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Shortly before Christmas I received an email from Charlotte asking me whether I know how to make the crochet blanket that is draped over the couch of the Draper’s living room in Mad Men. (Did you see what I did there…? Draped over the Draper’s couch. Genius.)
Charlotte said she has spotted this crochet blanket in scenes from Mad Men Season 1 through to 3. How did I miss that?! Oh yes, I know. Mr. Draper himself was usually in the scene with the crochet blanket so my attentions were a tad diverted….
Focus on the blanket ladies. Eyes to the right.
Upon closer inspection of this scene from Season 3, Episode 1 above I can safely say that the crochet blanket in Mad Men is a classic Catherine Wheel design in black, red, lemon yellow, mint green, white and beige with a deep red / maroon edge.
It looks like the blanket in Mad Men is the same as the one in another TV series, Breaking Bad. Sarah London explains in this blogpost exactly how to recreate the Breaking Bad blanket by using the Catherine Wheel crochet stitch, in other words, also how to create the Mad Men blanket seeing as it’s the same pattern!
The only slight difference I see is that in the Mad Men blanket, they sometimes have two rows in the same colour (like the lemon yellow in the photo at the top of this post), but apart from that, it’s very similar.
If you make a Catherine Wheel crochet blanket in black, red, lemon yellow, mint green, white and beige you will basically have recreated the blanket from two TV shows: Mad Men and Breaking Bad give or take a few colours! Score!
If you need more help, I found a video by the Crochet Geek on youtube that shows you exactely how to make a Catherine Wheel, also known as the Harlequin stitch.
On the Berocco website you can find a free pdf pattern for a Catherine Wheel blanket. They call it “Greenway” and it’s really pretty.
If we drape a Catherine Wheel crochet blanket over our couch, do you think Mr. Draper will drape himself over same couch? One can only hope…. and hook.
crochetime 
Wow – you have good eyes. It is a lovely pattern however. Will have to do something in it one day…….
What a hoot! I see more and more articles of crochet on TV. And people like can bask in the knowledge of “yes, I could make that if I wanted to.”
Great post
Boocoos
That’s a really nice blanket. I have been enjoying learning different crochet stitches over my Christmas holiday (using the Rowan Crochet Workshop book) , so I think I would enjoy doing something in Catherine Wheel stitch, it’s lovely. I can feel another blanket project coming on!! Can a girl ever have too many crocheted blankets?
I love this stitch! I have pinned it for a future project.
I love these! I tried the Sarah London way though and it felt like I had too many stitches in each wheel — they were all smushed up and lumpy! It looks like the Greenway version has less stitches… Maybe… I dunno.
Ah I’ve got a print out of the Greenway blanket pattern, I must try the stitch sometime.
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Here’a another one – http://youtu.be/-V2vHSuUJog – looks like the boy and his teddy have the same scarf 🙂 Still, the idea that my boy (8) would do anything alike FREAKS ME OUT.
Have you seen the beautiful crochet afghan that Keira Knightly wraps around herself in “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World”? It’s beautiful. They show it in the trailer – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T43InzvBm-k
Yes, it is amazing. I think I read somewhere the throw is by Anthropologie.
You are amazing!! You go that extra chain and in the end you have a trebble! No wonder your subscribers multiply by the dozen. Stunning to know that there’s a hooker that you can always rely on. (How many ‘hookers’ can attest to that?)
Hi, I am rewatching the complete series of Breaking Bad and I’ve noticed it is riddled with crochet blankets. The wheel stitch was the first I saw along with the ever prevalent expanding granny. However once I began season 4 I noticed a lot more crochet items in Jesse’s house in the party aftermath. A rather large crocheted blanket later covers his windows. My count is 6-7 right now in season 4, episode 3, and I imagine I will see more. I crochet and knit, and I have a knack for spotting items of the craft. 🙂