Monday 20 July 2009

My New Obsession

My dear friend Millie had a fab granny. Millie's granny crocheted lovely cosy multi-coloured blankets at a great rate. These blankets were handed out to Millie's family and their friends like bonbons. Here's a piece of mine:

I sometimes have to fight Sock Boy for it because he luuuuurves this blanket. And as is so often the case with Sock Boy, when he luuuuurves something (or someone) it (or they) can end up slightly damaged, because his loving is so vigorous. I don't know if you can detect him paddling here with his big strong long boy cat legs:

The trouble is, Millie's granny reached the point a couple of years ago where, for her, there was no tomorrow. So she's not around to fix the holes and snags caused by Sock Boy's affections. My friend Millie is also a cat-lover, and her fat tabby is also inclined to knead her blankets and pull out threads. Millie is sad because her granny can't make it better any more, so I figured I'd better teach myself to crochet. In the process, I discovered that the pieces my blanket is made of are named, appropriately, granny squares. I'm not a granny, nor ever likely to be, but I figured I could have a go. Here's my very first effort at doing a chain and some trebles:

I was so impressed with myself that I could hardly bear to unravel it, but then I decided it wasn't that good and would never be any actual use for anything, so I killed yet another of my darlings and had a go at a single square.

It wasn't very square, so I had several more goes until I came up with one that satisfied me:

Rock and roll! that's getting on for square. Flushed with success, I decided to try the second row of trebles to make my little square into a bigger square.

I never was any good at geometry *sigh* and I think it'll be a while before I can hold my own over at Stitch 'n' Bitch. Oh well, if at first you don't succeed, sigh, sigh, sigh again.

8 comments:

HelenMWalters said...

Sadly, I think most of the things my cats have detroyed are beyond being repared by crochet squares. I admire your persistence - definitely worth it to save that lovely blanket.

Jumbly Girl said...

I'm impressed- crochet squares are really tricky to do. So far I've only managed circles. Hope you mnange to patch up that blanket as it defintely looks like a thing to treasure

Queenie said...

Helen, oddly enough, I'm enjoying it!
JG, oh no, are they? So it's not because I'm cack-handed and can't count, then... the Internet said they were easy, but then the Internet doesn't always tell the truth, does it?

Pat said...

One man's square is another man's circle. I'm sure you'll have lots of fun with this. MTL's mum used to keep us supplied with all sorts of goodies - especially tea cosies in all sizes.
I've always been useless at any handiwork BUT when I left everything to live with himself and had long lonely days on my own I actually sewed by hand a double patch-work quilt and made a very large rug which now is in our hall. It's rewarding and satisfying - wish I'd learned the crochet at the same time.

Carol said...

I completely adore doing crafty things like that and am most impressed by your crocheting efforts!! (I can't crochet for toffee!!). I love the colour you have chosen too!!

Good on you for having a go :-)

C x

Queenie said...

Pat, you're right, it is rewarding and satisfying and fun - even when I'm not very good at it!
Carol, thank you, purple is my favourite so the choice was easy.

Beleaguered Squirrel said...

Hurrah for craft and creative eneavours!

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

I love the idea of doing this, but would be utterly useless.