A Whiter Shade of Pale - Mirror Image Throw

Let me introduce you to my Whiter Shade of Pale Throw. Its for a friends birthday next week and she has no idea that I have made it.   Its what I call a mirror image throw as once you have completed the first 102 rows you will then begin to repeat the rows but in reverse order so that the blanket when folded in half is the same at both ends.  Clever eh. Well I thought so but then it doesn't take a lot to please me these days.  Its made using 10 balls of Stylecraft Special DK

1 grey (1099),
2 silver (1023),
2 parchment (1218)
5 white (1001)

and will cost approximately £20 or $25 to make.

I've not made a straight granny stripe blanket before.  I usually make squares as they are so much more portable and easy to take with you where ever you go but I have seen so many beautiful striped blankets that I thought no this time I will go for it and I'm so glad I did as it's turned out just perfect.

Using a size 4mm hook and silver (1023)  I made 152 chain this is enough to make a 42" wide blanket, which is big enough to fit across a single bed.

The following is in UK terms.

Starting with  the foundation row double crochet into the 2nd chain from the hook and continue to double crochet in each chain to the end.

Row 1: Chain 3 (counts as your turning stitch, this also forms your first treble of your next row) and continuing with silver make 1 treble in the same space miss the next two double crochet and make 3 treble into the next double crochet .  Continue along the foundation row by missing the next two double crochet  and working 3 treble in the next double crochet until you get to the last three double crochet miss two double crochet 2 treble into the last double crochet and turn.

Row 2: Chain 3, 3 treble into the next space between treble groups until you get to the 3 chain you made at the beginning of the previous row and treble into the 3rd of the 3 chain and turn.

Row 3: Chain 3, 1 treble in the same place, 3 treble into the next space between treble groups until you get the the end and 2 treble into 3rd of 3 chain, turn.

Row 4: Chain 3 into the next space between treble groups until you get to the 3 chain at the end of the row and 1 treble into 3rd of 3 chain, turn and break off the silver yarn.

Starting at row 5 repeat rows 3 & 4  changing colour as indicated in the chart below until you have worked all 180 rows. 

Rows	No of rows	Colour	Rows	No of rows	Colour
1-4	4	Silver	103-104	2	Parchment
5-6	2	Grey	105-106	2	Silver
7-10	4	Parchment	107-108	2	Grey
11-14	4	Silver	109-110	2	Parchment
15-16	2	Grey	111-116	6	White
17-20	4	Parchment	117-118	2	Grey
21-22	2	Silver	119-120	2	Parchment
23-28	6	White	121-122	2	Silver
29-32	4	Silver	123-126	4	Parchment
33-36	4	Parchment	127-128	2	White
37-46	10	White	129-130	2	Parchment
47-48	2	Silver	131-132	2	White
49-50	2	White	133-134	2	Silver
51-52	2	Parchment	135-144	10	White
53-54	2	White	145-148	4	Parchment
55-58	4	Parchment	149-152	4	Silver
59-60	2	Silver	153-158	6	White
61-62	2	Parchment	159-160	2	Silver
63-64	2	Grey	161-164	4	Parchment
65-70	6	White	165-166	2	Grey
71-72	2	Parchment	167-170	4	Silver
73-74	2	Grey	171-174	4	Parchment
75-76	2	Silver	175-176	2	Grey
77-78	2	Parchment	177-180	4	Silver
79-102	24	White

Row 181:  Continuing with the silver yarn, Chain 1, 1 double crochet into each treble of the previous row.

I have chosen to finish off with a simple border so that the blanket is the star attraction rather than the border but I think that is personal choice and there are lots of lovely borders out there to choose from.   

Having sewn in all the ends, of which there were many, using silver I double crocheted along each of the two sides so that it looks like the silver edges the whole throw. Once I have done this I broke off the silver yarn.

Join the grey yarn and work 2 rounds of double crochet. When it comes to the corners in the first round I  worked 2 double crochet, 2 chain and 2 double crochet. In the second round I worked three double crochet in the chain space between the 2 double crochets and this gives you a nice rounded corner. The finished throw measures approximately 42" x 74" and is big enough to cover a single bed.

Did you guess where the name of this throw came from?

For those of you of a certain age you may well remember the group Procol Harum and this was their debut single that got to number one in the UK charts in April 1967 and came from the album of the same name. 

Mx