Our friend Katrina from our sister company Connecting Threads finished a gorgeous new blanket to show you!

As the graphic designer for Connecting Threads, I’m typically blogging about small quilting and sewing projects that I’ve completed, however it’s time to switch things up a bit! Earlier this year, two of the ladies on the Knit Picks team graciously offered their time to teach a bunch of us non-yarn folk how to crochet. There is a long list of crocheting ladies in my family, and I was determined to be one of them. While I didn’t pick up on it right away, it did eventually click and I found a new craft to be obsessed with.

I found out a couple of months ago that one of my cousins was expecting her first baby… very exciting! With her in New York and me on the west coast, I knew attending the baby shower would be unlikely. That being said, I started looking for crochet blanket patterns to provide her with a nice handmade gift while still feeding my new crafty obsession. Narrowing ideas down that I had found on Pinterest was a chore, but eventually I settled on this Large Stripe Chevron Blanket.

Brava was an easy choice for yarn. It’s super easy to care for, but still very soft and wonderful to work with—the perfect combo for a baby blanket. My cousin chose a Lion King/jungle theme for her nursery. Keeping this in mind, I chose my seven colors: Camel Heather, Cream, Persimmon, Umber Heather, Fig, Brindle, and Sienna. Keeping it neutral and earthy, but with a bit of pop here and there.

Once I got past the first couple of rows, the pattern quickly became ingrained in my brain and was simple enough to work through while paying attention to other things. This was a nice project to pick up on weeknights—something to do with my hands, but not much brain power involved. I enjoyed the pattern and would make it again, in fact, I’ve already started another one for my sister-in-law!