It’s a long “dah” today, but that’s because it’s proportional to length of time it took me to finish this bad boy*. To wit, 2 years, 1 month, 25 days in the making. Or to put it differently, 785 days / 67,824,000 seconds / 1,130,400 minutes / 18,840 hours / 112 weeks. (*The link takes you to the post that explains where I got the name Idenity Crisis from. You’ll see… It makes perfect sense.)
To be fair I couldn’t work on it, or should I say “under it”, during the Summer and it a very big blanket. The point is: I finished it and I’m proud of it!
Blanket statistics are as follows:
Yarn: Stylecraft Special DK. I think I used roughly 4 skeins of each colour, but it may be more.
Colours: Plum (maroon), Meadow (green), Denim (dark blue), Parchment (off-white), Cloud Blue (light blue) and Mocha (brown).
Blanket pattern: Spicey Delights by Lionbrand yarns
Border pattern: Border #112
Layout: 72 rows of stripes, one row of 21 4-round granny squares, 20 rows of stripes, one row of 21 4-round granny squares, 20 rows of stripes, one row of 21 4-round granny squares and a final 72 rows of stripes.
This is where it all started. I took this photo on 21 November 2009 – one day after starting the blanket. I can hardly believe the blanket was ever this small!
It hasn’t always been an enjoyable journey though… Here is what I wrote in the Notes of this project on my Ravelry page.
I’m making this afghan to match the Granny and Grandpa square cushions in our bedroom. I had to promise hubby that I won’t use any pink, but that’s a small price to pay to get my hooky way
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I’m using Biscuit and Jam’s Random Stripe Generator. What an amazing tool!!!
31 December 09: I am really getting tired of working on this ginormous blanket. The only thing keeping me going is seeing how it changes as I add more stripes. Thank goodness for the stripe generator!
5 January 2010: I’m starting to resent this blanket cause it just doesn’t want to get bigger even though I already have 72 rows! I hook and hook and hook and it still looks like a really big scarf.
29 May 2010: I’m starting the blanket again, but I’ll be doing 4 round granny squares for the middle section.
30 August 2011: I’m baaaack….
31 December 2011: All rows are finished and the blanket is the size I wanted. Weaving in of the ends and edging left to do.
1 January 2012: All the ends are woven in.
2 January 2012: Added Around the Corner Crochet Border # 112, and I’m done, finish, kaput! 20 November 2009 – 2 January 2012 in the making.
It was all worth it in the end though. Here’s why.





Thank goodness we have only one double bed in our home, otherwise I might just be tempted to make another huge blanket because, all things considered, I would do it again.
Wow I am very impressed what a beautiful beautiful blanket!!!
That is absolutely beautiful, a huge well done! Qnd you picked such great colours! My quilt is currently three years in the making and not nearly finished – one day! A very big well done – looks fabulous!
Dit was al die ure se werk werd dis so vrek mooi. En hoe dit aanmekaar gesit is man alles is sommer net MOOOOI.
It. is. beautiful. A bed with a crocheted blanky is just COMPLETE, don’t you think. Each night I tuck my little boy into bed and then put his granny squary blanky over him and it looks perfect. Yours give me strength for my ginormous ripple I started a few month ago…..
Wow, this looks great! It is hard to believe that the random stripe generator could produce something so awesome – but then again, randomness appears in nature, too. I’m in the midst of a bedspread myself, so I applaud your bravery!
This is so beautiful and just love the info you wrote while in the process of this journey. It was so funny to read all about your feelings, being so tired of it but then comes the real thing and you put yourself into the blanket and complete it. Well done and thank you for sharing.
Dit is baie mooi, jy kan werklik trots voel. Ek is nog ‘n beginner wat hekel betref en het groot bewondering vir die hoeveel tyd wat jy hieraan spandeer het. Wel gedaan.
It is stunning! You did a really good job! Congrats! and the colors are beautiful!
Kisses,
Angie
I absolutely love it, love the design, it is so original and nice to see something different in the world! Well done :O) I want to make one now too!
Thank you all for all your lovely, uplifting, encouraging comments. I appreciate it so so so much!
OMG! This is beautiful and I am so inspired. I will put this on my “must crochet in 2012″ list. Love it!
Is dit nie net so absoluut dit moeite werd nie! Well done oor en oor.
Dit is werklik n pragtige deken, wel gedaan! Ek wil so graag ook so iets aanpak maar net al die bedrywighede om jou kom n mens nie daar by uit nie Dit is werklik n erfstuk.
Ag dis te mooi! Kyk ek het heel toevallig op jou blog afgekom en hekel sederdien te lekker. Ek sal nog drie keer moet lewe om alles te hekel wat in my kop is- dankie.
Jy laat mens se vingers lekker kry!! Magtig maar dit is mooi, jy het baie om op trots te wees. Dit lyk pragtig.
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Reblogged this on Skyscrapers and String and commented:
Beautiful! So inspiring!!
What a fantastic blanket. Worth all the time and effort!
This is beautiful. Has inspired me to try
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That is absolutely GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!
I chuckled several times reading your progress ….sounds just like me! I too get excited at the start of one of these projects, midway thru HATE the darn thing but when finished somewhat remorseful that its over!!!!
I just went and found the Biscuit and Jan stripe generator. Now that is a cool tool. I made one twin size blanket in one color…talk about getting bored! Thanks for the information and what a fantastic blanket you have made!
Lovely!
this is so beautiful. I can understand how you feel about it not getting bigger when you work on it so hard and so long. I have had to start making lap size ones because I just can’t wait to give them as a gift. Keep on Hooking
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absolutely beautiful.well done x
Thank you everyone for all your kind comments, both here and on the Knit and Crochet Now! Facebook page. Your words mean so much!
Wow, it’s gorgeous! Congratulations on finishing this masterpiece.
Peace, Judi
This blanket is just amazing. The bed looks beautiful and it must have been so much work. Just such a gorgeous piece of crochet, well done!!!!
This is fab!!! Happy snuggling under your master piece!
Helen x
p.s. are yu sure there’s no pink in there? heheheh
Thanks Helen. Yes, no pink. Although, between you and me, I was very tempted! I seriously contemplated a round of pink in one of the grannies but Hubby’s beady little eye would definitely have noticed so no pink.
This is beautiful. It gives me hope. I started a single bed blanket last year and also switched to some granny squares in the summer, here in Durbs it is too hot to crochet big things in the summer. I am new to crochet and this is my first blanket ever so if it looks half as good as yours I will be thrilled. Keep up this blog I am so inspired.