Scheepjes Colour Lab CAL
Published on August 9, 2024

Colour Lab Blanket Crochet Pattern Update, Plus Full PDF Now Available!

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Hello, lovely crafter! As we have just wrapped up the 2024 VVCAL, I want to share some news about another CAL that I wrote nearly two years ago. The Scheepjes Colour Lab CAL was a massive undertaking, from brainstorming the design, to creating the blanket and tweaking the yarn amounts to build the yarn kits, to coming up with alternate colorways for more yarn options. After all the hard work, it was an absolutely incredible experience.

Now, I am pleased to announce that Scheepjes has allowed me to put together a full PDF version which includes the entire blanket pattern. As of now, the pattern is available in the Scheepjes Facebook groups as several separate files, and it takes some digging to go back and forth for the pattern. Now, the whole pattern is in one place, and in case you need assistance with the pattern, the PDF includes links to the associated blog pages as well as links to the videos for each part.

Shop the PDF

Find the Colour Lab Blanket PDFs here! Purchase includes 3 PDFs: US Terms, UK Terms, and a Dutch Translation.

PDF Pattern Includes:

  • Detailed stitch descriptions and special techniques section
  • Links to all video tutorials and blog support pages
  • Schematics and charts for colorways
  • Full pattern broken into 8 parts for clarity
  • Completely tested pattern, ready to dive in!

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The Colour Lab Blanket Crochet Pattern

The initial inspiration for the Colour Lab Blanket was the Salut Maroc boutique hotel in Essaouira, a port city in Morocco.

The gorgeous gem 11-room hotel, Salut Maroc, is an 18th century Unesco World Heritage Site that boasts “a truly contemporary take on Moroccan Design in a heritage setting, utilising all the Traditional Artisanal skills of the Moroccan craftsmen.” Continuing from the SalutMaroc.com About page, the artistry of the hotel is “a fusion of Islamic patterns, vibrant colours, and an eclectic mix of Contemporary and Antique furnishings.”

Below, I share a still of the Gallery page, which shows a glimpse of each of the 11 rooms. With just this one image, you can see how each of the 11 rooms feature an iconic mix of bold patterning. Every one of these rooms could become a crochet blanket — if I had enough hours in the day!

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Taking the theme to the Colour Lab was an easy leap when you consider each of the rooms as an experiment in pattern mixing. A dash of this and a sprinkle of that, and who knows what creation will poof into existence! Each room is completely its own science project. The quirky tile and bedding designs certainly informed my Colour Lab Blanket, as you can tell in its zig-zag paneled layout.

Creating the Full Pattern PDF

To make this PDF, I have combined all of the written instructions, as well as the schematics and visual aids into one document. Links to support blog pages and all videos are also included, as well as where to purchase yarn.

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Examples of Special Techniques

This pattern contains many interesting techniques, but it explains them in a way that a beginner can understand. Here are some examples:

Beginning Stitches

For a crochet pattern in general, there must be a way to jump to the height of the stitch on the next round. For example, many times you will see “chaining up”, like ch1 for a (US) single crochet, ch2 for a half double crochet, ch3 for a double crochet, and so on. Or perhaps you will find standing stitches in a pattern, or there are other solutions out there.

As you probably know, in CypressTextiles patterns, I use something called “beginning stitches” which refer to the first stitch of the round from (US) double crochet and taller, as well as any cluster stitches, bobbles, or popcorns, etc. I do not use any method before a (US) Single crochet, because for that short stitch, I just go right into making the sc without chaining up. Since the single crochet is the foundation for the beginning stitches, there is no “chaining up” in my patterns.

beg tr beginning treble crochet

Make single crochet, then chain 2, as follows:

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Joining Methods

The Colour Lab Blanket is made up of motifs that are joined together, and panels that are joined as well. The pattern includes a section describing these methods: Flat Braid join method, PLT join method (pull loop through join), and Ss join method (slip stitch join).

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More Tips and Tricks

For more Tips and Tricks, including making gauge and changing color, you can check out my US Terms or my UK Terms Tips and Tricks pages for this project!

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Where to Get Support

While you are working the blanket, if you need pattern support, there is definitely a ton of help out there! It has been proven time and time again that the Scheepjes CAL patterns turn beginners into rock stars. Please do not worry if the pattern looks complicated, as this safety net of support points will be there for you, just a click away.

  • Facebook Group Support – Definitely join the CypressTextiles Crochet group and you can post there for assistance.
  • YouTube Support – The very talented Esther of It’s All in a Nutshell has graciously made videos for this CAL which will appear weekly on her YouTube Channel. Her videos are well known worldwide, and she is an absolute treasure.

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Yarn Information

From the Scheepjes Website: “The Colour Lab CAL is all about experimenting with colour. Will you follow the conventional road and combine colours according to the colour wheel, or do you abandon all rules to follow your own path? It’s your blanket, your choice.”

Buy an Official Kit!

Metropolis Kit

Metropolis is a lush Extra Fine Merino and Nylon blend, which gives it exceptional softness and strength, and a buttery hand. With Metropolis, you can expect your blanket to be 152x142cm (60x56in) after blocking.

The Colour Lab CAL Metropolis Kit contains:

  • 17 x 50g balls of Metropolis in 3 base colours
  • 1 Metropolis Colour Pack (80 x 10g)
  • Classified Colour Lab booklet
  • Darning needle
  • Limited Edition Scheepjes lanyard
  • ‘Access All Areas’ pass granting exclusive extra content

Scheepjes Metropolis (75% Extra Fine Merino Wool, 25% Nylon; 50g/200m)

  • Yarn A: 025 Nice x 8 balls (+ 1 x 10g ball from colour pack)
  • Yarn B: 079 Munich x 4 balls (+ 1 x 10g ball from colour pack)
  • Yarn C: 069 Miami x 5 balls (+ 1 x 10g ball from colour pack)
  • Scheepjes Metropolis Colour Pack (75% Extra Fine Merino Wool, 25% Nylon; 80 x 10g/25m)
  • Yarns D-BBBB: see relevant colourway schematic (Schematics 1-3) or assign your own colours using the Colour Lab booklet (included in Official Scheepjes CAL Kits)
  • 2mm crochet hook (for final round of Blanket border only)
  • 2.5mm crochet hook
  • 3mm crochet hook (for joining motifs in Part 8 only)

Scrumptious Kit

The new Scheepjes Scrumptious yarn combines the softens of acrylic with a recycled plastic component which makes the yarn sustainable and very strong. The yarn is plush and soft, and just perfect for snuggly blankets. With Scrumptious, you can expect a blanket of 198×176 cm (78x69in) after blocking.

The Colour Lab CAL Scrumptious Kit contains:

  • 13 x 100g balls of Scrumptious in 3 base colours
  • 1 Scrumptious Colour Pack (80 x 30g). Please note: this Colour Pack was produced exclusively for the CAL and is not available separately.
  • Classified Colour Lab booklet,
  • Darning needle
  • Limited Edition Scheepjes lanyard
  • ‘Access All Areas’ pass granting exclusive extra content

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Scheepjes Scrumptious (50% Recycled Polyester, 50% Acrylic; 100g/300m)

  • Yarn A: 302 Buttercream Icing x 6 balls (+ 1 x 30g ball from colour pack)
  • Yarn B: 380 Black Sesame Muffin x 3 balls (+ 1 x 30g ball from colour pack)
  • Yarn C: 301 Charcoal Ice Cream x 4 balls (+ 1 x 30g ball from colour pack)
  • Scheepjes Scrumptious Colour Pack (50% Recycled Polyester, 50% Acrylic; 80 x 30g/97m)
  • Yarns D-BBBB: see relevant colourway schematic (Schematics 1-3) or assign your own colours using the Colour Lab booklet (included in Official Scheepjes CAL Kits)
  • 3mm crochet hook (for final round of Blanket border only)
  • 3.5mm crochet hook
  • 4mm crochet hook (for joining motifs in Part 8 only

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More Colour Lab Blanket Fun

Because I could not get enough of this pattern, I created a Scheepjes Whirl version, as well as a mini-version layout that I worked up in Scrumptious leftovers.

Whirl Version

The Whirl Version is almost done and I love it so much!

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I used three of the Lemon Cassis Cream Whirl yarn and then what I think will end up to me about 6-7 Whirlettes.

Order Whirl Yarn

These are all affiliate links and shopping through them will gain me a small commission. It is a great way to support my work at no additional cost to you!

Find the 3 x 220g balls of Scheepjes Whirl Lemon Cassis Cream (or color of your choice) at one of these shops.

Order Whirlette Yarn

Find the 6-7 x 100g balls of Whirlette No. 860 Ice (or color of your choice) at one of these shops.

Of course you can also search for a retailer near you by clicking this link to the Scheepjes Shop page!

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Small Version

And the Smaller Scrumptious version is pretty great too! Here is what the layout looks like for a smaller version of the blanket. You can easily see what sections are omitted when you are going through the pattern. I’m absolutely in love with this adorable smaller version!

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Of course I had to include my Della Q bag from Jimmy Beans Wool in a photo. It’s my favorite project bag because I am very hard on my things, and it never looks worn out, due to the material. The one I have is the Maker’s Roll Top. (aff)

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Shop the Colour Lab Blanket PDF

Find the Colour Lab Blanket PDFs here! Purchase includes 3 PDFs: US Terms, UK Terms, and a Dutch Translation.

PDF Pattern Includes:

  • Detailed stitch descriptions and special techniques section
  • Links to all video tutorials and blog support pages
  • Schematics and charts for colorways
  • Full pattern broken into 8 parts for clarity
  • Completely tested pattern, ready to dive in!

Thank you so much for reading about my latest PDF release! You will love this pattern!

Happy crafting,

Rachele C.

The Art of Crochet Blankets

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