My Experience with the Sirdar Pumpkin Spice CAL

There’s something rather lovely about joining a crochet-along. Yes, at the end of it you get a beautiful blanket, but it’s really about the journey too — learning new stitches, discovering new techniques, sharing your progress, admiring everyone else’s colour choices and, of course, having a very good excuse to sit down with your crochet!

That’s exactly what I found with the Sirdar Pumpkin Spice CAL.

When I first saw the colours, I was completely sold. The gorgeous autumnal shades of oranges, yellows, reds and earthy browns immediately made me think of crisp autumn mornings, cosy evenings and all the things I love about that time of year.

It seemed like the perfect project to start as the weather got cooler, grab a blanket, a cup of something warm and settle down with my crochet.

Except… the British weather had other ideas!

Instead of cosy autumn evenings, we found ourselves in the middle of a heatwave! Not exactly the Pumpkin Spice autumn I had imagined, but that didn’t stop me from getting stuck in.

Taking It One Week at a Time

One of the things I really enjoyed about the CAL format was that I didn’t have to look at the whole blanket and think, “How on earth am I going to make all of that?”

Each week brought another section, which made the whole project feel much more manageable.

There was something quite exciting about finishing one part and then wondering what was coming next. I’d tell myself, “I’ll just finish this section…” and, inevitably, I’d end up doing a little more!

Watching the blanket grow week by week was incredibly satisfying. What started as a pile of yarn and a crochet hook slowly turned into an actual blanket — always a good sign!

Learning Along the Way… and Occasionally Getting Frustrated!

I’ve been crocheting for years, but there’s always something new to learn. The Sirdar Pumpkin Spice CAL introduced some lovely textures and techniques without making the whole thing feel too complicated.

That said, I’m not going to pretend I sailed through every stitch without a single moment of frustration!

There were definitely times when a new technique had me thinking, “Nope. I clearly don't understand this!”

When that happened, I found the best thing to do was simply stop.

Rather than getting more and more frustrated, I’d put it down for a while and come back to it later. I also made good use of the video tutorials — watching the section again, picking up my hook and working along with the video, pausing it when I needed to and going back over the tricky bits.

And then suddenly… it clicked!

There’s a very satisfying feeling when you’ve spent ages thinking “I can't do this” and then suddenly you’re flying through the stitch. It’s even more satisfying when you look back at the bit that caused all the drama and realise you actually managed it!

Falling in Love with the Texture

As the blanket started to grow, I really began to appreciate just how much texture there is in the design.

It’s not simply about changing colours. The different stitch combinations add so much depth and interest, and every section feels slightly different.

That kept it interesting for me because I was never quite sure what was coming next.

You get that lovely feeling of “Ooh, I like this bit!” as you work through each section.

And Those Colours…

The colours have to be one of my favourite things about the Sirdar Pumpkin Spice CAL.

Sirdar really has captured that autumn feeling with this palette. The warm oranges, rich reds, golden yellows and earthy tones all work beautifully together.

And although the colours have that lovely autumnal feel, I don't think the finished blanket feels overly seasonal. It’s the kind of blanket you can have draped over the sofa all year round.

Although, admittedly, it does make you want a hot chocolate and a pumpkin-spiced something every time you look at it!

More Than Just a Blanket

One of the things I didn’t expect to enjoy quite so much was the community side of the CAL.

Seeing everyone else’s progress, looking at different colour combinations and watching other people tackle the same sections made it feel like we were all doing it together.

There was always someone sharing their latest section, asking a question, offering a tip or celebrating finally conquering a particularly tricky stitch!

It made the project feel much less like sitting at home crocheting on your own and much more like being part of something.

My Blanket Went Everywhere With Me!

By the end, I was determined to get this blanket finished — and that meant it came pretty much everywhere with me!

One of my favourite places to get a few hours of crochet done was while I was waiting for my daughter at dance class.

Instead of sitting there scrolling through my phone, I could get my crochet out and get a couple of hours of the blanket done. And believe me, a couple of hours here and there really do add up.

The blanket also became a bit of a conversation starter.

The colours and texture caught the attention of the other dance mums, and even some of the girls at my daughter’s dance class were interested in what I was making.

I think there’s something about seeing a crochet project actually being made that makes people curious. “What are you making?” quickly turned into “Can I have a look?” and before long I had an audience admiring the latest section!

Don't Worry If Life Gets in the Way

One thing I would definitely say about doing a CAL is don't put yourself under pressure to finish each section in exactly one week.

Life happens.

There are busy weeks, family commitments, work, appointments, dance classes… and sometimes you simply don't have the time or energy to crochet.

I think it took me about four or five weeks to finish what were supposed to be the final two weeks!

And do you know what? It didn't matter.

The CAL isn't a race. The instructions aren't going anywhere, and there’s no crochet police coming to knock on your door because you're a few weeks behind!

For me, taking a little longer actually meant I enjoyed those final sections rather than rushing them just to say I had finished on time.

Would I Recommend It?

Absolutely!

The Sirdar Pumpkin Spice CAL has a lovely mix of beautiful colours, interesting textures, new techniques and, most importantly, lots of enjoyment along the way.

Whether you’re an experienced crocheter looking for your next project or you’re thinking about trying your first CAL, I think it’s a really enjoyable way to make a blanket.

For me, the finished blanket is definitely something I’m proud of, but it’s the whole experience that I’ll remember — learning new techniques, occasionally getting completely frustrated, watching the blanket grow, taking it to dance class and chatting to people about it along the way.

And perhaps that’s what I enjoyed most.

It wasn’t just about getting to the end and having a beautiful blanket.

It was about enjoying all those little moments in between — one stitch, one section and, occasionally, one “right, I’m putting this down before I throw it across the room!” moment at a time!

And if you’re wondering whether I’d do another Sirdar CAL…

Well, let’s just say I’ve already got my eye out for the next one! Hopefully not long now!