Seeking Advice on HUGE Blanket

[Keiyla]

I hope this is the right forum for this question!

When a friend found out I crochet blankets, and asked for one, I said "Sure!" I was delighted to be asked.

After a bit loose translation from the "foreign language" I used to query his preferences, I figured out that wants it to be thick and heavy, in dark green(s) and dark blue(s). Then came the kicker: he wants it to fit on his King-sized bed.

Looking up King comforter sizes, I discovered that a King size blanket would have to be 104" x 88". My hyterical laughter alarmed him a little bit, I think.

If there is a pattern out there for a blanket that size, I can't find it.

SO, I'm hoping for advice on what to do about this monstrosity my very good friend has requested. I sort of thought maybe a 2-strand Homespun ripple-type with a Q hook? Or maybe I should go with some nice, manageable squares? Help...!

My next problem is with the choice of Homespun as the soft, thick yarn: it doesn't appear to HAVE any dark greens, at least, not listed on the Lion Brand site. Am I mistaken?

[Samio]

Hi

I have made one for a Queensize bed before. There was no way that I could have made it in one piece, so I ended up making it in 4 panels and then joined together, and it turned out really well. I will try and post a picture tomorrow for you. AS to the type of yarn, I am not sure as I do not have a great knowledge of the US brands of yarn. I used an 8 ply which is believe is the same as your worted weight. Hope this helps a little bit

Good Luck

[AuntyM]

LB Homespun has a color called "Country" which is a hunter green. It is solid color and doesn't have the shade variations that some of the other LB Homespun colors have.

The price ranges from $4-$5 per skein.
For a king-size bed, the price for just the yarn would be very, very expensive. I'm guessing you would need probably 20 skeins or more.

[Colyak Crocheter]

I've made 4 king size afghans and they do take a long time doing them in one piece. I made mine all in Red Heart Super Saver and they are plenty heavy enough. The request I hear the most from people is that they want them made with stitches that don't leave holes that their toes and fingers can go through.

You might consider doing it in strips, like a mile-a-minute pattern. You wouldn't have as many strips to put together as you would with squares.
It's just a thought. Good luck with it! :cheer

[antara]

If you're comfortable with graphs and don't mind piecing squares, Woven N Spun has some beautiful quilt-block patterns at her website, here. (http://www.wovenspun.com/indexmain.htm) Just go to "Free Patterns," then scroll down to "Graph Patterns."

[benee16]

I would definately do it in either strips or maybe 9 or 12 squares to make sewing manageable. Homespun would be good because it is lighter, and has interesting colors. I'd definately double strand it and use Q and instead of changing the stitches, I'd use 2 or 3 colors. Homespun is such a pain to work with sometimes.
Post a picture when you finish.
Denise

[funkyreporter]

OH, until I joined this forum I thought I was the only crazy one out there who had made a king-sized crochet afghan! Cool!

I made mine when I was young and stupid (as opposed to old and stupid?) using the fattest hook I could find, probably Q, and I held two strands together, one strand of Homespun in a burgandy shade (don't even know what the color was called) and the other strand I used some sort of burgandy SuperSaver. It had an interesting effect in that you really only 'see' the Homespun, yet I didn't pay DOUBLE the price that I would have if I'd used both strands Homespun. I went along in loooonnnggggg strips with the two together for about a foot, then I would do a couple inches of two strands of just the SS... it took about three months total and became VERY cumbersome at about the three-quarter point... I literally had to put it aside and it sat here as a UFO during the summer months, then I came back to it and finished when the weather cooled.

If I were going to do another that large I would probably do the Mile-a-Minute strip type, as it just felt endless...

I did use a looser stitch, but it's so darn thick that your toes don't really go through it, nor does air seem to pass through the holes. It's a favorite of ours now as the whole family can climb under it on the couch!

[donnalynn2]

Some of us are doing the Sampler Stripes CAL and it is huge! Mine fits my king sized bed beautifully and was super simple to do.

The pattern does call for you to make 2 panels and sew them together. I hate sewing so made mine in all one piece. It was definately awkward turning this huge blanket at the end of each row but I preferred this to sewing 2 pieces together.

Here's a link (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c343/donnalynn2/Website%20Pics/crochet018.jpg) to my finished ghan

[Aggie May]

:cheer
My doubts about making something so big and heavy always stems from the question, "How are you going to clean it?"
Too big for the washing machine and too expencive for the Dry Cleaners.
One suggestion is to do it in a Mohair yarn on a BIG hook.
My mum did me one a few years back and it is huge but not too heavy so it can go into my washing machine.
It is done in rows of 1DC, *CH1, 1DC,* across the row, then the following rows start with CH3 and the DCs are worked into the top of each DC.
She used all sorts of mohair yarn and a 6mm hook and lots of colours, at random.
I just love it and use it every winter for a lightweight but warn bed cover.
Have fun.
Colleen:hug

[donnalynn2]

As far as cleaning goes, I really don't buy anything that's dry clean only and as for my king sized blankets and comforters? I do not wash them at home but take them to the laundrymat and have them wash them for me. It is not very expensive at all (they wash by the pound) and I can drop it off and pick it up the next day. My sampler stripes won't fit in my home washer without jamming it and possibly ruining it so it'll be sent to the laundrymat. I have not had a problem yet with anything I take there to have done... And the little extra cost for having them do it for me? Worth the price so I don't have to sit there for 2 hours watching badly behaved children run around screaming! :D

[Keiyla]

Thank you so much for all the help! :clap

I've started it (but heaven knows if I'll frog it before I finish)! Only one strand, K hook, using Lion's free "Homespun Ripple Throw" pattern. Initial chain is 118, I made mine 251. Pictures of all the yarn on my blog, linked below.
Luckily for me, *I* don't have to worry about washing it! :devil The man wants it huge, no holes, and thick; that's what he'll get. Maybe next time he'll listen to me when I recommend light... :D