I’ve had the goal of making a patchwork crochet blanket for ages, but have always been scared off by the amount of yarn ends. However, almost a year ago, I won a giveaway by my local yarn shop (The Fibre Nook) for a Catona Colour Pack and I knew a blanket would be the only way to do justice to all the colours. So here I am, slowly chipping away at my hexagons.

• 1 set of Scheepjes Catona Colour Pack – a fingering weight (1) yarn
• Size E (3.50mm) hook

Pattern by Kirsten at Haak Maar Raak

At first I considered making my own colour combinations, but once I sat down with all 109 colours, I immediately felt overwhelmed. I couldn’t even decide what ‘rainbow order’ would look like for the set, and I’ve never had that problem with organizing something before! As a result, I’m using the exact combinations described by Kirsten, and slowly working through the list. I’m still undecided whether I like higher contrast or lower contrast hexagons better, and the picture below definitely doesn’t do the Catona colours justice.

These hexagons have been a lot of fun to make because of the three-dimensional element that the back-post stitches create. The ‘flower petals’ are raised, and I think it creates a lot more interest in the design of the blanket. I still don’t quite understand the joining process, but I figure I have some time before I get to that step. After all, I’m not that far into my 182 hexagons yet.

I know I said last year that I was going to make a lockdown blanket, but I ran out of the right yarn, so it’s been abandoned. I was considering repurposing the squares into coasters or wipes, but I’ll have to keep thinking about it. This attempt is going a lot better, mostly because I feel like I already committed by gathering all the right yarn. I was always using bits and pieces for the other blanket, and it never felt like I built up enough momentum to reach the finish line.

As a side note, it feels good to be crocheting. It seems like I’ve been doing nothing but knitting for a few months now, and it’s fun to get back into what really sparked this blog in the first place. I also like that this pattern is so small that I can throw it into a project bag and sneak in a few stitches in on the go. At any rate, I’m glad that I finally took the plunge into a patchwork quilt, and so far, I don’t mind the ends! I’ve been weaving as I go, which I think helps. I will have to keep you updated on this project as it goes, but I’m hoping to finish by the end of the summer.

Until next time, happy crafting!