Crochet blanket for Nanna

This is the first of my crafty makes for Christmas. I'm making quite a few gifts and cards this year so I need to get cracking. 1 down!

The blanket is a Christmas present for my Nan. I was trying to think of gift ideas for her but she has everything she needs except good health. My Mum told me she uses the last blanket I made her alot as she's feeling the cold at the moment. So I decided to make her a lap blanket. I don't have to worry about her seeing this because she doesn't have internet access so there's no way she'll see it before Christmas Day!

The pattern

I still love granny squares but I was starting to feel like I've crocheted them to death (I didn't think this was possible) so I was on the look out for something more interesting from a makers point of view. I found Flower Granny Square pattern by Luba Davies on Etsy. This pattern is also available on Ravelry. It's well written, super easy to follow and only costs £1. Bargain. I made a couple of alterations to the pattern which were purely down to personal preference:

• Round 1: ch4 instead of a ch6
• Round 7: ch4 on the connecting chains instead of a ch5
• I only worked 2 granny square rounds on my flowers to create smaller squares.

Edging

I added 3 rounds of single crochet around the blanket to create neat, simple edging.

The wool

I went to my local charity shop and picked up a few balls of wool from there. My only stipulation was something machine washable for easy care. I bought Cygnet DK in Buttercream, Mother of Pearl and White - shade numbers in the 'notes' section at the bottom of this post.

The finished blanket

I nicknamed these flowers 'wool eaters' because each one uses a surprising amount of wool. I only bought one ball of Buttercream and Mother of Pearl but ended up having to go back and buy another of each.

I've included a photo of the back of the flower. If you are a beginner, you can see what the back will look like and how everything connects together.

Notes

• Wool: Cygnet DK Buttercream - 161 (Pale yellow) Cygnet DK Mother of Pearl - 146 (blue grey) and Cygnet DK White - 208.
• Project duration: 2 weeks.
• Equipment: 4mm Clover soft touch crochet hook and wool needle.
• Total cost: £8.75.
• Total yardage: 1490m / 1630yds.
• Blanket size: 90cm (L) x 67cm (W) = 8 squares x 6 squares to make a rectangular blanket to cover legs.
• Number of squares: 48.