Abbey Hey blanket

Abbey Hey Blanket by Kate Heppell

What is Being Made

The Abbey Hey blanket is a crochet throw designed in three finished sizes to suit different needs: a baby blanket measuring 85 x 50 cm, a lap blanket measuring 100 x 50 cm, and a bed blanket measuring 150 x 50 cm. This project is an intermediate-level crochet design that creates a decorative blanket suitable for gifting, home décor, or personal use.

Crochet Techniques and Stitch Structure

The Abbey Hey blanket uses a classic shell stitch pattern as its foundation, a technique that creates decorative scalloped or fan-like textures across the fabric. The pattern alternates between shells and spaces to build visual interest and texture throughout the piece.

The core stitches employed in this design are:

• Double crochet (dc): Used to create the centre points between shell motifs, providing structure and definition to the pattern
• Treble crochet (tr): Five trebles worked into a single stitch form the distinctive 5-tr shells that give the blanket its characteristic appearance
• Chain stitches (ch): Used for foundation chains and turning chains to transition between rows

The pattern works by repeating a sequence across each row: skip 2 stitches, work a 5-treble shell into the next stitch, skip 2 stitches, work a double crochet into the next stitch. This creates an interlocking pattern where shells and spaces alternate, with the double crochet stitches sitting at the centre of previous shells and the new shells being worked into the spaces between previous shells. This back-and-forth construction builds dimension and creates the blanket's textured appearance.

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The Abbey Hey blanket is designed using West Yorkshire Spinners Bluefaced Leicester DK yarn, a premium British wool option. The project requires two yarn types:

• Coloured yarn: DK weight, 112 metres per 50g ball, 100% British Bluefaced Leicester wool. The pattern calls for 1, 2, or 3 balls each in five colours: Wild Rose, Lavender, Bluebell, Sage, and Katkin, depending on which blanket size is being made
• Undyed yarn: DK weight, 225 metres per 100g skein, 100% British Bluefaced Leicester wool. The pattern requires 1, 2, or 3 skeins in ecru (natural undyed) based on the chosen size

A 4mm crochet hook is used throughout the project to work with the DK-weight yarn.

Tension and Sizing

The pattern is worked to a tension of 2.5 shells and 12 rows over a 10cm square. Achieving correct tension is important for the blanket to reach its intended finished measurements. The three size options allow crafters to choose the most suitable blanket dimensions for their intended purpose, with the baby blanket being the smallest option and the bed blanket providing generous coverage for larger surfaces.