MAY NEWSLETTER

Hello, my friends! It’s good to have you here. In this newsletter, I’ll share some exciting news about the Wildflower Blanket project, updates on new designs in the works, tips for blocking your blanket projects so that they really shine, and a spotlight on two gorgeous Double Wedding Ring Blankets.

The Wildflower Blanket Is Back!

Several years ago, I started designing crochet wildflowers (those found in the Rocky Mountains to be specific). These were appliques that I planned to sew onto a blanket to fill in a mountain valley landscape layout. Check out all the original flower designs and read about my process here.

Sewing is very time-consuming -- I only got about 15% done before I grew tired of sewing on flowers. And so the blanket and all the flowers have been hibernating without a plan ever since.

Soon after my transition to part-time last month, I put together a design schedule for the next two years to pin down my plans to complete some of the designs in my backlog. And the Wildflower Blanket stood out as one of the projects that I clearly wanted to see come to life.

The original blanket, with all of its sewn on appliques, was never meant to be a pattern. I just thought it would be something fun to try. But now, looking at all the wildflowers I designed, it would be a shame not to share them with you! And so, I’ve decided to redesign the flowers as square motifs so that they can be joined as you go. There will be designs for at least 20 different wildflower squares, including columbine, mariposa lily, blanketflower, fireweed, and paintbrush.

Over the next five months, I’ll work on redesigning the flowers, crocheting the blanket, and creating the tutorials. I’ll be sharing photos of my progress in future newsletters. I can’t wait for you to see all these lovely wildflowers!

Pattern testing will start at the beginning of 2025. If you think you might be interested in giving this blanket a try, be sure to stay tuned! I’ve been considering a few options for testing, including starting a Ravelry group or joining Yarn Pond, but I haven’t settled on a clear choice. Later this year, I’ll send out a survey to see what everyone prefers. Until then, if you have any suggestions, please let me know. I’d love to hear what you think! You can reply to this email or send your thoughts to crochet@jenniverolivarez.com.

Design Update: Shadow Plaid Wrap

This shawl design has been in the works for almost a year. If you’ve been following along with its progress, you may remember that it started out as a triangle shawl in a fingering weight yarn (which took many months to crochet!).

Eventually I decided to try it again as a trapezoid wrap made with a sport-weight yarn (Cascade 220 Superwash Sport) instead. Using the heavier-weight yarn was so much more enjoyable to crochet!

It’s taken a while, but I think I’ve finally decided on a stripe pattern I like. I’m using a deep maroon as the main color, which creates the vertical stripes that run throughout. For the large bands of color, I chose a dark mauve for the first stripe and a lighter mauve for the second stripe. The third stripe will be a dark, slightly olive gold and the final stripe will be a lighter tan that works well with it.

The pattern is suitable for intermediate crocheters. The wrap is worked lengthwise from the botton up with increases at the beginning and end of each row. The stitch pattern is a variation of granny stitch, working 2 double crochet stitches in each chain-1 space between 2-dc groups. The vertical stripe pattern is formed by changing colors after every 2-dc group.

I worked with my fantastic and incredibly talented tech editor, Randy Cavaliere, to organize this pattern and word it in a way that will be easy to follow. The pattern will come with a stitch chart to help illustrate the color changes, and I plan to create a tutorial video to help you get started and walk you through the first few rows.

The Shadow Plaid Wrap pattern will be available sometime this fall.

Design Update: Fresh Mesh Produce Bags

Thanks to everyone for the wonderful reception to my latest produce bag patterns. I’ve been so encouraged by your response, and I’m really glad to see that so many of you are excited about transitioning to reusable grocery bags.

With that in mind, I think it’s high time I release the pattern for the Fresh Mesh Produce Bags that I designed late last year. Like the bag patterns I just released, these bags also feature filet crochet designs. But that’s where the similarity ends. The bags in the Fresh Mesh collection are made using a slightly heavier no. 3 crochet thread. They’re stitched flat, in one piece from the bottom up, then folded lengthwise and seamed on the bottom and one side. The filet designs are worked so that once the bag is folded, they will appear on both the front and back. The pattern will come with charts for six unique filet designs, including a mushroom, flower, tea/coffee cup, hearts, cherries, and a geometric design (shown above).

Next month, I’ll lay out the pattern and take some final photographs. It’s always fun picking out produce for these photo shoots – maybe I’ll visit the farmer’s market! If all goes to plan, the pattern will be available mid-June.

WIP Update: Mesh Cardigan

Earlier this month, I shared a story about my trip to my LYS and a review of the yarn I found there. I’ve been steadily crocheting my mesh cardi, and I have to say that I’m really enjoying both the pattern and the yarn. Amano Sami is a dream to work with. I love the stitch definition in those X-stitches.

This cardigan is worked from the bottom up. First, you crochet the band of ribbing; then you turn the band to work into the ends of rows to start the body. I’m almost to the point where we divide for the front left and right. At this pace, I’ll be finished in no time!

Are you enjoying this feature? Would you like to see more yarn and pattern reviews? I only want to send you info you’ll enjoy, so whether you find value in the piece or it’s not your cup of tea, I’d love to hear your thoughts. You can reply to this email or write to crochet@jenniverolivarez.com.

Your Questions Answered: How to Block Your Blanket for a Perfect Finish

I’m excited to see that many of you are making Wedding Ring Blankets right now for some lucky recipients. A blanket is such a special gift, and you’re putting so much time and love into it – these heirlooms deserve a perfect finish.

Whether your blanket is made with cotton, wool, or even acrylic, I recommend blocking your finished blanket. Blocking allows the yarn to soften and bloom, showing off your stitches. With most natural and animal fibers, blocking will also allow you to fine tune your blanket to just the right dimensions.

Wet blocking and steam blocking are the two main methods. Blankets made from cotton or wool benefit greatly from either method. If your blanket is made with acrylic yarn, steam blocking is usually the recommended choice (be careful not to get the iron too close though or you may melt the yarn), but I usually just give it a gentle wash to soften the yarn and lay it flat to dry.

TIP: Always read the care instructions on the yarn’s ball band (or the manufacturer’s website) and follow those recommendations.

To wet block your blanket, you will need a tub or basin, a clean towel, and a clean surface to lay your blanket on to dry (a bunch of towels or a comforter would do). Fill the tub or basin with water (you may add a small amount of delicate fiber wash if desired). Place your finished blanket in the water and let it soak for at least 15 minutes. Then let the water drain. Very gently, press excess water out of the fabric (but do not wring or twist it). Carefully scoop up the blanket and lay it out onto a clean towel. Roll the blanket up in the towel and press out as much excess water as you can. Then transfer the blanket to your clean surface. Unfold the blanket and gently shape it into the desired dimensions.

I often pin the edges of the blanket with rust-proof T-pins to get it into shape. It’s important to use rust-proof pins, especially if your blanket is light in color, to ensure that the pins won’t stain the wet fabric. Then, let the blanket dry completely before removing the pins. And you’re done!

The one concern about wet blocking is that you must be careful not to twist or stretch the fabric too much when moving the wet blanket from the tub to the towel and in all the attempts to press out extra water. This is especially important if your blanket is made of cotton, which has a tendency to stretch. Once it’s stretched, it might not be possible to get it back to its original shape.

Many people find steam blocking to be easier, but it can also be more time-consuming for big projects like a blanket. To steam block your blanket, you will need a steam iron (or garment steamer), and a clean, wet towel or pillowcase. Spread your blanket on a clean comforter or a thick, heat-resistant surface. Place the towel over one section of your blanket. Set your iron to the steam setting and slowly move it over the towel, approximately an inch above. The heat and steam will penetrate through the towel, lightly dampening and heating the yarn. Be sure not to press the iron directly onto the fabric, which may flatten out any raised stitches, like the interlocking rings in the Wedding Ring Blanket. Gently shape your work as needed while it’s still warm. Move to the next section of the blanket and repeat until the whole blanket is slightly damp. Allow your blanket to fully cool and dry in place.

The nice thing about steam blocking is that you don’t have to worry as much about stretching the fabric out of shape. But with steam, it does take a bit longer to saturate the fabric.

Whichever method you choose, take your time and enjoy this final step. The recipient will be overjoyed to see the blanket you’ve made with such love and care.

Maker Spotlight

This month we’re shining the spotlight on two gorgeous Double Wedding Ring Blankets!

Arielle made this stunning blanket as a wedding gift for friends. The newlyweds were absolutely blown away by it, and with Arielle’s lovely stitches, I’m not at all surprised. I know that they will treasure it forever. Arielle used Universal Clean Cotton for this blanket. Nice work, Arielle!

The crisp, clean detail of the stitches in Rose’s blanket initially caught my eye, but what really intrigued me was the distinct absence of seam lines between squares. Lucky for us, Rose was generous in sharing how they achieved this!

Rose says in the blanket’s project notes on Ravelry, “My seam is on the backside of the squares, not visible from the ribbing side. To accomplish this, join squares with right sides facing. Your completed square will be closest to you and the square to be joined will be farthest.”

I just had to give this a try! Indeed, if you hold your squares with rights sides together, you will work the last round into the square that’s farthest from you, while joining to the stitches in the motif closest to you. And voila, the seam is on the back side!

Rose used Big Twist Value Solids in Cosmetic Pink for this showstopping blanket. Nice work, Rose!

If you’d like to try this pattern yourself, hop on over to Ravelry or Etsy.

All photos shared with permission.

How to Share Your Projects

I always enjoy seeing what you make with my patterns and I love showing off your work! If you would like for your work to be featured in a future newsletter, email your project photos to Jennifer at crochet@JenniferOlivarez.com.

Or create a project on Ravelry: Share your project photos, yarn used, details, and more!

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Having you in my crochet circle means so much to me. I aim to publish a new pattern every quarter and a new tutorial every month, but I’ll only send you crochet content that I think you will enjoy. In the meantime, you can contact me by replying to this email or crochet@JenniferOlivarez.com. I would love to hear from you!