Beginner’s Dream Crochet Project Daydream Blanket Kit by Wool and the Gang The thing is though, I went a little too hard at my knitting and ended up hurting my hands. Like, I spent pretty much a full weekend binge-watching Netflix and working on a lace weight shawl After putting the knitting away for a few weeks and wearing wrist braces a few hours every day I’m back to like 95%, but I’m still trying not to overdo it. Crochet, however, uses the same sort of energy but requires different muscles and movements.
Note: I purchased this kit on my own without any coordination with Wool and the Gang. However, this page may contain some affiliate links. If you purchase something through an affiliate link, I may receive a commission. See my full disclosure statement for details.
The Company
Wool and the Gang is owned by DMC Group, the company that also owns Sirdar Yarns and DMC, which is a dominant player in the embroidery floss and pearl cotton market. So, while Wool and the Gang feels like an indie start-up, they’re actually part of a large, well established conglomerate.
Related: Eco Printing Yarn with Bundle Dyeing
There was, however, a company Manifesto. This lists out four tenants that the company tries to operate by. The first one was a pledge of inclusivity, a desire for people to see themselves reflected on the site, which I found interesting. Looking around the website I found that Wool and the Gang was doing an OK, but not great, job of this.
Shipping and Packaging
I was able to reach the free shipping threshold of $80 because I added on the crochet hook needed for the kit. Shipping was neither super-fast nor slow. It took just long enough for me to be excited when I got the package, but not so long that I started wondering if it got lost or damaged.
When I opened my box I was happy to see that that the packaging seemed to be plastic free. The kit was entirely contained within a large craft paper bag. The balls of yarn had paper labels and the instructions and tools were in a paper envelope. This was a pleasant surprise. I hadn’t seen anything on their website about a green packaging initiative, so I was expecting the standard “wrap everything in plastic!” treatment.
The Kit
The Daydream Blanket kit contains everything needed to make a small, six-stripe crochet blanket. This kit is categorized as “Beginner” and is very much simple enough to justify that rating. A printed copy of the pattern is included, which takes the form of a well-designed booklet. My favorite part of the pattern booklet is that one of the pages includes a small ruler marking out exactly the width the finished stripes should be. This is just the sort of thoughtful touch that makes me really excited.
The Kit Bundles
The kit includes six balls of the brands Shiny Happy Cotton Yarn. Made from Pima cotton grown in Peru, this loosely twisted, single ply yarn has a slight sheen and a soft but solid hand when crochet. Pima cotton is what is known as a long-staple variety of cotton, meaning that the fibers are longer than standard cotton. Long staple cottons tend to be smoother and have a bit more sheen than standard cottons. They also can create yarns that are a bit stronger, less prone to abrasion. Given the loose twist of this yarn, the use of pima cotton makes sense.
The Daydream Blanket kit
The Daydream Blanket kit was $75 without the crochet hook and $83 with the hook. Shipping was free on orders over $80 when I bought it, so it’s worth adding on the hook if you need one. Buying the kit isn’t significantly less expensive than buying the yarn balls individually. The yarn goes for $12.50 a ball, which works out to $75 for the six balls in the kit. So, it’s like the pattern and needle are free with the yarn.
Making the Blanket
Since I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, I took advantage of some of the basic tutorial videos on the Wool and the Gang website to get me started. The instruction booklet includes the direct URL to their video page, which was nice. The videos don’t have the highest production value, but it’s easy to see what’s going on. They made a nice supplement to the written instructions.
Design Blankets
Once I got the hang of it, I didn’t even need to pay that close of attention. This was a really great project to work in front of the TV. It also would be ideal for someone who is constantly being interrupted. I never lost my place and was always able to pick up right where I left off.
I also had
a bit of an issue getting my tension right, but after the first stripe I got into a groove, but before that, I wasn’t quite sure how tight to make my loops. The first stripe of my finished blanket looks a little stretched out because of this. I’m hoping that with some use and maybe a wash it will even out. Otherwise, if it bothers me, I can always unravel it and remake the blanket.
The Finished Project
According to the pattern, the finished crochet blanket should be 70 x 84 cm, or about 29 x 33 inches. My completed blanket was about the size it was supposed to be, but I was still a bit surprised at how small that really was. At first, I thought it was going to be too small to be useful, but after living with it for a bit I’ve come around and I find myself using it as a lap blanket a lot while I’m working.
So, if you’re looking for a simple beginner crochet project that will result in a useful object and uses materials from a company that is making an effort to be inclusive and ethical then I very much recommend the Wool and the Gang Daydream Blanket.
