Some crafts are easy to pick up. Some are more elusive and refuse to click. Crochet has fitted quite snuggly into this last category for me. I can knit complicated patterns. I can follow the most convoluted dressmaking pattern, but looping yarn over a crochet hook has left me flummoxed.
Until this Summer. It finally clicked.
I think the trick for me was not using the wool from my stash. Instead I bought wool specially for this project. Making it an official attempt to conquer crocheting, once and for all. The wool was lovely to work with. Squiggy and soft.
I decided on a basic granny square design. The size and colour order evolved as I made it.
Progress
Over the summer, it was an easy project to take around with me, crocheting one square at a time. Oh my goodness. So much more convenient transporting a size 4 crochet hook than a set of double pointed needles for sock knitting, which is my usual holiday project. The hook doesn’t have the habit of forcing itself out of the side of a bag in that menacing way knitting needles do. Snagging innocent passer-bys.
(Breathe in for 4 counts, breathe out for 6 counts.)
Crocheting has been the perfect Summer project. I’ve found it calming, which was surprising after previous attempts. Moments that would have been frustrating over the Summer, seemed easy to handle. I’m left wondering if crocheting brings me calmness or has calmness allowed me to crochet. Who knows. Maybe something to contemplate while I get on with my next blanket.
Which, of course, is already well on its way.
Granny Square blanket details
Yarn: Stylecraft Lite dk from Minerva Crafts
Hook: Prym 4.0
Squares are joined together using Carina’s method. She has a brilliant step by step photo tutorial, that is easy to follow (Thank you)
The blanket is now living in my car. Ready for adventures this Autumn. As you can probably tell from the photos, it has had its first outing to the beach. Although I’m not sure there is any need to wrap the Pup in it. Not with that coat.
So what do you do to achieve calmness?
😎 The pictures are beautiful!!
Thanks, Phyllis. 🙂
That is lovely !!!!!
(can I confess the pup emerging pic is my favoiurite 😀 )
(Mine too)
That’s me too, would love to crochet, I have years ago but too entrenched in knitting I think now, I’ve forgotten how
Love your photos x
I need to do a few more crochet projects to make sure I’ve mastered it. Also have a knitting project on the go, but that is nothing new!
Fabulous and so happy to hear you’ve fallen in love with crocheting! And love those photos on the beach, perfect! Funny i was just preparing the features for next week and was thinking that there were more than usual contributors from the UK, and then you came a long, so I’ll have to include you too, great to see you again on craft schooling Sunday!
We’re all back to school in the UK. Lots more time to craft and blog about it, I guess. Look forward to seeing your round up.
Your granny square blanket is inspirational. What I also found a bit uncanny was that I bought the ladybird seaside book in a market when on holiday in Cornwall this summer. I am wondering where you were at the seaside.
Thanks, Ginny. I loved making it. Very addictive. How funny that you picked the book up and are on a crochet journey too. The book is from when I was a child. Ladybird books are so hard to part with. The beach is Burnham-on-Sea. We love walking the dogs there.
Really beautiful I’d love to be able to crochet my mum taught me to knit, but she didn’t crochet so I never learnt
I really enjoy your blog and your photos.