The smiley face blanket (2002)

Dimensions:
17 by 17 4rd/15st squares (289 squares total, each square approx. 5"/13cm on a side)
84" by 84" (215cm by 215cm)
Weighs about 10lbs/4-5kgs

Yarns (Coats and Clark Red Heart Supersaver):
Squares:
Cornmeal (320) - 202sq
Frosty Green (661) - 68sq
Warm Brown (336) - 19sq
Seamed/Bordered with:
Aspen Print (305)

Bolster pillow:
Squares:
Country blue (382) - 20 4rd/15st squares
Seamed/Bordered with:
Aspen Print (305) - one 4rd/15st square, and several rounds of dc around the opening
(The squares were stitched together to form a rectangular pillowcase (4 squares around, 5 squares long), which was then stuffed with a small fleece lap blanket.)

Finished blanket:

Finished blanket, hanging on line, showing back of blanket:

Partly-assembled blanket:

Smiley-face blanket, with strips laid out for QA

The pillowcase, unstuffed:

Pillowcase to go along with Smiley-face blanket

Current status: Completed November 2002. Presented to recipient November 2002.

Notes:
This was the first blanket I made this way. I had no idea what I was doing. That's often the best way to start a project, I find.

I especially didn't know how I was going to assemble this thing.

Initially, I had hoped to use the variegated yarn (green, blue, brown) in individual squares. I found, however, that it worked up to be a much smaller square than the other (solid) colors.

I was expecting to hand-sew the squares together with yarn that matched the squares, and I wasn't looking forward to it.

Then, inspiration struck. I had yarn I couldn't use for squares, and I'd been looking forward to crocheting with it. I could crochet the squares together with the yarn!

After all, I'd bought it to give a unified look to the colors. And how better to do that than to use it to unite the pieces?

The rest, as they say, is history.

Single crocheting gives a slightly different look to the front and back. On the front, there's a broken effect, much like a running stitch. On the back, the solid line of crochet gives a mosaic-like look to the design.