Granny squares seem to be quite the trend in blogland right now. I am fascinated by the endless variations in patterns & colors, candy for the eye!
I wish I had learned to crochet when I was younger. I have been rather unsuccessful in trying to learn as an adult. I have looked at many instruction books, but still find myself perplexed beyond the basic chain stitch. This is so frustrating for me, as I have always been a natural with anything crafty. If I see something, I can usually figure out how it's done without too much effort. Not so with crochet!
Maybe I need to have lessons, that way I can visualize things better. It's pretty difficult to capture all the twists & turns of hook & yarn on a flat illustration. Then there is the stubborn part of me that really wants to crack the crochet code on my own & have the bragging right to be self taught. It's pretty silly isn't it? Think of how much time I have wasted, when I could be taught already & churning out my own lovely creations!
So instead of staring at my sad, little neglected crochet box, I have been working on a fabric version of the granny square. This cute granny square
tutorial by Jolene, is the perfect project for us crochet challenged types. It's a very simple block, you just need the patience (or one of those cool Go cutters) to make lots of 2.5" squares. Perfect for scrap busting!
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| Untrimmed & in candy colors of pink, red & aqua! |
I decided to dive into my "reserved" stash for this quilt. It has all my favorite pink, aqua & red prints that I have been saving & just staring at. Why is it that we can find it so difficult to cut into our beloved fabric stash? I mean honestly, don't we get more enjoyment by creating with it & using the item instead of hoarding it away? After reflecting on this, I have decided that I am going to use my fabric, even if it's the highly coveted bits that are no longer in print & notoriously expensive to buy. Ohhh, I feel like such a rebel ;) Seriously, it's just fabric. Using it frees up some space, for you guessed it - new favorite fabric!
My challenge to you is to start using your stash instead of staring at it. Seriously. I know you all have that little pile of hoard somewhere in your sewing room :) And yes, to all the crochet geniuses out there, maybe you can share some nuggets of advice for this stubborn stitcher!
For crochet, you just have to practice and practice and practice. Once the stitch becomes second nature, you can add designs and patterns and such, but you have to practice the basics for awhile first. I don't know a way around that :)
ReplyDeleteYour quilt is looking GOOOOOOD! :) If you want quick how to crochet lessons, Anneliese from Aesthetic nest (http://www.aestheticnest.com/search/label/HOH%20in%20Crochet) has a series going at the moment... other than that, your best friend is probably youtube. I used it to help me figure some stitches out when I was first starting and didn't have a book of instructions.
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