Autumn Leaves Blanket details...

A few readers commented on my last post that they either had found the book that houses the pattern I used to make the Cinnamon Latte Blanket, or they were going to look for it.  I'm delighted, and I hope you enjoy this pattern as much as I have.  That said, I'm thinking it may be helpful for me to write an addendum to my last post.

I've written some of these additional thoughts in comments over the space of a couple of posts, but I'm thinking it is a good idea to put all the information in one spot.  So here we go!

This was what I wrote in my last post about the pattern and yarn I used for The Cinnamon Latte blanket:

Pattern is called Autumn Leaves and is found in the book, Weekend Afghans (ISBN 0806964863). I started with a chain of just over 200, and undid the unneeded chains once I had it wide enough.  [I've snipped the yarn info -use whatever worsted weight yarn you like]

What I want to add is everything below:

The pattern calls for worsted weight yarn and a size K hook.  While that may work great, I have always made this blanket using worsted weight yarn and a size J hook.  The designer meant for this to be a very drapey blanket, but I have found it plenty drapey using a size J hook.  Your mileage may vary. Experiment and see what you like.

The slanted triple crochet stitches require a very smooth hook.  When I started my latest blanket of this pattern, the hook I started with would occasionally snag on the yarn, but once I switch hooks it was a pleasure to crochet.  

Because I use a smaller hook, but also because this is a "throw" size, and I generally like my blankets larger, I starte with a chain a lot longer than the pattern recommends.  I always begin with a chain of around 200 (though, this time I may have chained more), and I work Row 1 as long as I want it to be (undoing the extra chains later).  Doing this, makes the ending instructions on Row 1 a little tricky for me, but I seem to always figure it out.

Also... Row 3 of this pattern is confusing, and I've concluded it is a typo.  Right after Row 2, the pattern says to "Repeat Row 3 until work measures" [really, whatever length you want the blanket to be].  But there is no Row 3.  I'm sure it means "Repeat row 2".

And in case this isn't clear to someone else (because I'm just now realizing I've done the last step intuitively - I'm sure out of confusion over the way the instruction is written - here's what those last two sentences mean:

For a scalloped finish on the beginning edge, hold the beginning edge of the blanket so that the skipped chains are to the left of each triple crochet "shell" (beginning yarn tail will be on the right, I believe).  Join a new length of yarn with a standing triple crochet, then crochet Row 1 across. I, then, tend to use the ends of my yarns to make the corners a bit rounded on this end as I sew them in.  I just make this part up.  Again, your mileage may vary.

If you give this pattern a go, and think anything I've written here is confusing, please let me know.  I've finally written this all down here as much for my benefit as for anyone following along since I seem to have to figure these things out every time I've made this blanket.  Easy enough to do, I guess, since I've made this four times now.  

Just for fun, I went looking for pictures of each of the blankets I've made with this pattern.

A terrible picture, but my first Autumn Leaves was made using Premier Anti-Pilling Everyday Yarn in Aubergine.  Date finished: March, 2015.  This blanket hasn't gotten much use, so it's still in pretty good condition. 

In May of 2015, I made it again for a friend (an almost second-mother) whose husband had recently passed.  Yarn was Premier Anti-Pilling Everyday Yarn in Orchid.

A year later, in May of 2016, I made one for our living room. This time using Hobby Lobby I Love This Yarn in the color Sea Blue.  Now, ten years later, using this blanket as my reference, its shabbiness has become painfully obvious to me.  I'm toying with replacing this one with a fifth blanket - in another color, perhaps.

And Cinnamon Latte, made in several different worsted weight yarns, in five colors.

On another note...  on the chance that anyone remembers a blanket I made (twice) in shades of pink and pink-red that I named Sweetheart Blanket...  That pattern is actually called Corn on the Cob and is from the same book that has the Autumn Leaves blanket.

And for that matter, years ago, I made the Kitty-Cat Afghan, and that pattern (by a different name and designer, and in a larger size) is in this book, as well.

I hope this post is useful for someone.  I think it will be helpful for me to refer back to.  And it was kind of fun to take a trip down memory lane...