The Star Blanket - another WIP

I dragged out another WIP this morning. (I know, I can hear you saying what about the purple/pink crochet bag?? Is that finished?? Well no, not quite. I've added plastic canvas to the sides to form a gusset, and then stitched funky foam to the inside of the front and back panels to add some body. It's all ready for the lining but I really didn't feel like sewing today. Sorry...)

Anyway, like I say, I dragged out another WIP - the Star Blanket I started making for my Mum, way back in the spring of 2014 (can't believe it was 3 years ago, it's flown by!). She died that summer and I put it away to be finished another day. And that day has now come.

I never intended it to be the kind of blanket that would keep you warm - it was more a small colourful throw, that would lay across the bottom half of the bed and look pretty. I started it straight after I had finished my hexagon blanket - long before I had heard the term "join-as-you-go".... All the stars have been individually edged with white and joined to their neighbour. One. By. One. That's a lot of ends to stitch in! 

But you know what? While I was looking for a really good join-as-you-go tutorial ready for when I make a circle-in-a-square baby blanket very soon, I saw people asking if you could join hexagons that way - and you know what? You can!! Oh how I wish I had known how to do that when I made the hexagon blanket! Ah well.

So anyway, I had a little think and realised that I could join my stars in a continuous line as well - I just needed to take my time and think about where I was going next and hey presto - join-as-you-go stars!! It'll be finished in no time now!

It's beautifully bright and colourful. I've used Stylecraft Special DK that I bought from Wool Warehouse. I had seen a star curtain on Sue Pinner's blog and I sent Wool Warehouse a picture, asking if they could suggest which colours I could use to make my own version. They were most obliging and I quickly set to making "pointed" flowers, which would then be joined to form stars. Very effective.

It shouldn't take took long at all to finish joining the stars - I've completed 2 rows already today and I haven't really spent long on it at all. Once they're joined, it will get a good wash to really soak the yarn to soften it before being stretched out to dry naturally. I may then give it a little steam as well. I want all the edge stars to stay pointy, not curled up. 

But what I do with it then I don't know... It would make a really colourful wall hanging but I have no-where at home to hang such a thing. ) Oh how I wish that I had a craft room...)

So if you have any ideas what I can do with it,  I'd be very interested to hear them. It would be a shame to fold it up and hide it away again...

More photos soon!! T xx