The patterns and video tutorials for the Bullfinch Blanket, the third project in the Scheepjes Dawn Chorus series, are now available. You can make the knitted or crochet version of the design, and if you feel like it, maybe even both.
Resources
- Bullfinch Blanket KNIT on Ravelry
- Bullfinch Blanket CROCHET on Ravelry
- Announcement of Bullfinch Blanket on It’s all in a Nutshell
- Bullfinch Blanket information on Scheepjes.com
- Written patterns on Scheepjes.com
- ** YARN KITS **
- Official Scheepjes Facebook Group – DUTCH / NEDERLANDS
- Official Scheepjes Facebook Group – INTERNATIONAL
- Social Media #itsallinanutshell #scheepjesckal #bullfinchblanket #scheepjesmegawhirl
About the Bullfinch Blanket
The Bullfinch Blanket is made from a single Scheepjes Mega Whirl. This Mega Whirl contains a whopping 3km(!) of fingering weight color changing yarn. The colors change from coral to grey to blue and resemble the male Bullfinch songbird.
The Bullfinch Blanket is made from mitered squares in either a crochet version or a knitted version. Both versions showcase the beautiful color changes of the yarn where the squares are arranged in such a way that the color changes diagonally over the blanket. The squares are joined as you go, so no assembly at the end. Finally, after making 100+ squares, the blanket is finished with a bold border.
You can buy the Dawn Chorus Bullfinch Blanket kit from Jimmy Beans Wools (US), Wool Warehouse (UK / international), Caro’s Atelier (NL/EU) or your local Scheepjes Stockist.
Written Patterns
The written patterns for the knit and crochet version of the blanket are available on Scheepjes.com and in the Scheepjes Dutch (Nederlands) language or English language Facebook groups. The written patterns are available in English (US & UK Terms), Dutch (Nederlands), and German.
Crochet versus Knitted Blanket
You can choose to make either the knit or the crochet version of the blanket. The knitted version is all garter stitch and the crochet version is all double crochet stitches (UK terms), both very relaxing easy-on-the-mind stitch patterns. This blanket is all about going with the flow and finishing when you finish. No rush.
Tips for Gauge
The first square of the blanket is also the gauge square for the project. It’s really important that you keep to the given gauge, because if your squares are larger than stipulated it means that you will not have enough yarn to complete the blanket. In the tips & tricks document accompanying the written pattern I give detailed gauge information at various stages of the blanket. I suggest determining gauge by weighing your blanket because the wobbly squares make measuring size more difficult and less accurate. I give detailed information on the weight of the blanket at different stages. This will help you to verify that you are still on gauge.
If you find yourself using less yarn than stipulated, it will simply mean that you can make a wider border at the end. If you are using more yarn for your squares you are at risk. If you make the crochet version of the blanket, consider dropping a hook size and if that doesn’t work, have a look at this Golden Loop video. You are most likely pulling your stitches higher that I am, meaning that you use more yarn for the same stitch. If you make the knitted version, change needle size as needed.
Tips for gaps in the blanket
It’s possible that you might have small gaps in your blanket, especially in the corners where the squares meet up. This happens sometimes, don’t stress about it. Use the yarn tails from each square to close that gap by weaving your yarn tails through adjacent squares. Magic! Your gaps are gone.
Tips for the CROCHET Bullfinch Blanket
The crochet squares really pull in a lot because of all the decreases worked along the center diagonal. This pulling will make your squares appear wobbly and wonky. It will also make your blanket appear much smaller than it really is. Don’t worry about it till you get to the end of the project. Rigorous blocking will flatten out that wobble completely and get you a really nice size blanket at the end. I suggest wet blocking your blanket. I have a video tutorial showing how to wet block available HERE.
Video tutorials for the CROCHET Bullfinch Blanket
The video tutorials for the crochet version of the Bullfinch Blanket are available on my YouTube channel in English (UK Terminology) in a left handed and right handed version. In the same way, I also have the videos available in Dutch in both a left handed and right handed version.
Tips for the KNITTED Bullfinch Blanket
This is my first knitted blanket design, and if you are an experienced knitter it is very possible that you would have done a few small details different from how I did it. Please feel free to do those details in a way that feels natural to you. Things that come to mind are the cast-on methods I use, how I pick up stitches, and how I slip stitches.
I slip the first stitch of each row knit-wise to get a pretty edge in which it’s more easy to pick up stitches for subsequent squares. In rows 1 and 2 of each square it can be difficult to slip that first stitch without losing it or it going all wonky. Feel free to knit all stitches in rows 1 and 2, and only start slipping that first stitch from row 3 onwards.
For the border I make a provisional cast-on using a crochet chain as a base. There are other methods available to make a provisional cast-on, feel free to use those methods also.
Video tutorials for the KNITTED Bullfinch Blanket
The video tutorials for the knitted version of the Bullfinch Blanket are available on my YouTube channel in English and Dutch. No left handed versions here!
Materials for the Bullfinch Blanket
To make the Bullfinch Blanket you will need a limited edition Scheepjes Mega Whirl which is exclusively available in the Dawn Chorus Bullfinch Kit. Together with some goodies, the Dawn Chorus Bullfinch kit contains a single Scheepjes Mega Whirl (60% cotton, 40% acrylic), which is as the name suggests, a very large version of a “regular” Scheepjes Whirl, truly a whirl as big as your head! The Mega Whirl has been specially designed for the Bullfinch Blanket and is exclusively available in the kit.
You can buy the Dawn Chorus Bullfinch kit from Jimmy Beans Wools (US), Wool Warehouse (UK / international), Caro’s Atelier (NL/EU) or your local Scheepjes Stockist.
Depending on which version of the blanket you make you will either need a 3.0mm crochet hook or 3.25mm knitting needles (circular or straight). The kit also contains 3 postcards and a limited edition tote bag.
Size
The Bullfinch Blanket is a comfortably sized one-person blanket, perfect for the couch or on a bed. The knitted version is about 110cm x 150cm and the crochet version about 100cm x 140cm.
Mega Whirl or Whirl?
The pattern has been designed for the limited edition Mega Whirl, but you can also make the design using 3 “regular” Scheepjes Whirls. The tips & tricks document gives information on how to make the blanket if you are using 3 Whirls, but in essence it comes down to using the 3 whirls alternating from one square to the next. Rineke Rottiné, one of the Scheepjes Admins, has made the crochet version of the Bullfinch Blanket using 3 Scheepjes Whirl Tasty Nom Nom.
Scheepjes Whirl is available from Wool Warehouse (UK/Int), The Knitting Network (UK), Jimmy Beans Wool (USA), Caro’s Atelier (NL/EU), or your favorite Scheepjes stockist.
Extra Support
The Bullfinch Blanket is hosted in the Scheepjes Facebook groups. If you are not part of these groups, feel free to join either the Dutch (Nederlands) language group or English language (International) group. These groups are also the perfect place to show your work or ask any questions you might have. The admin team is there to help.
#itsallinanutshell
If you are making something with one of my patterns or one of my videos, I would love to see your work. Use the hashtag #itsallinanutshell on Instagram to help me find it, share your work in my It’s all in a Nutshell Crochet Nuts group on Facebook or tag me in one of your posts.
With love,
Esther
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