Theme Party # 3: Bags and Purses

It's party time again, how nice to see you back in k-town! It's been a tight race, but Bags/Purses have made it to the pole position this month. Can't wait to see all your bags and purses in the collection below! :) And while you're here, don't forget to vote for the next topic - there's a new poll in my right side bar! If this is your first k-town link-party, please read more about it before submitting your link, thank you!

This collection can be found at The Crochet Boulevard now!

Magic Blanket Ride: Chapter 5

I've made some more progress on the Magic Blanket Ride last week. The blanket's got a length of 140 cm (~ 55 inches) now, that means I just need another 30 - 40 cm (12 - 16 inches) - time to worry about the edging!

You know what I like about granny square blankets? You've always got four nice edges where you can place your stitches for the border, and everything looks neat and perfect. Unfortunately this blanket is made in rows, which means I have to deal with the vertical edges as well - and I hate that! I never know where to put the stitches to avoid holes, or how many stitches I need so that the edge lies flat. Any suggestions from you are more than welcome!! :)

Recently I've bought Edie Eckman's book "Around the Corner - Crochet Borders", because I thought that a magic blanket needs a magic border :) The author's got a good tip actually: she advises to crochet the base round of the border in the same color as the actual fabric, so that those stitches look as inconspicuous as possible. Sounds reasonable, but which color should you use when the blanket is striped? I'll probably have to do a lot of trying, ripping, and trying again. But maybe I should deal with the last 40 cm of the finish line first :)

Intermediate Statistics:

Width: 150cm (~59 in) (no news, I'm sorry)

Length: 140cm (~55 in)

Colored Stripes: 28

Yarn Usage (basic colors): 15 balls of grey + 11 balls of white

Days actually worked on the blanket: ~ 40

Estimated hours worked on the blanket: ~ 122 (easy calculation, it takes about 30 minutes to work back and forth)

Previous Posts: Introduction - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4   view everything

Another thing: don't forget that there's another theme-party here on friday! You've got four more days to vote and it looks like a tight race between blankets and bags/purses - I'm really excited which topic's gonna win! :)

Yarns, Trials and Errors

I had lots of crochet plans for the past week-end (it's been a long one, because Monday was a national holiday in Germany), but in end... I achieved almost nothing ;)

Look what I’ve bought before the week-end:

The package on the left is a sock knitting set. They’ve got those sets once or twice a year in my favorite discounter (ALDI) and I usually buy a few packages and knit some pairs of socks for John and me. This year however, I’m afraid I’ve simply bought this yarn out of habit, because – with all those crochet ideas spinning around in my head – I don’t think I’ll be in the mood for knitting boring socks and I definitely wasn't the last week-end.

I had great plans with the variegated blue yarn in the front – I wanted to try the broomstick lace technique and make a scarf for my Mom (you can’t start with handmade Christmas presents too early, right?). It’s such a lovely yarn, very soft and I love the colors, but unfortunately it’s too thin for the pattern I had in mind. I’ve made a few rows, but it didn’t turn out right, so I had to rip it again. This was the second dead end.

The white and purple yarn in the background is a yarn I’ve been sneaking around all summer long. You can’t see it on the picture, but it’s a really extravagant yarn with tiny shimmering loops. Way too expensive actually, but guess what – it was for sale at the drugstore last week and cost only half of the usual prize! I’ve interpreted this as a sign and bought a few balls without really knowing what to do with it. I've tried a few things (mainly little ideas for Christmas decorations), but nothing worked out right - the third dead end.

What you don't see in the picture is a huge amount of colorful yarn I need for a great new project - you don't see it, because I couldn't buy it yet :( - the shop ran out of the yarn I wanted, so I have to come back at the end of this week. The next dead end.

Finally I've decided to try the broomstick lace technique with the way-too-expensive white yarn I've bought:

As far as I've read, broomstick lace is made with a regular size crochet hook and a really biiiig knitting needle for the loops. Needless to say, that I couldn't find such a big knitting needle in the shops, so I really had to use a broomstick, you can see it in the picture :)

Here's a close-up, maybe you can see the structure of the yarn a little bit better. If not, you just have to believe me, that it's an incredibly pretty yarn :) When this scarf is finished, I'll probably keep it for myself, because I don't think my Mom would like a white scarf (never mind how pretty the yarn). I have to go back to the yarn shop anyway, so I'll probably buy another yarn for my Mom's scarf.

On Sunday afternoon, John and I spontaneously joined some friends on a little two-days trip to the Czech Republic, enjoying the last hot days of the year, so that was the end of my (this time dissapointing) crochet adventures for the week-end.

See you back here soon, hopefully with more crochet the next time :)

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...?

Birthday Potholders

I know, I know - potholders for your Mom's birthday, how uninspired is that? But don't worry, I've got something else for her. I've bought her a gift certificate from her favorite clothing store, because she told me she wanted to buy some new stuff for the coming fall.

Unfortunately I remembered too late that something handmade would be nice, my Mom's very fond of everything I've crocheted recently. Her birthday is tomorrow, so I needed something quick and easy that looked nice, and potholders were the first thing that popped up in my mind. I think it's okay, because my Mom has always liked crocheted potholders (I've never seen non-crocheted ones in her kitchen) - and she really uses them, they're not just a nice wall decoration! :)

Anyway, on Saturday I've searched on ravelry for free patterns and found Jennifer Martin's Flower Potholders. Isn't it a lovely pattern? It was so easy to make, although I worried a little that the backsides might look ugly, but actually they don't.

Here's the pink one with a blue backside:

... and here's the green one with a violet backside:

I had to adjust the pattern a little, because as usual I was working with a thinner yarn and had to add some rounds to get the right size. I think I might use this pattern again, I really like them and I'm sure my Mom will, too.

Hope to see you soon, I'm really looking forward to my next post (because I already know what it's about) :)