!), digital cameras, DVDs, and other items I enjoy or are on my wish list!Babette Blanket - Finished
- Size: 58 inches x 75 inches (without border: 55 inches x 72 inches)
- Colors: Bone, Sage, Red, Red Violet, Limelight, Violet, Chocolate, Mango, Lemonade, Blue Mint, Grape, Soft Green, Berry Blue, Watermelon, Rubine Red, Iris (Caron Simply Soft) (see thumbnails of these colors!)
- Pattern: Babette Blanket - Design by Kathy Merrick (with modifications by me)
- Book: Interweave Crochet (magazine) - Spring 2006 - Copyright 2006 - Interweave Press
- Hook: G
- Date: start June 24; finish August 13 (but didn't work on it for a total of about 17 days during this time period)
[UPDATE January 2008: Interweave Press is offering the Babette Blanket pattern on their website!]
A larger view of the full-size completed Babette Blanket (I need to take a better photo!!!):
Simply put: I'm in love.
The default configuration:
To make the Babette Blanket in its original configuration (without the border; 55w x 51h) using worsted weight Caron Simply Soft yarn and a G hook, I used less than 1 skein of yarn for each of the 17 colors, including Color A. In addition, although the pattern says to use Color A for joining all the squares and panels, I instead used one of the colors of the squares that were being joined.
My additional panel:
By the time I had completed the additional panel I designed to make the blanket more rectangular (55w x 21h), I had still used only one skein of each color, but Color A C is very low.
For the border around the rectangular-shaped Babette Blanket, I used Colors R, K, and S in that order.
Below is the chart and layout of the additional panel I designed for my Babette Blanket - it is joined at the bottom of the original design (if you have the pattern for Babette, these will be familiar to you):
The pattern for the squares is a common variation of the traditional granny square. Because I don't like the join showing on one side of each square, I join in a corner instead. It is published as square #3 Square Target in the book "200 Crochet Blocks for Blankets, Throws, and Afghans" by Jean Eaton - AND, it is square #77 in "99 Granny Squares to Crochet" (with this mod: make each corner 2dc ch 2 2dc) by Leisure Arts. I just found this online version of the square pattern called "No Seam Granny Square" at Chez Crochet (scroll to bottom of page).
The value in using the Babette Blanket pattern created by Kathy Merrick published in the Spring 2006 Interweave Crochet magazine is having the color charts for the squares and the diagram of the square placement. Based on my experience creating the additional panel for my Babette Blanket, the planning of square placement and colors in the original pattern is excellent!
Thumbnails of the Caron Simply Soft colors I used:
Bone
Sage
Red
Rose Violet
Limelight
Violet
Chocolate
Mango
Dk. Country Blue
Lemonade
Blue Mint
Grape
Soft Green
Berry Blue
Watermelon
Rubine Red
Iris
19 Comments
Leave a comment
About Cheryl
I Care About
What's the weather?
Subscribe to this blog's feed
Awesome! Thanks for providing the excellent notes! There is a Ravelry group for making Babettes. Do you mind if I post a link to your blog?
Wow. You made an afghan in less than 2 months with 17 different colors to keep track of? I bow before thee. It's beautiful.
Looks amazing...great work! I love it more than the original, in part b/c I don't care for the designer's attitude! LOL I'd love to try to tackle this one sometime but all the sewing together and end weaving...eek!
Be proud of your finished project...it's WONDERFUL!
Samantha (simonssez from cville)
Hi, Bridget - You're welcome! And, yes, please feel free to link to my Babette from Ravelry.
Hi, Turtlegirl - Yes, less than 2 months, but I don't have kids at home (they're grown and out on their own) so I have lots of free time in the evening after work and on the weekends!!
Keeping track of 17 different colors wasn't difficult with the published pattern's color charts for the squares and the layout graph for the squares - they organize the color selection and the square placement very well.
Thanks, Samantha! Yes, the yarn ends were a nightmare... but Lost on DVD and television made it easier!
You Babette is BEAUTIFUL!!
I'm making one out of worsted weight as well, though I'm still using an E hook. I'll have to try your modifications next time around!
wonderful job! thanks for the pix of the panel i may add one to mine!
this is gorgeous!!! I bet it is warm and snug, but is it heavy? its just fab!
Yes! It is heavy - I'll definitely wait for cooler weather to *use* it. Until then, I've placed on one corner of our couch so I can see it every time I walk by!
Your Babette is gorgeous! I stumbled across the Babette/Hexagon group at Ravelry...now I HAVE to make one. I am NOT a fan of finishing, but they are so beautiful. Thanks for showing the yarn colors, too...Koigu is out of my price range, and I too, have kitties, so washability is a must!
Thank you, Kim! I love it! Just remember: there's no hurry! I've actually come to enjoy hiding yarn ends as a relaxing activity to do while watching TV or a DVD movie. I thought others would find the chart of Caron colors for this project - thanks for letting me know you did!
Wow, I followed the link from the Babette/hex group at ravelry... I LOVE your Babette! I'm new to crocheting... and can't quite read a pattern. I know how to do a basic granny and have the book 99 squares you refer to. I have made a few squares with acrylic worsted weight, using an I hook... how come 3 of my tiny squares with 2 rounds is wider than my square with 4 rounds? How do I make it fit? Do I stretch the larger square to fit the smaller ones, or do I have a gauge problem? I am using bikini print, with deep plum, shades of pink from very light to bright, shades of yellow, light lavender, and a small amount of turquoise. I think it will turn out pretty... but we will see!
Vandy
Hi, Vandy - Thank you! I had the same problem with the smaller squares not equaling the larger squares in length. When you sew them together, try the stitch recommended by the designer Kathy Merrick - here:
http://www.purlbee.com/the-purl-bee/2007/8/5/ask-kathy-merrick-creating-the-babette-blanket.html
I didn't do this (didn't find the article until afterward) and my blanket is skewed a bit.
OH that is *SO BEAUTIFUL!* I just LOVE IT! and have not seen anything like it. WOW! (((((HUGS))))) sandi
Thank you so much, Sandi!!! It was a lot of work, but I loved making it - all those colors are inspiring!
Beautifully done - the colors are lovely, and I .
I'm planning to do the blanket in worsted weight as well. Did you buy one skein of each, or did you buy the number of skeins recommended in the pattern, even though the pattern called for a lighter weight? And you were able to do the extra panel without buying more than your original amount?
Thanks!
Oh, I just read on one of your other posts - you used less than one skein of each of the 17, including the extra panel. Thanks!
Hi, Rebecca - Just getting to some email today... I'm glad you found the info you wanted. 17 different color skeins was fun to work with!
-Cheryl