Coronation Blanket CAL: March/April 2023
Anita Gibney is a lifelong fan of Sirdar yarns and has carefully combined shades of Hayfield Bonus DK for this historic Crochet Along honoring the coming Coronation of King Charles III.
The rich red of a Tudor Rose and regal purple of the St Edward’s Crown complement a harmonious palette of blues and greens King Charles himself might have chosen for his water colour paintings.
Perfect for experienced crocheters and beginners alike, Anita's design begins with granny squares and expands from there with intuitive stitch patterns laid out week-by-week in instructional videos. The best news? All elements are crocheted together as they are worked so there is NO sewing involved with this blanket! Finished size is approximately 55" square.
Supplies
In addition to your yarn, you will need a size E (4mm) crochet hook, a size G (5mm) crochet hook, and a tapestry needle.
We have kits in the original colorway that include the specially designed label. Shade card is below for reference.
Pattern
The pattern for the Coronation Blanket will be released over the course of 6 weeks beginning March 8th. Sign up on the Sirdar website to have the pattern installments sent to your inbox, or check back here for links to the download page each week!
Introduction: March 1 - Introduction video to the design including a look into Anita's inspiration and design process, as well as her thoughts behind the interchangeable motifs and color selections!
Week 1: March 8 - We ease into things with granny squares and, if you like to work ahead, Anita includes notes about some granny squares you'll need for future weeks!
Week 2: March 15 - This week we add the wave stitches that represent King Charles' time at sea. Varying the heights of our stitches and using the back loops creates gorgeous, rolling texture!
Week 3: March 22 - The theme for Week 3 is honoring the land and conservation work that King Charles has done. We'll be using the Lemon Peel, Shell and Moss stitches this week as we do one more section in rounds before moving on to rows!
Week 4: March 29 - As we cross the halfway point in our blanket, it is time to add the royal regalia! There are baubles here, but don't worry if you've had trouble with them before - the tutorial video for this week shows you how to keep them to the front!
Week 5: April 5 - Golden leaves on a royal purple background connect the corner granny squares this week! Watch Anita's weekly tutorial video for step-by-step help on this gorgeous stitch pattern!
Week 6: April 12 - A new stitch pattern for the border and regal appliques finish off our blankets. Anita has provided her weekly tutorial video as well as tutorials for three motifs for the corners of your blanket. Which will you choose?!
Tutorials
Pattern designer Anita Gibney and Sirdar will be posting video tutorials each week as part of the crochet along event. Check back each week for the latest link!
BONUS VIDEOS!
We will also be adding to our On the Hook with MFY tutorials throughout the CAL. Links will be added here, but the full collection is available on MFY+ on YouTube!
Videos that may be especially helpful for this project will be added below!
Half Double Crochet (Half Treble in UK terms)
Double Crochet (Treble Crochet in UK terms)
Triple Crochet (Double Treble in UK terms)
Community
Join in or follow all the activity on Instagram and Facebook! We have a private make along group on Facebook where you can chat with others working on the project, and Sirdar has a Facebook group too!
Additionally, you are always welcome to come knit with us at Community Night on Thursdays from 6-8pm!
About the Designer
Anita Gibney is the co-creator of the Crochet Studio App and the color guru behind the Instagram account @madebyanita and Facebook page @madebyanita. You can also visit her website at madebyanita.co.uk.
Known to Sirdar makers for her much-loved Christmas Eve Wishes Crochet Along, Anita Gibney is a crochet designer whose beautiful colour combinations inspire almost 100,000 devoted Instagram followers.
Beyond her love of crochet, Anita is a history buff with a keen interest in our Royal Family and she designed this beautiful crochet blanket to celebrate aspects of King Charles’ life and the regalia of the coronation itself.
As you work on your project, we would love if you share your progress by tagging us on Instagram and/or Facebook @michiganfineyarns and using our project hashtags #michiganfineyarns #MFYcal. You can also join us Thursdays from 6-8pm for Community Night at the shop and crochet with fellow makers!