#agrannyaday

:: I've started (so I'll finish - hopefully) ::

In an effort just to ensure that I do a minimum amount of crafting everyday, even on the mad busy ones, I am going to pledge to crochet a granny a day in 2012. Rain, hail, sleet or snow. Come what may, I am going to crochet a granny square.

Susannah sent me the link to the post on the Mollie Makes blog via twitter just at the end of the year and a granny square is doable. Particularly if I only do 4 rounds. The one in their blog post is a little ambitious for me:

Source: molliemakes.themakingspot.com via Amy on Pinterest

 

I'm thinking 4 rounds in different colours takes me maybe 15 minutes to create. I'll make 360 and that will make a 19X19 square blanket (361 squares) - that means it'll measure about 170cm X 170cm. Even now I'm worrying that won't be big enough! At the end of the year I'll then spend the last few days between Christmas and new year sewing them up and adding a border. And I'll be making one or two more extra a day every now and then to account for 'sick days' or real impossible days. Otherwise it's to be the first thing I do once the children go to bed. And at the end a lovely big(gish) blanket!

I've been practicing different blocks recently so I'm sort of kicking myself that I haven't committed to a load of these:

:: Practice Block ::

They're so effective but really, way too time consuming and I have a lot of other stuff planned for 2012 so maybe next year I'll do one of these a day but for now I'll stick with the humble granny.

Over December I did pick these up again:

I made quite a few more but I'm running out of the border colour now so I think that I'm going to have to forgo the notion of a throw (I don't want to border in another colour) and make smaller lap blankets out of them to put on my etsy shop. It's a bit dispiriting because they do take time. How much will people actually pay for a hand crocheted lap blanket? Some go for very little on etsy and I don't understand how people make any money! That or cushion covers. I do have a fair number of cushion stuffers and no covers....

In the meantime I am experiencing that familiar sinking/wading through mud feeling at the jumper I have been knitting for the last year for Gwyn. Am I the only one who finds the Erika Knight books really badly written? Don't get me wrong the designs are amazing but this particular pattern is causing me no end of grief. Am pinning my hopes on ravelry to either pick up a typo or offer me some advice to make it up myself. Anyone familiar with the term full fashion shaping?? Answers on a postcard.

Hope you've all enjoyed your day. I have been largely knackered after being at the hospital until 2 in the morning. George woke up and was really struggling with his breathing and he was raging but we weren't able to engage him whatsoever. Turns out what's been a cold and a cough for a week is tonsilitis so was no bad thing to get some medicine for him so he actually slept, plus it meant not waiting at the drop in today for a few hours on a bank holiday after absolutely zero sleep. I know it's not A&E for 'anything and everything' but we figured if he couldn't catch his breath it wasn't really up to us to make an uninformed opinion, he was really distressed so it was no trouble to nip over there. I might add that I thought A&E would be full of people with broken arms, blood, bad breathing etc... but everyone was very quiet (except George who was inconsolable) it was very unobvious in fact why anyone there was in the waiting room! He's been a bit rubbish all day and I'm not going to be able to take him to anything this week which I suppose is a blessing in disguise. I shall no doubt be watching ALOT of Toy Story.

Does anyone else fancy a granny a day? Or how about the chain reaction afghan project that @spudballoo is doing. This also sounds like an interesting crochet project - the perfect way to experiment with making blocks. Maybe I'll have a little look.....

 

Comments

[Cara]

Oh, I stand up and salute you! What a wonderful project. Good luck, although I'm sure you won't need it.

I hope George is feeling better soon.

Cara x

[Laura]

A square a day sounds like a great plan. I've got too many other WsIP to tackle it, but maybe I'll commit to a stripe a week on my ENORMOUS tunisian crochet blanket!

Shame about your other squares. They're a lovely colour combination. I absolutely agree with you about prices on Etsy etc. Quilts tend to be sensibly valued, but not crochet so much (as usual ;))

Sorry to hear about George - sounds like you all had quite a time of it. Hope he's doing better today and that you're all recovered soon! xx

[Katy]

Sounds like a great idea. I might just join you. Although I'm already behind!

I was hoping to complete a granny square blanket by next winter anyway, this is a good way to make sure it gets done!

What yarn were you planning to use? This is what always throws me. I was thinking a mix of navy, turquoise, yellow and white but I never know what type of yarn. Something that won't cost an absolute fortune but nice quality? Any advice?

Katy

[SteadyEyebrows]

I'm with you! I have about fifty squares of a blanket that I started last winter and I really need to get it finished. Hopefully this will be the push that I need to make a tiny bit of crochet space each day. After the kids go to bed works for me too. Laura x

[RewHaisa]

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