BONUS PATTERN! I Added a simple but sweet pattern for a scarf to be made with the left-over yarn of the Scheepjes Metropolis colour pack.

When I first read about the colours in Longyearbyen, Svalbard’s capital, I knew I had to make it into a blanket.

One of the striking features of Longyearbyen is the colourful buildings. Style and design-wise the architecture appears fairly random whilst the choice of colours does not. They are used to visually link old and new buildings, and the rich, bright palette contrasts with the muted colours of the barren landscape. There is no visual buffer between the town and the “naked” mountainsides. The use of colour visually strengthens the sense of connection between buildings and enhances the sense of place for residents and visitors.

The houses are utilitarian with simple, but solid detailing to cope with the tough climate. They create a sense of connection in the overall brightly coloured neighbourhood. “The Longyearbyen Palette”, as it is often referred to, has become an important part of the town’s identity.

The architect Grete Smedal designed this colour palette in 1981 and is still ongoing. Though I can safely say that she did not pick exactly the Scheepjes Metropolis colour palette, I did so for my blanket.

This blanket is done in Interlocking crochet, and the pattern comes with instructions on the technique itself, plus photo tutorials on how to get started and how to make the colour changes.

My finished size: 1,20 x 1,50m (152 windows x 179 rows)

I used the Scheepjes Metropolis colour pack, it comes with 80 colours x 10g skeins and around 700g of the 078 Lyon shade for the outlines (A colour). With the small amounts of left-over yarn from the 10g skeins and 170g of 078 Lyon, I made a scarf which is also included in this pattern. It is a great pattern to use up any small amounts of yarn!

If you are new to the technique, you can find my tutorials with a free downloadable pattern to follow here: Astrid’s Interlocking crochet YouTube channel

You can also join me in my FB group where you can get help and tips, as well as share your work here: Astrid’s Interlocking crochet lab