Sports fans can get really creative when it comes to their homemade memorabilia, and Columbus Blue Jackets fan Rikki Price Merkle is no different.
Price Merkle decided to create a Blue Jackets-inspired blanket from a picture she saw on X. "I saw the idea for a crocheted record blanket from a NJ Devils fan on Twitter(X), but I wanted the Blue Jackets to be different, so I decided to do the star pattern to go with our logo," Rikki said.
This was the first time she had tried this type of project.
As seen in the picture above, the concept was simple - Red for a win, Blue for a loss, Grey for an OT win, and White for an OT loss. Why those colors, you ask? The Colors of the CBJ are Goal Red, Union Blue, and Capital Silver. Simple enough.
Rikki started with a star in the middle, which signified game one of the season, and from there would crochet a ring around the outside of the star for every game the Jackets played, whether it was a win or a loss, totaling 82 rings.
The final product was nothing short of amazing.
"I was trying to keep up with every game and would try to complete the layer the day after we played. I would never start a row before the game was over, so I wouldn’t jinx us," Price Merkle joked.
And for those wondering, yes, there are 82 rings on this blanket. One for every game.
"Toward the last few games of the season, each layer would take about 2 hours," she said. You can tell how big it is below, compared to her cat Astro.
As for what she will do with it, Rikki says she plans to put it with the rest of their sports memorabilia, and will be on the couch during the CBJ games next season.
Price Merkle says she'd love to do it again next season. 'I think I will do a different pattern," she says. The native Clevelander also wants to make one for the Cleveland Monsters.
"I have been a fan since around 2015 when the Monsters and Blue Jackets became affiliated. We went to Monsters games all the time, and we were at the game when they won the Calder Cup in 2016, and those few years really got us into the Monsters and Blue Jackets ."
Rikki says they also make the drive down to Columbus a few times a year for games.
Sports fans always come up with good ideas, but this is one of the more unique ones I've seen, that's for sure.
Great Job, Rikki!
Let us know what you think below.
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