Sweet Fabric:
granny square

I had planned to make myself a grey Granny Shrug but now I've tried the Mulberry on I'm quite taken with it.

This one is NOT for me but I thought you might like to see a version done in 14ply & on a life size person rather than my little twig. I've got another on the hook for my bossy mate. There is actually quite a list ahead of me now. So much so, that by the time I get to make my own I'm sure I won't want one at all.

Thanks for your interest. Please know that there is now a granny shrug how to with pattern available here.

Ecru & Red Granny Ring

I actually made this for myself but was concentrating on Spicks & Specks and not on the sizing. It's too big for me. Maybe you might like it?...here.

Would you like to see one on a real hand?.

Thanks all for playing along yesterday & for not minding that I wasn't about. x

Just a bit of granny square jewellery prettiness. I'm working on a "made to order" granny square ring - what fun!

making me smile:

-This magnificent teeny, tiny dress via Melanie (who is also into the teeny tiny).
-Wren Handmade such delicate crochet.

-Great people, namely...
Melanie
Megan
& Jeanamarie who are taking full advantage of the "chat" in the new commenty thing.

I'm interested if you think the new system is a pain in the neck or quite valuable? Did you know that if you enter your email address when you comment then JS Kit will email my response to your comment? You can also respond to other people's comments & the same thing will happen. It's kind of cool & a bit twitteresque.

This little envelope of tiny granny square crochet jewellery is going in the post tomorrow.

No more tiny crochet posts...I promise.

A 3 round granny square done in 8ply on a 5mm hook would have taken me between 10 - 15 minutes.

This took about 10 times that. Thinking that I really should wear my glasses.

Obviously not going to be part of the king size blanket.

& no brown in sight.

I've been a bit out of the loop this week. Parenting, working, socialising & celebrating. All really important & good stuff! I'm planning a bit of a clicketty trip tomorrow. I'll see you all then.

Update: There's now a little how to here.

OK, so maybe I'm not as in love with brown as I used to be. I blame the grannies.

In an effort to re-affirm my love of brown & inspire new combinations of the same 3 or 4 shades I'm wearing:

brown boots
brown wool top layered under
beige/biscuit vintage heart dress purchased from the Op Shop

You can see more (not brown) granny action in Pip's granny a day flickr group here.
& a giant granny square that Jhoanna picked up at the Op Shop too.

We are heading out of town for a couple/few days.

So this is where I'll be creating from.

Still working on the granny squares & feeling like I might never finish. I layed out a few more squares the other day & it's looking pitiful. Perhaps King size may have been a little optimistic? Oh well, I'm nothing if not determined. Check back in around 2015.

The yellow hook is plastic & was purchased for my Darwin trip. I got the hook on the plane OK but as soon as I started hooking they whipped it away.

I won't be around but you're welcome to stay as long as you like. Chat amongst yourselves, just make sure you lock the door on your way out. Pop in and add your link if you are sharing your creative space this week.

I found this at the Op Shop yesterday!

I think that this girl may have just turned a lovely shade of pea (just as I did when I saw this).

I couldn't believe my luck - I'd seen one there last week & as you might know grannies in good condition don't turn up that often. The ones I usually find in Op Shops look (& smell) like they've been used as dog's bedding.

Last week I'd laid out the rug & ummed a bit, then I folded it neatly & put it back on the shelf. Despite being granny rug charming the colours were a bit off & it just didn't do it for me.

But this little baby is absolutely the best granny rug I've ever seen. There's something in it for everyone.

I asked the smalls which square they liked best & they all came up with a different one. I'm loving the red, green, blue & white one myself.

Which is your favourite or is it way too wrong for you?

Disclaimer: I fully understand that a granny square is an acquired taste (& one I acquired from the smallest).

You might remember ages ago I got all inspired by this lovely girl & layed out my PJ quilt on the carpet.

I had the very best intentions of actually stitching it up BUT all the pieces got in the way & I had to pile them up again. Once that was done I lost all enthusiasm & they have sat in a nice neat pile ever since.

I've been slowly working on my granny square quilt/blanket & everytime I go to make up a new square I lay all the blocks out to see what I've got & what I need (or don't).

Then I stack them all up again.

So yesterday I made this piecing "quiver". I'm quite pleased. I've just safety pinned them on & then rolled the whole affair up & stowed it under the table in the pool room.

Be lazy with me...

I just used an old double bed doona cover & a couple of broomsticks from the hardware.

I layed the stick on top of the doona & "measured" the casing for each side. Pin & machine stitch into place.

& for the ties along the centre fold (wrong side of doona cover). Pin & machine stitch into place.

Then I marked lines for a cot sized quilt & a single bed quilt

& just ran lines of stitching. The doona cover I used had lines already printed on it ... a stroke of accidental genius.

Once all the machining was complete I fed the broomsticks into their casings & then I pinned my blocks to the doona cover.

Note: there's overhang at the top which I just folded down when ready to roll.

I folded in half so that the sticks met

& then rolled the sticks toward the mid line.

I tied the ribbon loosely & stored.

Disclaimer: This method would not be recommended by serious quilters I am quite sure...but it works for me.

Also: if you know of anything similar to this please let me know - I'd like to check it out.

It's amazing what a pretty drink & a warm spot on the floor desk can do for a girl.

She's finished. She'd fit right in across the road from my favourite shop & I'm sure she'd be best friends with this really lovely little girl.

Free hand embroidered with wool.

Germinated from me thinking that all those scrappy practice granny squares would make pretty adornments for babushkas.

Just the right amount of wonk too.

I'll be making more of these...most satisfying.

As per usual all op shopped materials.

Friday Archives hosted by Loobylu.

I'm sharing this pic of the smallest to help explain the love of the granny square. This image really is an archive - she's a big(ish) girl now.

Some of you may have heard this story already - if that's you feel free to find some fresh content in the sidebar (I've been inspired by Pip's recent housekeeping & done a bit of my own).

So...on with the story. We were given two bunny rug size granny blankets when the big girl was born.

I was unimpressed to say the least. Crocheted from Patons Feathersoft - I thought that they were pretty yick. Consequently they were used only to keep the lovely woollen blankets firmly tucked around our sleeping babes.

The smallest ferreted them out of the side of the cot when she was about 6 months old and she and the "Hucky" have been inseparable ever since.

Now, thanks to Brown Owls (& a good friend) I'm totally up to speed on the Granny Square.

Want some more Granny Square links?
Granny-Along on Flickr (thanks Fran)
Grannyalong Blog