Craving Colour!

The past week has been rainy. So I pulled out a a few unfinished crochet projects and started working on them.

This multi-colour afghan pattern always cheers me up! I found two unfinished ones in my yarn stash - so here I go! (Ironically, the pattern is called "Apache Tears" - not "Apache Joy"!)

My mother, a high school home economics teacher, taught me this pattern in the 1960's. I love it! I have since made quite a few afghans - always with leftover yarn. The mix of colours adds an element of surprise.

 

After all these years, it's still my favourite crochet pattern - because of the many COLOURS! 

Granny Square Day?!

Last Saturday was "Granny Square Day" - according to an online yarn store I get emails from...

I wonder what I was supposed to do to celebrate?!

I haven't made granny squares for a long time...

But I did notice these two creations in the mall. Both used timeless granny squares to make modern designs!

Crocheted Sweater

I'm working on a new crocheted sweater for myself.

One of the reasons I'm excited about it is that the creator of the pattern is a young woman from Ontario.

I didn't realize that until I bought the pattern online on Etsy.

(It can also be bought as part of a Mary Maxim kit - but I already had the yarn.)

It looks very comfortable. Hope I enjoy wearing it when it's done!

Wooly Cow Kit

Occasionally I see a cute craft kit that inspires me...

Like this wooly highland cow.

I started it a few months ago - finished the body... but then took a break. 

An upcoming birthday (and Christmas) encouraged me to keep at it... I completed the head!

I did find the instructions challenging to follow. Lots of abbreviations... At times I had to write down the instructions in longhand to not get confused.

Here it is, nearing the end - only the long flowing hair remains.

My stuffy isn't as cute as the picture! Such unruly hair! I think it's because I crocheted from the outside of the ball of yarn. By the time I got to the hair, I was using yarn nfrom the inside, which had been wound more

This salad bowl has been a helpful place to store the project... Now the little guy sits in there and greets the world!

(Does he need more hair above his eyes?! I'll add a bit more...)

Final pose!

Now it's done!

Crocheted?!

I'm not sure I've ever seen crocheted shoe or sandle tops before...

So I was surprised to see these in a store window. I wonder how the crochet is attached to the shoe...

A new use for crochet! And to think my mother once wondered if weaving, spinning, hand knitting and crochet would become lost art.

New (Christmas!) Crochet Project

My grandson isn't the only one thinking about Christmas!

I recently downloaded this pattern for six Christmas-themed "mug rugs" done in Mosaic Crochet. I've admired them for a while - and suddenly, there they were, briefly being offered, as a free download.

They were created by one of my favorite pattern makers - "BebaBlanket' (www.bebablanket.com).

I've purchased several of her afghan patterns online in the past. Now I'm looking forward to starting this smaller project.

JOY of Colour

I don't "need" another knitting or crochet project in my life ...

But I do need some COLOUR to boost my mood these days of limited sunshine.

That's why I stopped and stared when I came across this pattern for a multi-coloured shawl on Pinterest.

I wonder if I can figure out the crochet pattern by myself or if I should buy the pattern on Etsy...? 

(In the end, I decided to try to figure it out...)

It isn't turning out exactly like the shawl that inspired me. For one thing, it needs to be narrower. But working on it is therapeutic: it's adding the splash of brightness that I need these dreary winter days.

Time to Quit!

I have a hard time quitting anything: deep down, it makes me feel like a failure...

Once, in my younger teaching years, I offered to help a group of students who were struggling in school. How hard could it be? I told myself. And I'd actually be helping people...

But it was harder than anything I had ever tried to do! I wasn't enjoying it - and most of the students weren't enjoying it either. After two sessions, I wanted out.

What should I do? I asked a good friend.

Quit!! she said. You don't want to do it - that's reason enough.

Really? So I took her advice.

I'm taking her advice again, as I look at the "temperature blanket" I started last January (to show changes in local weather over the course of a year). It quickly became a burden and an "obligation " and never "sparked joy" - in the words of Mari Kondo, the organizing guru. 

It's about half the size of what it needs to be to cover an adult snoozing on the sofa.

I'm not sure what it could be used for as is... but I'm not enjoying doing it - so I quit!!

More Crochet!

In response to my blog post on doilies, my daughter sent me this picture of a crocheted sweatet she came across...

Doilies may not be as popular as they once were - but crocheted clothing isn't going away!

Always More to Discover

I've been an avid knitter since I was in my teens - so for years now I've been on the hunt for interesting projects - and yarn!

And, ... after all these years, you'd think I'd know everything there is to know about knitting and yarn. But that's not the case.

Only in the past year did I learn about Cowachan sweaters - traditionally made in British Columbia out of undyed black, white and grey wool. They're famous worldwide.

And just a few days ago I discovered that one of Canada's largest yarn shops is in Toronto - in the neighborhood where my son and his family used to live! How did I miss that?!

Now that my daughter has moved back to Toronto, I hope to check it out!

So Many Doilies!

Among my mother's things, I've found dozens of doilies.

My mother taught crochet - so she collected samples of as many designs as possible.

Lovely!

But what to do with them, now that they're not really in style?!

Hmmm... Maybe just hold onto them...

One never knows what next season's fashion will bring!

(As they used to say: Everything old is new again!)

Granny Square 💕

In my daily mall walking, I've been noticing "granny squares" - a simple but beautiful crochet pattern...

I haven't made them in a while...

Clothing-wise, I'd use them in a jacket or vest but not a dress! Why? Too many holes!!

New Project

After quitting the daily grind of trying to keep up with the three daily rows of my "temperature blanket" - where each day's colour additions were based on the weather of the day - I took a brief rest...

I could have chosen a less ambitious goal of one row a day - but I wanted it to reflect the type of day it was, so I chose to indicate the daily high and low - and whether the day was sunny, cloudy, snowy or rainy... Three attributes in all. I really found that to be too much daily crochet. (And it would make for a very long blanket!)

So I abandoned the temperature blanket and started a project I've wanted to begin for a while: another "Berber Afghan" - a narrower one, but longer, so that I can hopefully include all the designs in the pattern. 

On my last berber afghan (top photo above - which became Terry's Christmas gift), the blanket was getting too big - so I stopped halfway through.

 

I love the design and the colours - and I'm pacing myself... only two rows a day is my goal!

Cute Projects

A friend loaned me this knitting book...

Lots of cute ideas for knit and crocheted accessories, like this necklace and this bracelet.

I love the muted hues of the projects made by the author... (I tend to use bright, "flashy" colours.)

No sweater patterns here - but I do love this granny square afghan. 

The author lives in Hawaii, so I'd guess she doesn't need many sweaters there!

I Quit!

On January 1, 2024, I started to crochet a "temperature blanket." Every day I planned to add a row, based on the temperatures of the day...

I pondered whether to base it on daily highs? Lows? Averages? And what about sunny days versus cloudy days? Rain or snow?

Why not all?!

So my daily additions to the blanket encompassed daily high and low temperatures - as well as the dominant weather of the day. Three rows...

I did it for 18 days... 

But I hated the blues and whites! I need LIFE in winter! Even the yellow I was using for sunny days wasn't strong enough to boost my mood! 

RED, ORANGE - those are the colours I crave in winter...! 

I just can't do it: I QUIT!

Smaller Afghan Completed

I really enjoyed working on this mosaic overlay crochet afghan. 

I started it in autumn - and by the end of November it was this size - a perfect cover for napping on the sofa. 

So I wrapped it up to give at Christmas.

I have more yarn - so I plan to start another in the same pattern - soon. A great winter project!

Starting a "Temperature Blanket"

A few days ago, I sorted through my yarn stash for colours suitable for a "temperature blanket." I didn't have time to go through ALL my yarn - but it occurred to me that I only needed three or four colours for cold temperatures to start. I expect it will stay cold for a few months. That will give me time to hunt for "warmer" ones.

I'm planning to do three rows a day, marking the high and low temperatures of the day, then adding a third row in the middle: white, if it snows; and yellow if the sun is shining!

If I do that, I'll end up with an afghan comprised of  365 X 3 = 1095 rows! Will that be too long? I guess it depends on the thickness of the yarn.

(Perhaps I'll end up making two - if it gets too long!)

I decided to crochet the "Alpache Tears" pattern - one of my favourites for combining a variety of colours. I've used the above version for years, for many scrap afghans. 

But there are other variations of the pattern, too, like this one by Sarah London.

In the end, I  decided to stick with the one I know best?!

So many things to decide!