If you follow the store on social media, you've seen posts and Lives lately where I've been talking about this pattern: the Library Blanket by PurlSoho. I fell in love with it when they released the pattern last March and have been dying to make it ever since. They were sharing it again recently and I decided it was time to take the plunge and make it.
A little backstory....
I love libraries. I have been going to them since I was a little girl and when I had my own kids, I started taking them too. I have a deep love for books and wish I had time to actually sit down and read. (I listen to audiobooks while I drive to and from the yarn shop and out on deliveries.)
When I was in Grade 7, I started volunteering at the small library branch near my home, helping the librarian with shelving books, cleaning, rearranging, pulling books for patrons, whatever she would let me do. When I started high school, I was hired on at the main branch as a library page and worked that job until I finished university.
Some day, I would like to have my own little "library" in my home and already have a healthy collection of books. Definitely don't have enough shelves yet, though my husband would argue the opposite. And, of course, I will need this blanket for it.
Back to the pattern....
I know there are a few customers who have decided to join in and make their own Library Blanket so I'm going to do my best to share progress as I go through all the steps of making this blanket. You're welcome to join in too. If you need any help, have any questions, need to order yarn, etc., feel free to ask. I'll be writing blog posts here and sharing on social media as well.
The pattern itself is relatively simple and actually a great beginner knitter pattern. It's all knitting with decreases and picking up of stitches. I promise to share videos and help out if you get stuck.
Getting started....
The biggest challenge of the Library Blanket is choosing colours. There are 10 different colourways used in this pattern as you're holding two fingering weight yarns together throughout in 15 different combinations. Don't let this scare you though! Let me break it down for you.
In the original, they have a main colour (blues), a contrasting colour (purples), a neutral (whites), and a pop of colour (pink and orange).
Once you decide on your colours, then you can choose your colourways based on tone. So with your main colour, you need one medium tone and one dark tone. For your contrast colour, you need two medium tones and two dark tones. Your two neutrals are light. Your two pops of colour are medium tones. When trying to make the decision if it's light, medium or dark, it helps to change your colours to monotone to see the intensities.
And, once you think you've got it and you want to see how the colours will look when held together, there's a link on the PurlSoho pattern to a colour preview tool one of their customers made just for this pattern. Have fun playing!
Links....
Have I got you excited now? If you are interested and want to get some more information:
- link to pattern on Ravelry Ravelry: Library Blanket pattern by Purl Soho
- link to PurlSoho's website Library Blanket | Purl Soho
- if you need yarn to add to your stash to make this blanket, I'm recommending Cascade's Heritage Sock Solid. Check out all the colourways here Heritage Sock Solid | Cascade Yarns | Estelle Yarns
Stay tuned for more info as the journey continues. :) You can follow all my posts on social media with the hashtag #laurenslibraryblanket. I'll be posting more on the blog here too.