Crochet Stash-Buster Update

Progress! Slowly but surely I am using up my stash. First, my basket full of cotton is finally disappearing.

Yes, it's been three weeks of cotton crocheting and I have a lot to show for it! You've seen my Overlay Crochet Mandala,(soon to be a pillow) and you've seen my Mandalas, and this week I made a much needed dishcloth for myself. This pattern is so pretty and so fun to make I want to make several of them.The cotton yarn I used for this one is Hobby Lobby's I Love This Cotton in Buttercup Print.




And I have to say, I am getting really excited about my new little granny square blanket. I love the white now and I only have one row done but I worked in all the ends and it's looking pretty good.








Happy Crocheting!

Stash Busting Already!

Luckily I started stash busting last year but didn't get very far so I have a little bit of a jump start. I started making these little granny squares with a "G" hook with the leftover yarn from my Rainbow Ripple.

So I was going to do the join-as-you-go method but I did it backwards, or so I was told, and I didn't like the way the join looked, (see here), because usually when I join granny squares they all have the same color in the last row. It just really bothered me to look at the one color overlapping the other color. 

So, I decided to just go ahead and make the squares between projects and use up the stash. So now I have all these lovely little squares and only a little bit of stash left. Now I have to decide how to join them together since I obviously can't do the as-you-go method. So now I will probably have to buy some yarn for the joining of the squares. This always happens to me when I am trying to use up some stash, I end up buying more yarn to finish something! Ugggh! Doesn't that defeat the purpose? Oh well, buying yarn is one of my favorite past times so not really a problem at all!

So I'm almost finished using up the stash of yarn but...I still have to finish the little granny square blanket or I just moved the yarn from stash to a UFO (unfinished object).  I have enough of those already. 

Any ideas on the color to use for joining them? I guess I could add one more round with a new color and join-as-you-go that way with all the same color. I'm thinking white or black.  What do you think?

Happy Crocheting!

My Crochet Attic Blog is Two Years Old...

Wow! I can't believe I have been blogging here for two years! Where does the time go? So much has happened since I started my blog and I've made so many friends here in blog land along the way.  Another milestone, today I have reached 400 followers! Wow! This calls for a BIG celebration don't you think? I will have to come up with a giveaway. I'm not sure what it will be but I will make sure it is something special for YOU for your loyalty.

Also, I am excited to show you a "nearly" finished project.  I still have to work in the ends and put a border on it but I just love how it has turned out considering I had no plan when I started it way back when and it turned out so totally different from what I was originally thinking it would be. Are you curious yet?

Well, it is something that I have shown here on my blog many times either as a post or as a background image for another project.  Are you ready to see what I've secretly been working on? I've been keeping it a secret because I wasn't sure I like it!:) But now that it is nearly finished I have grown to love it as it has grown into a full size afghan.  This was one of those projects that just came on a whim from yarn in my stash.  I just wasn't sure about the colors...that is until I added the white.  Wow, what a difference a little white can do.  I'm in love with it now.  I can't wait to finish it, hopefully by Friday for a big Tah Dah!!

Okay, here are some sneak peaks...

Remember these? This is how it all started a year ago for the Granny a Day Cal in January 2012...I didn't use the squares that weren't regular grannies...but I liked the moss with it but wasn't sure how to use it with what I already had...

I wasn't sure about the colors but you all encouraged me to continue...

Personally I love the brick and mustard color together but it needed another color...

So I added the moss...and then the white just made it a beautiful color combination...

So I started putting it together and planning the arrangement...

The entire year I worked on it between projects.  It was always handy to work on when I wanted to work on a "no-brainer" project...

And here it is today...

Almost finished and oh so fun.  

The moral of the story... don't give up! You will be surprised when you end up with an original creation that was not planned...it just happened! So I have named it my "Accidental Granny Afghan"

Happy Crocheting

Crochet on Pinterest

Brrr...Winter warm ups on Pinterest!

Source: ravelry.com via Eileen on Pinterest

Source: ravelry.com via Eileen on Pinterest

Source: ravelry.com via Eileen on Pinterest

Source: lionbrand.com via Eileen on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Eileen on Pinterest

Happy Crocheting!

Little Patchwork Granny Squares

Hi all! I've been busy with my sweet little grand daughter, baby Emma! So I have some pictures of her wearing some of my crochet and pictures of what I've been working on when I have time to crochet between snuggles with Emma! :)

Here she is in the cocoon & hat I made her!

...and Emma's baby blanket!

And this is what I've been working on...

... aren't they sweet?

They are a basic granny with 3 rounds.  I used a G Hook and leftover yarn from my Stylecraft DK from Deramore's. I had a lot left over from making my Ripple.  I'm not sure how I will join them yet. Maybe a neutral color for the border and in between the squares?  What do you think?

I am a long way from being done with the squares so this will be a large blanket!

I hope you all are doing well and I've missed visiting your blogs. Work has also been crazy and will be until the end of October. Traveling some and that makes it hard to keep up with all your blogs!

Happy Crocheting!

Tuesday's Tallies-Granny Love

Tuesday's Tallies One a Day!

This week I have been working on my Little Giant Granny blanket inspired by Sandra over at Cherry Heart

She made a beautiful Giant Granny Patches blanket that I just love. Only one problem...

Mine doesn't look anything like hers! Yes, I know I have to weave in all those ends and I will before I go on to the next row but...

I am using the join as you go method like Sandra recommended and I think it looks like crap. Her's doesn't look like crap but mine does...For example look at the picture below at the salmon color reddish on the top right hand side...

See how the stitches show up against that pretty aqua color!! Yukky! Maybe I need to use a smaller hook or maybe I am not doing that method correctly but I have to say I'm thinking about Frogging it because it doesn't look like hers. You cannot see the join stitches on Sandra's blanket. So...I'm just going to have to try something different.

I made and joined 30 squares this week, I am putting 15 on each row. I'm not sure if you will see it next week because I just can't bring myself to love it enough to do the work.

Oh well, have a great week everyone!

Happy Crocheting!!

Lost without a Crochet Project

Okay, here we go...



First of all, this last week I have been floundering...yes floundering, lost, without purpose, sporadically searching for something, anything that I can lose myself in, a crochet project that will be big enough to last more than a day!

For a few days I thought maybe I lost my mojo...I was panicking that I would never get back into my crochet groove again. This was a horrible feeling. I looked on pinterest, ravelry, your blogs, crochet magazines, and even the hundreds of patterns I have printed from my computer and are somewhat organized in protective sleeves in binders. I realized several of those are duplicates and definitely need organized by projects, big, small, potholders, granny squares, shawls, baby stuff, etc.


I looked and looked and looked and nothing grabbed me, well some things grabbed me but I didn't have the yarn needed to start or finish many of them and I CANNOT BUY MORE YARN. So, I was floundering.


Here's what happened...


I finished my angel dress and my first Just Crochet sweater and bonnet for Baby Emma, (she will be here soon, August 20th).

So...I didn't have another project lined up. I didn't want to just weave in all those ends on my Ripple and my Blues afghans. Not something I can get excited about but I was so desperate for a project I dare say I almost did it!



So I started with some small things...


My favorite easy potholder pattern, it was fun but didn't last long enough. 

Then, being inspired by Made in K Town post for Beyond the Square Motifs, I thought I would do some of those...

They were pleasing to work on but again...didn't last long enough.


So...I tried some more baby booties! Ugggh! I HATE doing baby booties. I have tried several different patterns, even bought one hoping it would be better than the freebies but oh no...I just can't do baby booties. They never come out the same size!




Either I can't be consistent with my tension or I just add a row or leave off something or one is turned wrong side out and the other is correct! Ugggh! Baby Booties Suck!! I'm feel very strongly about this as you can tell so I am going to show you all of the baby booties I have made but couldn't give to my daughter for Baby Emma.

 This is very sad...it looks like a bootie graveyard...
I'm so ashamed to show you all of my mistakes but I am curious...has anyone else had this problem with baby booties or is it just me?


Anyway...back to my mojo or lack of mojo...I had some scraps so I made these cute little granny squares and they didn't do it for me either.

So...I made a cute little flower coaster. Kind of cool but not something I wanted to do a whole set of.

Finally...


Finally yesterday I put all my scraps away and cleaned off the couch and thought...What have I been putting off making because I've been so busy with baby stuff??


Ah Hah!! That's right, an Ah Hah moment!




The Sidewalk Shawl...

This has been in my queue forever!! I had even bought the 6 skeins of the Debbie Stoller yarn in the Mercury for this pattern. Why it didn't dawn on me before I don't know but...it did the trick. Its back! That wonderful feeling of escaping in a new pattern that I have to pay attention to what I'm doing but not so difficult I can't watch TV and work on it. The yarn is lovely to work with, no splitting and so soft. It already is looking so pretty and I am excited because I will have to block it!! I know that's crazy but I've never made anything that is elegant enough to need blocking!! Woo HOO!


I think I have made it past the hump. Now I have a project that I can't wait to work on and don't want to stop. It's so good to not be lost, floundering. wandering around aimlessly. I have focus again and can get on with the rest of my life, happily knowing that waiting for me is the comfort of lovely yarn, beautiful pattern, and a soothing color anytime I want to pick it up! Ahhhh! Life is good again!


Happy Crocheting!!