Folk Tales Blanket CAL by Anna Nikipirowicz - Part 5 in West Yorkshire Spinners - Downloadable PDF

Folk Tales Blanket CAL by Anna Nikipirowicz – Part 5: Making Up (West Yorkshire Spinners)

This is Part 5 of the Folk Tales Blanket Crochet Along (CAL), designed by Anna Nikipirowicz and published by West Yorkshire Spinners as a free, downloadable PDF. This instalment focuses on the Making Up stage of the blanket — the process of joining the individual crochet squares together into a finished throw. If you have been working through the previous parts of this CAL, Part 5 is the satisfying final assembly phase that brings all of your completed motifs together into one cohesive, heirloom-quality piece.

About the Folk Tales Blanket CAL

The Folk Tales Blanket draws its name and spirit from old traditions of handcraft and communal storytelling. The concept behind the design is rooted in the idea that past generations would gather together — with family, friends, or neighbours — to make things by hand while sharing folk tales and oral histories. Anna Nikipirowicz and West Yorkshire Spinners encourage makers to continue this tradition, dedicating time each day or each week to work on their squares, giving each one its own story and meaning.

The blanket is designed with a modern twist, blending traditional crochet craft with contemporary shapes and bright, bold colours. This combination of old and new — heritage technique meeting modern aesthetic — is central to the Folk Tales design philosophy. The finished blanket is intended to be passed down through generations, carrying both the craft and the stories told during its making.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a crochet blanket or throw, constructed from multiple individual squares, each worked using different techniques introduced across the five parts of the CAL. Part 5 specifically addresses making up — the joining and finishing of all the squares into the complete blanket. This is an intermediate-level crochet project, making it well suited to makers who are comfortable with basic crochet stitches and are ready to explore more varied and textured techniques.

Techniques and Stitches Used

Across the full Folk Tales Blanket CAL, a rich variety of crochet techniques and stitches are explored, with each square introducing something new — described in the pattern as a new twist in the tale. The series is subtitled Twists and Trebles, which gives a clear indication of the stitch vocabulary involved. Techniques referenced within the CAL include:

• Treble crochet — a foundational stitch used extensively throughout the blanket squares, providing height and texture
• Spike stitches — a decorative technique where the hook is inserted into a row below the current working row, creating elongated stitches that add visual depth and colour interest
• Script-style stitch patterns — referenced under the heading Scripts and Spikes, suggesting stylised or flowing stitch arrangements that contribute to the blanket's folk-art character
• Square construction — each motif is worked as an individual square before being assembled
• Making up / joining — the focus of Part 5, this involves seaming or crocheting the individual squares together to form the complete blanket, a skill that requires neat finishing for a professional result

Spike stitches in particular are a popular intermediate technique in colourwork crochet. They allow colour from previous rows to be drawn up into the current row, creating striped or geometric effects without the need to carry multiple yarns simultaneously. This makes them an excellent choice for a folk-inspired, multi-coloured blanket design.

Video Tutorial Support

To support makers working through the Folk Tales Blanket CAL, West Yorkshire Spinners have produced helpful video tutorials covering the techniques used across the pattern series. These resources are referenced within the PDF and are designed to complement the written instructions, making the CAL accessible to a wide range of skill levels within the intermediate category.

Materials: Yarn, Weight, and Tools

The Folk Tales Blanket CAL is a West Yorkshire Spinners pattern, and the yarn used is a DK weight yarn. The bright, bold colour palette described in the design — which gives the blanket its modern edge — is well suited to the clear stitch definition that DK weight yarn typically provides in crochet fabric. As a crochet project, the appropriate tools are crochet hooks