My Freo tartan blanket

PLEASE NOTE that I am absolutely uninterested in hearing how I made this in the wrong colours.
It's also designed with the Freo AFL strip specifically in mind.

If you want to try this with other colours, keep in mind that they may look funny from a distance (eg blue and yellow might look green, which is why you should consider adding white)

THIS IS MY PATTERN. I designed it myself.
If you decide to share, I'd prefer a linkback to this post rather than a copy/paste, and it would be very nice if you could credit me (Toni Laws) as the designer when sharing pictures of your finished work.

Right, now that all the nasty business is out of the way, let's get to hooking!

If you haven't made a crocheted tartan blanket before, it looks amazingly complicated and is about the easiest blanket in the world to make.

I've used a 5mm hook and Paintbox Simply Aran, in
248 dark purple
200 white
I used about 10 skeins of purple and 7 of white.
It's a nice soft acrylic, and the ply is quite thick (feels like a 10 ply)

This blanket is big. If you wanted a smaller lap blanket, just use a smaller ply yarn (a small 8 ply or even 6ply, if you can get it in the right purple)

Paintbox is about $3.30 for a 184m skein, which makes it a good price, and you can get it at

www.lovecrochet.com

I use US terms, and here is a comparison chart if you prefer UK terms:

The blanket is done in 2 halves. 

The first part is to make the basic filet mesh, which is simply made from

a US double crochet and chain.
The second part is to weave long lengths of yarn vertically through the spaces, which forms the tartan.

Please watch this YouTube video to see the technique to create a basic filet mesh.

To create the blanket I've made, which measures about 160x160 cm, use this video technique and these instructions to create the basic mesh.

ch 250 in dark purple

1. 1 dc (double crochet) in 6th chain from hook.
*ch 1, sk 1, dc in the next ch.
rep from * to end.

PLEASE NOW CHECK YOU HAVE 123 SPACES.

2. ch 4, sk 1 ch sp, dc in next dc.
*ch 1, sk 1, 1 dc in next dc
rep from * to end, working last dc in the ch3 at the beg of the previous row.

3. ch 4, turn, sk 1, dc in next dc.
*ch 1, sk 1, dc in next dc.
Rep from * to end, working last dc in top of ch 3 from beg of previous row.

You will repeat row 3 till you have finished the blanket.
The only changes you will make are changing colours. This is always done at the end of a row.

To change colours, finish the row and end off the yarn. Start the new row in your new colour.
Every few rows, get into the habit of counting your spaces, making sure you always have 123. It is possible to make a mistake and skip a space, which will ruin the blanket.

The colour pattern is as follows:

15 rows of purple

5 rows of white
3 rows of purple
5 rows of white
3 rows of purple
5 rows of white

15 rows of purple

5 rows of white
3 rows of purple
**5 rows of white** HALFWAY THERE!
3 rows of purple
5 rows of white

15 rows of purple

5 rows of white
3 rows of purple
5 rows of white
3 rows of purple
5 rows of white

15 rows of purple

Now congratulate yourself, because the hardest part is over.

Get a bottle of wine, load up something good on Netflix, and start darning those ends in.

When your basic mesh is all tidied up, clear the table and lay it down so the stripes are running vertically to you.
Starting at the corner, you're going to weave long lengths of yarn through each of the rows of chain spaces, at right angles to the stripes of the mesh.

Please watch this YouTube video to see how the technique is done.

You will follow the same colour pattern as for the basic filet mesh (15 rows of purple, 5 of white etc) but instead of crocheting those, you are going to use 3 long lengths of yarn to form each row.

I use a piece of scrap yarn in a different colour (hot pink will work well).
It needs to be loosely measured as long as the blanket, plus a bit for weaving, plus a bit for a knot at each end, plus a few inches for a fringe at each end.
This will give you the length you can use to measure all your purple and white lengths. Better to have too much than too little.

Cut 3 pieces of purple to length, then use your crochet hook, a BLUNT ENDED needle, a safety pin or a bodkin to begin weaving, and use the technique Tanis describes in the video above.
The next row will alternate, and you'll begin to see the weaving effect right away.

You need to do the weaving on a flat surface, to ensure your tension is kept even.
The blanket might start to look a little bit bowed but don't worry, as long as you keep it flat while you're working, it will even out as you go.

When you have all the weaving done, you can knot the fringe.
Then carefully trim the fringe, a little at a time. The yarn is quite springy, and it's very easy to cut too much off, so go slowly.

And that's it! You're done!
This has probably taken you a long time, so you can feel really proud of yourself for finishing it.
Kick back on the couch and snuggle under your lovely warm FREO blanket!
#foreverfreo #purplearmy #ibleed purple