3, puff st around previous dc, sk 3 sts) across to last 2 sts before corner**, (2 dc, ch 3, sl st in last dc for picot, 2 dc) in corner st; rep from * around, ending last rep at **, dc in first corner to complete it, join with a sl st in Beg dc. Fasten off.

ROCK Ridge

A combination of a simple woven stitch with the varying textures of bobbles and fringe makes this the perfect "tummy time" blanket. Picking up on the colors, fringe, and textures of Blush Gold by Maryanne Moodie, this cuddly blanket echos Moodie's distinctive weaving style.

FINISHED SIZE

32 × 36" (81 × 91.5 cm) — excluding 6" (15 cm) fringe along bottom edge.

YARN

Fingering weight (#2 fine).

Shown here: Scheepjes Catona Denim (100% cotton; 136 yd [125 m]/13/4 oz [50 g]): #130 (A), 4 balls; #131 (B), 4 balls; #124 (C), 2 balls; #192 (D), 2 balls; #102 (E), 2 balls.

Bulky Weight #5

Shown here: Scheepjes Roma Big (100% acrylic; 144 yd [132 m]/73/4 oz [220 g]): #56 (F), 1 ball; #2 (G), 1 ball; #1 (H), 2 balls.

HOOKS

US size H-8 (5 mm) hook.

US size I-9 (5.5 mm) hook.

US size M-13 (9 mm) hook.

Adjust hook size if necessary to achieve gauge.

NOTIONS

Tapestry needle.

GAUGE

15 sts and 14 rows = 4" (10 cm) in linen stitch using size H-8 (5 mm) hook, with 2 strands of fingering-weight yarn held double.

STITCH GUIDE

Slip-stitch join

With right sides together (on wrong side of piece), join blocks together with sl st through back loops only.

Bobble

Yo, insert hook in indicated sp, yo, pull up loop, yo, draw yarn through 2 loops on hook) 4 times, yo, draw yarn through all 5 loops on hook.

Row 1: (RS) With 2 strands of A held together as one and size H-8 (5 mm) hook, ch 119, sc in 3rd ch from hook (this turning ch counts as 1 sc), sc in each ch across, turn — 118 sc.

Row 2: *Ch 1, sk next sc, sc in next sc; rep from * across, turn.

Row 3: *Ch 1, sc in next ch-sp; rep from * across, turn.

Rep Row 3 for Linen Stitch Pattern.

Row 4: Work in Linen Stitch Pattern to final st, change to B by pulling B through during final yo of sc st, turn. Drop A to WS to be picked up later. Do not carry yarn under work.

Switch to size I-9 (5.5 mm) hook for the remainder of the fingering-weight yarn portions of the pattern.

(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "The Art of Crochet Blankets"
by .
Copyright © 2018 Rachele Carmona.
Excerpted by permission of F+W Media, Inc..
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION, 4,
1: WEAVING MARYANNE MOODIE, 6,
2: DIGITAL ART FRANCISCO VALLE, 24,
3: FABRIC DESIGN APRIL RHODES, 46,
4: PAPER CUTTING MAUD VANTOURS, 72,
5: CEMENT TILE CAITLIN DOWE-SANDES, 92,
6: QUILTING TULA PINK, 112,
TECHNIQUES, 136,
ABBREVIATIONS, 140,
GLOSSARY, 141,
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS, 142,
ABOUT THE AUTHOR, 143,
YARN RESOURCES, 143,