Pretty in Plaid

I've been working diligently on the Plaid Granny Square Blanket I'm currently making for LM, and I love how it's coming along.  I've developed a real love for Granny Squares lately, I'm pinning them like crazy on Pinterest, I'm looking them up on Ravelry, and I'm taking books out of the library for inspiration.  I may have to break down and buy a few though, because many of the really cool Granny Square's I'm seeing and loving have come from books.  I've also made a realization about them - I never like Granny Square blankets before because they seemed like a throwback to uncool 60's and 70's crochet.  But here's the thing - it's all about the colours.  I've seen some blankets done in modern colour combinations, bordered in white, and they're beautiful.  Something I'd be extremely proud to display in my home.  I'm looking forward to giving them a try.

For now though, I'll just leave you with a picture of what I've done so far on LM's Big Boy Bed Blanket.  I'm actually a bit more done than this - I'm almost finished the second row.  Each row is 11 squares and there will be 11 rows in the blanket altogether.  The squares are 6" each, so the blanket itself should come out to approximately 66", or 5 and a half feet long, by 5 and half feet wide.  I'm using Patons Decor Acrylic/Wool yarn in 4 different colours - Winter White, Pale Country Blue, Country Blue, and Rich Country Blue.  I think it's going to match LM's room perfectly, and I'm going to use the colours as a guide when I hopefully repaint the toy box I got from my mom next week.

Isn't it pretty?  I can't wait until it's done!

It's All About The Granny's

I do not have an addictive personality.  Sure I smoked once upon a time, but when I decided to quit, I just quit.  Finished my last cigarette in the pack, said "Yeah, I don't think I want to do this anymore."  And then didn't.  Easy peasy.  If I'd had an addictive personality, I'm sure it wouldn't have been nearly that easy.

So where is this going, and what does it have to do with crafting?  Well, up until 2 days ago I had never crocheted a granny square. Can you believe it? I mean Granny Squares are kind of the starting point for crocheters, right? That's what many (most) people first learn to crochet.  I never bothered.  I jumped right in with hats and complex stitches and left the ugly old-fashioned crocheting completely out of the equation.  I mean, this isn't your grandmother's crochet right?

So, a couple of days ago, having gotten quite bored of hats, I decided that I wanted to try something different.  I'm still not nearly brave enough to attempt an article of clothing.  One day, maybe, but not now.  So I need something else, something easy but not boring - I need it to keep my interest. And something that will soothe my need for immediate gratification.

LM (Little Man) is 14 months old now, and I'm thinking that by the end of this year he just might be ready to move into the next step towards a big boy bed - converting the crib to a toddler bed.  So what better thing for that then his very own Big Boy Bed Blanket?  There must be a big boy blanket pattern that's easy, right?  But will still look cool.  And after searching for about an hour on Ravelry, I came up with this. The Plaid Granny Square Blanket. 

This thing is gorgeous.  Not too girly looking, so suitable for a boy, but still satisfying my need for pretty.  And easy.  In 2 days I've completed almost 1 entire row of squares, and stitched them together.  I've read that joining them is the most tedious part of granny square blankets, and the reason that a lot of them just don't get finished.  So my method is this.  I crochet all the squares of one colour in a row at once.  Then I begin crocheting the other colour squares.  As I get each square of the second colour completed, I join them together so that by the time I have all the squares in a row done, the joining is also done, and I can move onto the next colour.  So far it's working, of course I've just started, so we'll see how it goes.

I do have some pictures to add, but they're on my computer at home, so I'll have to do that in another post to follow soon.

So, back to the whole addiction thing, and what the heck do smoking and granny squares have to do with each other?  Well, I think I might be well on my way to becoming a Granny Square addict.  Wow.  Since yesterday, I think I've pinned umpteen-billion granny squares onto Pinterest. (Sorry friends, I'm probably boring the pants off of you!) I had no idea that Granny Squares could be so darned cool!  And the ideas that I now have floating through my head of the hundreds of different granny squares I want to create - it's mind boggling.  And overwhelming.  And a fantastic way to use up all those little balls of yarn sitting in my totes in my closet.  Oh yeah.  My husband shakes his head and thinks I'm a nerd.  Well, he won't be shaking his head when he's on the couch, all wrapped up in that warm granny goodness next winter.  Or maybe even this winter (since winter here goes until May, and I'm sure I'll have something done by then.  Maybe.)  But I can tell you one thing for sure.  Where 2011 was the year of the crocheted hat...

2012 WILL BE THE YEAR OF THE GRANNY SQUARE!!