A Tale of Five Blankets: Chapter 13

Hello World,

there's one more blanket left in my collection of baby blankets that I've made recently for my shop, and this might even be my favorite one (maybe because it took sooooo  long).

This blanket is made with 324 tiny 2-round granny squares that I've joined together while working the second round. So, 324 squares - that means 648 ends to weave in, plus some for the border. Phew, no wonder it took me so long :)

This blanket was inspired by two other projects, that I had seen years ago, and ever since then I had wanted to make a similar blanket. One is Sandra's Giant Granny Patches on Cherry Heart, the other one is Rajeswari's Giant Granny Patch Blanket on Diaper Mum.

Based on Sandra's and Rajeswari's color palette, I've made some substitutions here and there and added some more, so I finally ended up with 20(!) different colors of Stylecraft Special DK:

Cream

Stone

Mocha

Silver

Saffron

Apricot

Shrimp

Fondant

Lipstick

Claret

Plum

Pale Rose

Clematis

Wisteria

Aster

Cloud Blue

Aspen

Teal

Meadow

Spring Green

Since the blanket already had a good size for a baby blanket, I've only added some more rounds of dc and finished with the border I had already used for my Starlight Baby Blanket.

Although I've mentioned in the beginning, that this was the last baby blanket in my collection, there's still one more blanket to show - one that I made not for sale, but as a gift for my friend's second baby. It's a Baby Sunburst Baby Blanket, and I'm gonna tell you all about it in my next post. :)

Thanks for visiting today and I hope to see you soon back here,

A Tale of Five Blankets - Chapter 4

Hey girls!

I'm back today with Chapter 4 of my Tale of Five Blankets. Today it's another (classic) Granny Square Blanket.

It's been a while since I've made it, but I think I had seen a picture on Pinterest of a crochet blanket with a grey background and thought I'd like to try this, too.

I really like the way the colors "pop" on this background, don't you?

Once more, I've used the fabulous Stylecraft Special DK acrylic yarn, and although I haven't written down the colors, meanwhile I'm able to recognize them by heart: Clematis, Sherbet, Saffron, Shrimp, Apricot, and Aspen. The tiny squares are framed with one round in Cream, and then joined with the continuous join-as-you-go method in Graphite (okay, I had to look that one up *gg*)

For the border I've used the block stitch pattern again, and finished it off with border no. 120 from Edie Eckman's book "Around The Corner - Crochet Borders", it's a front-post dc/regular sc combination. The final blanket measures 78x78 cm.

I'm also happy to say that this is the first blanket I've actually sold. My sister-in-law wanted something special to give to her friend who recently had her first baby, and this blanket was the one she picked from my pile of the five blankets that I'm showing you in this series.

The first four blankets you've seen now have one thing in common: I've made them all before or during my long blog break. The last one in the series is a brand-new one, that I've made just a few weeks ago. Turned out I still know how to hold a hook and where to place my stitches! :)

See you all next time for the final chapter of my Tale of Five Blankets!

A Tale of Five Blankets - Chapter 2

Welcome back to my Tale of Five Blankets!

Today let's talk about this Granny Square Blanket:

Again (like the first blanket in the series), this is one that I had already worked on before my blog break, so here's the end result.

It's the classic Granny Square pattern, joined with a continuous join-as-you-go method. I ususally end up making Granny Squares, when I've frogged another project and don't really know what else to do with the left-overs. Just like in this case. :)

For the border I've used a pattern that goes by the name "block stitch" I think. A round of 3dc/ch1, followed by a round of 1sc/ch3 worked into the ch1-gap of the previous round, followed by another 3dc/ch1 worked into the ch3 of the previous round and so on. For the last round I've just worked reverse sc's - that always makes for a nice edging, I think.

The blanket is again made with Stylecraft Special DK acrylic yarn, and the final size is 78 x 78cm. I think, a blanket made with squares looks best, when the final form of the blanket is a square also (and not just any kind of rectangle).

It's funny - although there are so many amazing square-patterns available, somehow I always end up with the classic version. I don't know why, maybe it's just pleasing for the (i.e. "my") eye, or maybe it's just so satifsying and relaxing making them, almost like some form of crochet meditation *lol*

I guess, when I've found something that I really love, I always come back to it - it's the same with food: I like to look at the menu, but I always end up ordering the same. Schnitzel in a German restaurant, Pizza at an Italian place, and combo no.11 supreme at Taco Bell *lol* - god, I miss Taco Bell over here in Germany!! :)

So please tell me your opinion on that - what is your favorite go-to pattern when it comes to Granny Squares? Do you also like the classic one? Is there another alltime favorite? Or do you like trying fancy new and interesting squares?

I'm looking forward to your comments on that and will be back next time with a completely different blanket.

Have a great week-end everyone!

The Good Ol' Granny Squares

Have you ever noticed that blogging about your favorite hobby pretty much resembles a Triathlon?

First, you have to do the actual thing (in our case: crochet something)

Second, you have to take the pictures and edit them (nobody wants to follow a blog, when somebody always just describes what they're crocheting, instead of showing it)

And third, you have to blog about it and share your creations with your readers.

Well, right now I have no problems with the first discipline: since I've got my crochet-mojo back I've been more productive then ever. Recently I've started a new project with the good ol' Granny Squares.

Actually, making another Granny Square blanket wasn't on top of my to-do-list (and not even somewhere near the Top 10), but it rather happened by coincidence: I was un-doing another baby blanket that I had started last winter. It had been almost finished back then, but it had started to curl on the edges, and this bothered me so much, that I just couldn't find the mood to finish it. It was a stripey kind of thing, so the strands of yarn weren't that long, and I had two options: throw it all away, or use the strands for small things, and so I made lots of  traditional 2-rounds Granny Squares.

I've made 121 squares in total, using six different colors. Then I started to join them with a continuous join-as-you-go method.

So, this was my Granny WIP. When I look over to my yarn-boxes, I also see

• a finished baby blanket
• two half-finished baby blankets
• two pair of potholder-dresses
• and several new Mandalas

"Where is the stuff?", I hear you say, "why don't you show us?" - and this brings me back to my starting point, and the second discipline of the Triathlon: the picture-taking. Somehow I'm seldom really satisfied with the quality of my pictures, that's why I always shy away from this. But I'll work on this, promise! (And I'm okay with the quality of today's pictures, I had great lighting conditions on the day I took them)

The last part of the Triathlon (the actual blogging) is easy again, and that's why we're here today :)

Let me know your thoughts on this: which part of the Blogging-Triathlon do you enjoy the most / the least?

Looking Back and Forward

Hi there, how are you all doing on this sunny Sunday? Here in Bavaria it feels more like a lovely spring day than a typical November day, and it's quite warm, too!

There hasn't been much crochet on this crochet blog lately, don't you think? Here are some excuses:

1) I'm still busy taking step-by-step pictures for the baskets I've made recently, but it's almost impossible to get good close-up pictures with the bad light I've got in our appartment. It's frustrating. 2) I'm still working on the super secret project (see glimpses of it in my Thursday Thoughts). 3) I've had (and still have) several long (and not completely painless) sessions at the dentist, because I'll be getting a crown - it won't make me a princess, but it'll cost me a fortune! (and there goes the money I've worked hard for all summer long with the extra hours) 4) I've got to prepare things for our coming vacation - Saturday is Take-Off-day! :)

That's why I thought I'd show you some more of my "old stuff" and asked my sister to bring a blanket I've made back in 2002, when my niece Hanna was born:

Now you might think that these are not quite typical colors for a baby blanket (especially not for a baby girl), and I certainly wouldn't pick these colors today. I don't know why I've choosen these colors back then, but somehow it seemed right, and my sister loved the colors and told me she still loves them today. Oh, and Hanna does, too - she's nine years old now, but it still seems like yesterday, when she was born, funny how time flies, isn't it?

Here you can see that I've sewed some fabric to the back of the blanket - it was meant to be laid on the floor for the baby to roll around and play on it. The blanket is quite big for a baby blankie, too - it measures 120x120 cm (47x47 inches) and it's made with the basic granny squares (the only pattern I knew back then, just like in my huge granny blanket I've showed you some time ago).

It's really quite big compared to the United Colors Baby Blanket I've made earlier this year and which measures only 75x75 cm (30x30 inches). Oh, talking about the United Colors Blanket: The baby's there!! It's a boy named Yannick, he was expected for mid-November but he already arrived on October 22nd, so he's quite small but he and his Mom are fine!

And now let's look forward: Don't forget that there's another link-party here on Friday! You've still got a few days left to vote, but it really looks like the Blankets will bring it home this time. On Saturday night, John and I will be up in the air, heading to Egypt, yippie! We'll both turn on year older wiser while we're away, and it will be wonderful to celebrate our birthdays in the sun.

For December, I thought a Christmas-themed link-party would be nice. So there won't be a new poll this time, instead you'll have the whole month of December to link up your Christmas crochet ideas - time enough to get inspired and show off your creations!

Last but not least, I thought another giveaway is more than overdue! Meanwhile, there are more than 200 people reading this blog, stopping by and leaving wonderful comments. Thank you sooo much! Please check back later this week to read more about this giveaway! :)

A Blanket with a History

Good morning everybody, I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do, I was really looking forward to this - I've made a little something last week-end, look:

Naaaah... just joking :) What you see here is a huuuuge granny blanket I've made around 1996, when I was sixteen or seventeen.

 

I've been wanting to show you this blanket for a long time and wonder why it took me so long. Unfortunately I remember little of the actual working process or how long it took to finish it - it looks like a very time consuming project, but on the other hand I still went to school and had lots of time in the afternoons, so I guess it was done quite quickly (I can be a maniac when I start doing something I really enjoy).

 

As you can see, it's just the simple basic granny square pattern. I've first seen this pattern on the backside of a wiggly cushion from my grandma. I've also seen granny blankets on TV, do you remember the one that Roseanne had in her living-room? I think it was Roseanne's blanket that inspired me to make my own. Thank god for the wonderful crochet-blogs we have today, nowadays Sitcoms simply aren't as stylish as they used to be... :)

When I started this blanket, I must have been in my Seventies mood (thanks to ABBA and the German "Schlager"-Revival) and wanted to work with as many colors as possible. First, I used up all the left-over yarn my Mom had in her stash. Then we've asked neighbours, friends and relatives for more. At some point I had to start buying yarn, and I needed a lot - the blanket is made with 144 granny squares and measures more than 200 x 200 cm (~ 80 x 80 inches).

 

You probably know this feeling of anticipation, when you're working on a blanket and can't wait to use it every day. With this blanket it's different: I'm showing you these pictures, not dreaming of the days to come, but remembering what has been - this blanket definitely has its history already!

 

I remember my sister and me coming home from watching the local Icehockey games on Saturdays and snuggeling up under this blanket, warming our frozen bodies. I also remember us watching the early-morning formula 1 races under this blanket (we used to call it "lucky blanket") - I was a huge fan of Jacques Villeneuve and even made some squares in the same colors as the colors of his helmet. Sounds a bit nerdy, but hey: I was a teenager! :) I crawled under this blanket alone in my teenager-room and took it with me, when I moved upstairs in my own appartment. Every year around christmas my girlfriends and I make ourselves comfortable under this blanket when we watch the "Lord of the Rings"-Trilogy. I remember lying under this blanket when I was sick, or crying my eyes out when I had a heartache. The most recent memories are cuddling up with John under this blanket on the sofa in our living-room :)

I've been using this blanket almost every day since I've made it, it's always lying on the sofa (and sometimes in the washing machine). Somehow it's an odd feeling to know that this blanket has to make way for the new blanket, soon. Now don't be silly girl, it's just an old blanket! Or isn't it...?

Theme Party # 1: Granny Squares

Welcome to my first Theme Party here in K-town! You had two weeks time to vote for your favorite topic, and the winner is the Granny Square, hooray! :) Show us, what you've made with the Grannies - Blankets? Bags? Cushions? A single square? Maybe the Giant Granny Square you're working on?

Some things you should keep in mind:

What you see is what you get: please link to the specific post where your chosen project can be found (not just your main blog address), and make sure that your post is about crochet and matches the given theme! No shops! Please understand that I might remove links that ignore these points.

Feel free to post as many links as you like - you should really search in the depths of your archives to retrieve your forgotten treasures, this is your chance to bring them back to the surface! :)

When this collection is closed, you'll have the chance to vote for the topic of the next theme party in September! If you've got suggestions for more topics, please post them here :)

This collection can be found at The Crochet Boulevard now!