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The Granny Square is a utilitarian way of using up yarn. Generally, when many people think of a Granny Square afghan they think of lots of smaller motifs joined together in bright colors. The Granny Square, which is a simple shell or fan stitch – three double crochets with a chain stitch then three double crochets again with a few chain stitches at the corner can be used to make a block as large as you wish. This is a pattern that I can almost make in my sleep. It’s versatile.

The best part about making one large Granny Square is that you can use up a little or a lot of yarn and make something unique and random or planned and bold. The reason that I make the Granny square so often is that I end up with a lot of small amounts of yarn from previous projects and I don’t like to waste yarn. Scrapghan patterns that have lots of colors are fun. Some people don’t like the unplanned, unmatched look. The bright colors don’t bother me as much as I really, really, really, REALLY do not like joining motifs. Joining colors is ok, especially since I found the craft life altering Russian Join so I don’t have to weave in ends.

I like color. Lately, I have been playing with random colors that are complimentary or as I like to say, “sort of” go together and then are tied together with a neutral like gray to make the color changes in the Granny Square really stand out.

Before looking down your nose at a Granny Square afghan consider that you can buy kits online that range from the tens to hundreds of dollars depending on the material and size of the finished afghan. A quick search online will yield lots of patterns for a Granny Square, and different variations – the Modern Granny, Rectangular Granny, Corner to Corner Granny, Granny Log Cabin and so on.

What I like most about a Granny Square in addition to the ease of making it is that you can take a small amount of yarn to start and then continue changing colors for each round or doing multiple rounds of a color and you can make something beautiful. I have never seen a solid color Granny Afghan. It can be done but why. The beauty of the pattern is that it is so simple that the colors do make a statement. One, two or five rounds of the same color offers a nice symmetry. Even numbered rounds, odd number rounds or even a Fibonacci sequence can be used as a plan for a colorful afghan.

Often when I start an afghan I don’t plan that far ahead of time, I gather what I think is enough to make an afghan, which is tricky when you have small oddballs of yarn. Remaining balls of yarn are great for Granny Afghans – because you can start with just a little bit of color and go from there. The negative comments about Granny Afghans makes me wonder why I make them. The simple answer is because I like them, they are warm, and I can use a bit of yarn to make something beautiful for someone else.

Happy Crocheting!

The number of completed items grows weekly and I have tried a couple of new patterns. No difficulty sleeping, no difficulty crafting, just a lack of motivation to do a whole house purge that I thought I was going to do. It was ambitious, I admit. The slide show features three months’ worth of work from the first day I began working from home in March until today. There were other projects that were started before sheltering in place began not featured.

I thought I would have a well organized and completely purged home by now, especially after three months of COVID-19, sheltering in place, plus the addition of black lives matter protests and a few days of curfew to quell looting. It has been exhausting. Weekdays, I work from home and it’s not so different than being in the office, except the dress code is more casual and the commute is shorter. After working the last thing I want to do is do any work.

I have been doing a lot more cooking. Easter was the one time I did order delivery. I enjoy my cooking generally during an average week, I’m not home often to do it. Now I’m home all the time and my dishwasher hasn’t been used as consistently since I’ve moved in. I have sorted and tossed a few things, but I haven’t been motivated to do purging, especially since unless it’s garbage there is no where for it to do. My donation bags are filling up. Even the books I’ve borrowed from the library were automatically renewed… now I can return them.

After working, making meals and cleaning up the kitchen because everything can’t go in the dishwasher… I am always motivated to do anything except watch movies and crochet. Crocheting helps me keep occupied. I have a sewing machine, but I don’t sew well and have no material, so mask making was out. I have lots of yarn. Part of the cleaning and purging process renewed the feeling that I have toward worsted weight yarn. I don’t really like many bulky weight yarns and dk or lighter are aggravating. There are a few exceptions to the rule, but those are on the heavier side of dk. Double stranding could work, but I’m not really a fan of that either.

Trying new things and combining different colors to use up the yarn that I had was definitely a way of purging and adding to the donation bin. Out of all the things in my home, there’s still a lot of yarn, but it’s probably the most organized, because I also didn’t want to buy any yarn until I used up what I have or at least more of what I have.

Not wanting to throw anything away or be wasteful especially with food or yarn are traits that have intensified during the past few months. I can always use up the last bit of something in another dish or add the yarn to a mystery ball. Reading on the way to and from work was a regular part of my day, now I have to make time to read and even then it needs to be something interesting otherwise, I lose interest. Crocheting is something I do everyday: it’s calming, relaxing and I set goals for items to give away. It would seem that setting the goals would be more stressful, it isn’t, I crochet fast. I set goals for reading and I’m a fast reader if I’m interested in the book. Besides, if I don’t meet my reading goal I’ve only disappointed myself.

Happy crocheting!

March 13 when we left the office, we thought it was only for two weeks. Then we were told to shelter in place. Two weeks has become more than two months and we are still working remotely with no clear end date. Being able to continue to work  remotely and receive a paycheck is a blessing.

I had met with a new friend who gave me some yarn the day before the initial two week working from home period began. We had coffee and talked about what was going to happen. There was a lot of speculation but we didn’t know and weren’t too worried after all it was only for a couple of weeks. Restaurants hadn’t been closed yet, things were still open, it was surreal.

Two and a half months later, we are ending still sheltering in place in Chicago for a few more days and while restrictions have been lifted in other parts of Illinois. Now we have a mandatory curfew because of protests that became riots over the killing of George Floyd. Now we wait.

The virus is still here, racial injustice is still here, people who still have a need for warm items when the weather gets colder are still here.

Between all of the posts, articles and ads regarding COVID-19, protecting yourself, and other affects – joblessness, emotional issues etc., there are still posts and pleas from organizations. These groups are expressing a need for items because unlike sewn items, crochet and knit items take longer to make. Scarves, hats, gloves, and other items will still be needed when the weather turns cold, the need hasn’t gone away, it’s just that the other requests have become louder in the short term. Several organizations that offer warm items to people are asking because the need hasn’t gone away, and some people have time to make things.

Unrest, stir crazy, insecure, anxious – many words could express what is happening now and has been happening. Not just to me, but to other people. There is a rush to get back to normal for people. Should we? What will normal be like? Yes, I miss seeing friends and family. I miss going for an impromptu coffee or meal. I miss walking along the lakefront. I miss getting together with my knitting/crocheting group and chatting about everything and nothing. I miss going outside without wearing a face covering. I miss going to church, the symphony, museums and concerts.

Those are some of the things that I want to return – not the hatred, inequality and injustice that has been an unspoken part of our society.

Crocheting and knitting can be more than just an escape, it can be political and emotional: remember the Pussyhats/Women’s March or Ravelry taking a stand to ban speech supporting the Trump administration, hate speech and white supremacy? The resurgence of crafting in the past couple of months hasn’t been about politics or race, they have always been there. Just as people with a need have always been there – just not in the forefront. Crafting during the pandemic has made a way for people to quell anxiety, be productive, escape and survive. In other words say maintain sanity.

Whenever we are able to get out and freely move about unmasked – literally and figuratively, remember there are those who are still in need of things beyond the basics of food, shelter, employment, but justice and fairness.

Be safe and happy crocheting!

Multiple projects going at one time keeps the love of crochet alive for me. The mystery balls are still in progress; right after finishing an afghan in multiple shades of purple, I started another afghan. Yet, as I look for new color combinations for scarves and sets or to incorporate into afghans or the mystery balls, there are some amounts that are too much for the mystery balls or not enough for an afghan or scarf. Enter the humble hat.

A hat may be functional or stylish but it is also a necessity in the Midwest. The cold and sometimes brutal winters require hats. Since I have time because of sheltering in place, I’ve sorted through some of my working stash to find a use for some odd bits that might languish there. Some yarns have seemingly jumped out at me begging to be made into hats. No scarf to accompany it, just a hat on its own.

Top down, bottom up, side to side, open and lacy for fashion or tightly stitched together for maximum warmth – hats take practice. After making hundreds of baby hats, and dozens of adult hats, I have a good idea of how much yarn it would take to make a hat. Even so, I will rip something out and start again until I’m happy with what I make. Though I may never know the recipient, I want to be happy with what I make. One of the best things that I’ve ever figured out – when making a hat and scarf set, always start with the hat. You can make a shorter scarf, but you can’t skimp on a hat. The same stitch pattern takes on a different life when it is made in a lighter or heavier weight yarn or in a different color. The results are unique, fun and often can’t be duplicated because I’ve run out of yarn and don’t have the band to buy it (if it’s still being manufactured).

Make a hat or two to donate – they work up quickly and the gratification of a finished project is almost immediate.

[Note: Hats aren’t part of my 2020 goal – they are bonus items, but I will keep track of how many I make.]

Happy crocheting!

Last Saturday, after exercising and showering before my busy Saturday of reading on the couch, I went shopping in my yarn stash. I found some yarn for hat and scarf sets and other small projects…

AND…

I found some pound skeins of black yarn. Along with the bag of odd balls that my friend’s family gave me and the ones I already have, I could make the multicolor afghan I’ve been thinking about. Although, instead of measuring the lengths of black, I will start the afghan with two rows of black and then continue working with one of the balls which all start with a color and end in black. An open shell stitch would show off the colors and make it interesting.

Black ties all the colors together nicely. Many yarn companies make color changing yarns and some of the combinations are striking. Why not make my own? Wool yarns or fancy yarns aren’t included, but ombre, color changing, are all included. This is a fun and different way of using up yarn. I plucked a ball of yarn out of the yarn bowl to start the ball rolling (bad yarn pun intended) and I wrapped black around it until I felt like changing colors, then kept alternating between a color and black. I use all of the color, then wind some black around.

This is a work in progress because I need some additional colors to add to the mystery ball with black. Two full pound skeins of black with the colors interspersed should be enough or at least a good start. For the mystery ball that’s just yarn joined together, no amount is too short. If it can be joined (using the Russian join so it’s somewhat seamless) and it coordinates with the color it’s being added so – it’s included. Unlike the black and color balls, the mystery ball is solely color and colors are matched together as they are joined. In a run of three colors, the one in the middle coordinates with the ones on either end of it. When I’m ready to use that ball, I will use it two stranded with a lighter weight black for as large of a square I can make and then complete the rest of the rounds in black.

I’m enjoying making the mystery balls, though I need to finish a few more projects so I will have yarn to add! Double the fun of creating them and working with them! Stay tuned…

Happy crocheting!

Crocheting is something I do everyday. Now that I am sheltering in place, I do more of it especially since I have more time to watch movies. My commute time has dramatically decreased and during long webinars and meetings crocheting makes me focus on what the speakers are saying and not zone out (plus, it makes the time pass faster). Not everyone can work from home. Find something to keep yourself calm. Some people bake, sew, do puzzles or write. It’s not a contest, everyone can go at their own pace. Use crochet or other craft as therapy to help cope with the boredom, isolation and loneliness.

I have a lot of different shades of red and black. I decided to put them together. My grandmother had some towels that she used to hang in her bathroom for special occasions that were red and black. Her favorite color was red and so I figured why not use up what I have, which was part of the plan this year anyway to use up yarn that I have. No better time than to be creative in the combinations. I didn’t have enough of the same manufacturer of yarn, a couple were darker with a crisp black and another giant skein was a softer black. No matter, I decided to just make it so that there are three rows of black after each section of red. A section is complete rounds of red from the same shade. It may be one, it may be five, just complete rounds. I’m making a giant Granny Square and changing colors as I go, so that there are no ends to weave in. It’s another one of my plan as you go afghans. The reds are leftovers or smaller skeins of red that I wouldn’t use for a hat or scarf because there’s not enough for set. If the reds are close enough to match, then they may be combined to extend a section. I like it so far, because the colors are bolder than I probably would have put together otherwise. While sheltering in place, I’ve been creative with recipes, why not with crocheting as well?

Much of the yarn that I use, also known as working stash, is in plastic totes by color. A quick stroll through the red bin yielded more to add to the afghan. The shades are different but fun. This is definitely a stash buster project.

Solo hats were not on the agenda but as I’ve been going through the yarn I have, I’ve been finding leftovers from previous projects that aren’t enough for an afghan or a scarf. That’s how a hat came to be, I had almost enough yarn for a hat. Then I found a similar yarn in a different color way for a contrast and just decided to put them together. It’s very warm because of the chunky yarn. The hat looks better on than just laying flat on the table. I found some other yarns to use for a hats because when there’s a little of one color and a little of another in a similar yarn but not enough for an accent in a scarf, and the colors coordinate – a bold hat. I found a skein of yarn that I really like and I can make a hat. Baby hats may be on the horizon as well. Though the little red hat projects has ended, other groups seek donations of baby items and I found enough yarn to make a baby hat or two from previous baby gifts.

This year my goal was to use up the yarn that I have or give it away if I don’t like working with it. I’ve acquired some interesting ones from thrift stores and clearance sales that others may not have liked but that I’ve enjoyed working with.

I miss eating and laughing with my knitting and crocheting group while sharing a meal, but we still share photos of projects online. Use this time to focus on your craft, continue on the projects that have been languishing, or be bold, unravel them and start something new. Use your craft to keep yourself from unraveling.

This is a stressful time. I am working from home, and some don’t have that luxury. While I can’t sew masks, I can crochet. Cold weather is a part of life in Chicago and warm accessories and blanket are always needed. So, I’m taking time to continue doing what I do – making things for others in the way that I can.

Happy crocheting!

Like many metropolitan areas I’m going to be working from home for a few weeks because of COVID-19. I’ve been planning and have much of what I need, I bought toilet paper when it was on sale several weeks ago, because it was a really great sale and I have a lot of food in my freezer so I’m good. There are at least two bags of coffee beans in my cabinet, as well as lots of tea and hot chocolate.

Now is the time to work on some additional projects that I have wanted to work on. One is to make something for myself. This is in flux, every time I look at a pattern or see something in a magazine. I have the yarn, I just haven’t found the right pattern.

Another is to join some of the oddballs and scraps of yarn into one giant magic ball with black between each color. I either want to make an afghan in an open shell or a giant granny square. I would rather have a lot of color for this scrapghan and have it pulled together with the black. Though the amounts of the color will change, I want to have the same length of the black between each one. This requires a bit of planning. How many yards do I want to have between each color. Depending on the pattern I might want enough for a third or a half of a full row of the shells. This would be easier to determine than if I make a giant granny square because as more rounds are added, it takes more yarn to complete a side.

There are a couple of projects that I have finished since my office closed. I completed a hat to go with a set. Completed a scarf to go with a set, picked up an afghan that had been just sitting by my favorite chair in my living room. I generally work on it during a weekly conference call, but it was shorter than the usual hour, so I only finished a couple of rows. It may get promoted to my movie watching chair in the living room when I finish the other afghan, so I can finish it sooner.

The yarn that I have to make a skirt or dress for myself is just teasing me. I’m not quite sure what I want to make. Do I want to make a two piece or a dress. If a two piece a skirt and a drapey vest or sweater or poncho – what type of skirt? Too many decisions. A few weeks ago I borrowed from crochet pattern books from the library just because it’s the library and they are free. Since I have time on my hands with so many things cancelled, I could actually look through the books, Pinterest and Ravelry. There is something out there. When in doubt – work on a sure thing!

I finally wound the yarn I dyed a few weeks ago with Easter Egg dye and found a bag of eight hanks Lorna’s Laces Bullfrogs & Butterflies in Cat Bordhi’s Ahah! I figured since I had the ball winder and swift out, why not make it worth the effort. In the yarn I dyed, I chose one to use for the hat, as it has once section where the colors blended together more than the others and there’s a section of dark orange/rust. I didn’t wind all of the Lorna’s that I found, just enough for a hat and scarf this time around. I’ll save the other four for another time.

In the meantime, there are more than enough project to work on and I’m making progress on my crochet 2020 goals. Be safe everyone, happy crafting and enjoy your period of social distancing!

Progress as of March 19: Seven completed scarves, two hat and scarf sets, one afghan, and one hat for a set
In progress: Three afghans