crochet

Lockdown Blanket

Way back at the beginning of March, when life was still vaguely “normal”, I decided that we needed a blanket for our bed for the in-between times when the winter duvet is too hot and the summer one is too cold. Little did I know that this would affectionately become known as my Lockdown Blanket.

I chose to use Caron Yarn Cakes because they are super lovely to work with, plus they make big blankets with minimal ends to darn in. Winning. I picked this particular colour way (rainbow sprinkles) to go with our bedroom colour scheme. I say that, our bedroom is white so really it was the yellow to match our curtains. Plus I love a rainbow. It arrived just a week before lockdown started here in the UK.

five giant balls of yarn in rainbow colours ready for Rosie's lockdown blanket

I made good progress early on until we had a summer in April and the hottest May in years. It became too hot to be sitting under a growing blanket and sewing took over. Rainy days, although few and far between for much of lockdown, became a chance to crochet. The bright rainbow colours definitely cheer up a grey day.

My lockdown blanket has grown slowly but steadily over the last four months. As life is beginning to return to some sort of normality, I am approaching the end of my last cake. Currently it measures 114cm across, so could really do with being bigger. I had hoped to finish it during lockdown so it could really be my lockdown blanket, but I may have to admit defeat and order more yarn.

When I ordered the yarn back in March, I had no idea that the rainbow would become the symbol of lockdown. It is the perfect symbol, reminding people to hope even in the darkest times. This blanket is the same, brightening grey rainy days, and being reassuringly familiar as my hands do the stitches without thinking.

crochet rainbow hanging in Rosie's front door window

My lockdown blanket will forever remind me of the time the world stopped. Although it has been a strange and sometimes scary time, I have seen so many instances of kindness and humanity. That gives me hope that the world will come back as an even better place. That’s the power of a rainbow.

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