Welcome to the Artdeco CAL 2024
This is the page for the interwoven crochet version! You can find the info for the mosaic crochet version here: click here.
Introduction
CAL number 6! It’s becoming quite a list, isn’t it? I may be repeating myself a bit, but this one is so much fun to do. Labor intensive, yes, but it will be so beautiful! And this time too, the preparations took a lot of work.
In my previous CALs I always tried to do something new. I did one with the Log Cabin technique (click here) , which was special because we built up the blocks around the center. The 2022 CAL was done with the solid squares technique (click here), which gave more opportunities to play with the ‘intensity’ of the colors in a design and the previous CAL of 2023 (click here) was done with all kinds of blocks of different sizes, each of which was crocheted from the center. A very colorful blanket to which I have had many nice comments!
I started working with diagonal lines this time! That meant that I first had to figure out how I was going to draw this, and once I figured out how I wanted to shape it, I had to figure out how I wanted to ‘fill in’ my written instructions, so that it became clear what exactly you had to do while drawing. crochet.
Since 2018 I have been working on my own software to create the interlocking patterns (visually), and to automatically generate the written instructions. Later, of course, the mosaic version was also added. With all the previous CALs I had to expand my software to realize the new possibilities. That turned out to be quite a challenge this time! In my ‘working life’ I have been a software developer for large financial, administrative and statistical systems, so I like a challenge, and this time it took quite some time to ensure that the written instructions in particular came rolling out the way I wanted them, with all the possible combinations I could think of for this technique. But it worked, and I tested everything thoroughly by crocheting the blanket using the written instructions.
You can’t see the entire blanket in the photo. The top shows the center section (so I crocheted more than half), and the blanket continues to be crocheted with the sections below, but mirrored. I crochet everything myself, and you can imagine that this is a lot of work, in addition to what I already described for my software. I decided to release the CAL anyway, because all my software is working fine, and all the yarn usage calculations have been correct so far.
And last but not least: I have made several tutorials with videos and written versions with lots of photos!
Click on the photo to see it in its entirety. The colors are even more beautiful in real life.
Inspiration and the design process
In my previous CALs I drew everything myself from scratch. This time, however, I came across an art deco design that I absolutely loved. If you’d like to read more about that, and how the whole design process went, click here to read it.
The technique
I assume you already know how to do interwoven crochet. If you’re new to this, then first follow the tutorials that are available on this website with the accompanying videos. Click here for the startpage for super beginners. Or see the menu under Crochet, Crochet tutorials, Interwoven or locking crochet.
What you should also have mastered is the ‘solid squares’ technique. You can find the tutorial for that here: click here. If you already know the basics of interlocking crochet, it is not that difficult. There you also have a small extension to the written instructions, so it is useful to repeat this with the small instruction patch.
To teach you how to do this ‘slanted lines’ technique, I have created a number of tutorials that cover all possible situations. I’ve made videos for everything, as well as written tutorials with lots of photos.
You can find the patterns, tutorials and links to the videos here: click here. The patterns are also used as samples for this CAL, so that you can check your yarn usage.
If you don’t like the diagonal lines: an alternative
This blanket is actually a variation I made on one of the variations I had already designed without using diagonal lines. If you find the technique too difficult or simply too much work, I also have 3 patterns for you on Ravelry that do not use diagonal lines. Take a look here on Ravelry for the paid pattern: click here. Variation 3 of the pattern is most similar to the pattern with the diagonal lines, so I recommend that you make that as an alternative. You can of course also choose variations 1 and 2, which have the advantage that they use less yarn.
In 2 languages: Dutch and English
The pattern for the blanket is available in both English and Dutch. Go to https://www.dehandwerkjuf.nl/ for the Dutch version.
Yarn usage
Pay attention: this information is for the interwoven crochet version!
For this blanket I used Alize Cotton Gold Solid. If you want to use different colors, then choose colors that have a good contrast.
You need 15 balls of Alize Cotton Gold Navy 58.
You need 15 balls of Alize Cotton Gold Honey 736.
The size of the blanket is about 150 cm x 220 cm.
The usage for the tutorial pieces is not(!) included, but you should have enough, I always have an extra margin for those who use more than me. Make the tutorial pieces to check your yarn usage. Reuse the yarn if necessary.
The balls are 100 grams and have 330 meters working length. It is a 55% cotton and 45% acrylics mix.
I used hooksize 4 mm.
What I will give to you
Website
The patterns of the tutorial pieces are available on the website as a download on the tutorial pages (click here). They will stay here after the end of the CAL!
YouTube
On YouTube I have an English channel (The Craftsteacher, click the link) and a Dutch channel (De Handwerkjuf, click the link) where all my videos are. I made a separate playlist for the tutorial videos: see all the links on tutorial pages or click here.
Please subscribe to my YouTube channel (or channels), and check that bell, so you will get a message when a new video is published. This really helps me enormously. And if you like a video, please give it a thumbs up, this way you can show your appreciation for the work I put into it.
I have Facebook groups that I also used for my previous CALs. For English: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HookedAndLockedCALEnglish/ and for Dutch: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HookedAndLockedCALNederlands/. You can ask questions there, so others can help you, and of course you can help others by answering their questions. I will also be there for help. I will also announce there when a new part is published. You can also show pictures of your version of the blanket there.
Availability of the pattern
During the CAL the pattern parts will be available for free. I have split the pattern into 8 parts, which I release every 2 weeks. I know that adds up to about 16 weeks in total, but it is a large blanket, and especially the slanted lines and solid squares create a lot of extra work.
May I kindly ask you to consider this?
Before I continue how you can get to the pattern for free, I would like you to think of this. I’ve spent a lot of time creating the pattern and everything that comes with it. I don’t have yarn deals with yarn suppliers or things like that. So when you use the pattern, please consider buying it. When you take in consideration how much you spend on the yarn, or a bottle of wine, or an evening out to the cinema, and how much fun time you will have when crocheting, then think of the designer 🙂 .
Free through the newsletter
To get all parts for free you need to subscribe to the newsletter of The Craftskid (click here). You will receive a new mail every 2 weeks with a link to the place where you can download the files. The links in the newsletter will only be valid for two weeks, because we want to prevent as much as we can this will be shared on the internet outside of the newsletter. Did you forget one mail? No problem, because the new place where you have to download the next part will also have the files of the weeks before. So keep an open eye on your mails and check your spam folder!
The advantage of subscribing to the newsletter is that we will also be sharing our discount codes that way, or other news, like the release of our new patterns. Discount codes will not be shared anymore through Facebook or other channels. The Craftskid (my daughter) and I are very holding back with sending mails (because we really do not like if companies send us an email each day!), so don’t be afraid your mailbox will be filled with our mails.
After the duration of the CAL the downloads will still be available for a while for free, but I will remove them August 9 2024. After that the patterns will only be available on Ravelry at the regular price.
Paid pattern interlocking
This pattern can also be bought on Ravelry: click here. There you will get the entire(!!!) pattern right away, so you can make the blanket full speed :-). During the CAL this will be offered for a highly reduced price. The discount code will be sent to you in the newsletter (click here).
No mosaic version with slanting lines yet, but an alternative (!)
I know you can apply diagonal lines to mosaic crochet. I also plan to add that to my range of patterns. But in this pattern, in addition to so-called open structures, closed structures are also used, which sometimes cause the tops of the stitches to ‘stretch’ quite a bit. I don’t know yet whether that will look nice with mosaic crochet. I simply haven’t had time to try that out yet (and expand my software accordingly), so I’m not going to offer it yet. I can’t promise that that will happen, because of course I’m not going to make that if it isn’t beautiful. If you would like to participate in this CAL with mosaic crochet, look at the special page with information about the mosaic version (click here), because I have a nice alternative to a blanket that looks very similar to this!!!
If you want to take on a challenge and know well how mosaic crochet pattern drawings work: you could take the instruction drawings of the pattern (new!!!, see the tutorials for slanted lines for interlocking) with the slanted lines and see if you can do something with it. Of course, you should read the instructions for interlocking for the back backwards. But this is for the real ‘die hards’ . If you are going to do this and you succeed (because it is possible, but the question is whether it will be nice!), please share this on the Facebook pages!
Don’t loose your files!
I’ve seen with the previous CALs that people lost their downloaded files, and for a while I offered the parts on request. I will not do that anymore because of the growing number of participants, so please don’t loose them! Put it on your computer in a place where you can easily find them, or save them in the cloud, like on Google Drive, on OneDrive or in Dropbox.
Release schedule
I will publish the parts on the following dates (with reservation). So keep your eye on your mailbox on these dates.
April 4, 2024: The tutorials will then be published here on the website and on YouTube.
April 19, 2024: Part 1
May 3, 2024: Part 2
May 17, 2024: Part 3
May 31, 2024: Part 4
June 14, 2024: Part 5
June 28, 2024: Part 6
July 12, 2024: Part 7
July 26, 2024: Part 8
August 9, 2024: All free downloads will be removed!
I am wishing you lots of fun with crocheting this blanket!