Bullfinch Blanket CKAL - Whirl blanket - knit/crochet

The very first crochet-along was announced by the Scheepjes yarn factory exactly 10 years ago. For this year's anniversary, they have prepared special projects to delight knitting and crochet enthusiasts! The wonderful and colorful songbirds will be the inspirations for the Crochet-A-Long (CAL) and Knit-A-Long (KAL).

What do MAL / CAL / KAL mean? What makes them so great?

AL (Make-A-Long) stands for 'creating together.' The creative team at Scheepjes yarn factory announces several crochet-alongs / knit-alongs each year, during which many enthusiastic creators around the world simultaneously make the same sweater, scarf, or blanket using the specified colors or their ideas. The pattern needed for the creation is available on Ravelry, and on Facebook, an official group that provides helpful posts, videos, and updates within the given timeframe. If someone gets stuck, they can ask questions, and if they wish, they can share pictures of their work in progress. In short, it is a wonderful and inspiring communal project!

What should you know about this current Bullfinch Blanket crochet/knit-along?

The very first crochet-along was announced by the Scheepjes yarn factory exactly 10 years ago. For this year's anniversary, they have prepared special projects to delight knitting and crochet enthusiasts! The inspirations for the Crochet-A-Long (CAL) and Knit-A-Long (KAL) will be the wonderful and truly colorful songbirds.

You can now create a fantastic blanket designed by Esther (It's All in a Nutshell) with the help of this kit! The communal crafting starts in July 2024, and the pattern will be made public on the 17th of July. In the meantime, it is worth getting the yarn kit, but of course, you can join later as well. The blanket can be crocheted or knitted, depending on which you are better at or which technique you want to improve in.

The color shades of the blanket are inspired by the plumage of the bullfinch bird, and the pattern is suitable for beginner, intermediate, and experienced crocheters and knitters. You can knit or crochet the blanket from a huge, limited edition Scheepjes Mega Whirl yarn cake, using the "join-as-you-go" technique, where the motifs are joined together as you create them. The beautiful Mega Whirl is gradually and gently gradient, containing almost 3 kilometers of yarn! Besides the yarn, the kit also includes some exciting extras!

The designer will assist in English on her blog and in the Scheepjes Facebook group, with pictures, detailed descriptions, and videos. And of course, the group of more than 110,000 members will be there to support us, helping each other. :)

Difficulty Level: beginner / intermediate

Technique: knitting or crochet

Finished blanket size:

Crocheted blanket: 100 x 140cm (after blocking)
Knitted blanket: 110 x 150cm (after blocking)

CAL / KAL start date: July 17, 2024

More information about the crochet-along: Scheepjes

Scheepjes CKAL Bullfinch Blanket kit - blanket pattern + yarn package contents:
The kit comes in a hard patterned cardboard gift box (22 x 22 x 14cm)

1 x Scheepjes Mega Whirl (60% cotton, 40% acrylic) 666 grams, 2998 meters
1 x shoulder strap canvas bag
1 x postcard with 3 birds

Recommended accessories: (not included in the box):

The crochet and knitting pattern is available for free on the Scheepjes website in Dutch, English (UK and US), and German, as well as in the official Scheepjes Facebook groups. Of course, you will need knitting or crochet needles and accessories for both versions. We will naturally assist in understanding and following the pattern in Hungarian for everyone participating.

Materials needed for the crocheted blanket:

1 x 3mm crochet hook
stitch markers

Materials needed for the knitted blanket:

1 pair of traditional straight knitting needles / circular needles (as you prefer) size 3.25mm
1 openable stitch marker
1 closed stitch marker (e.g., ring)