Taking the time!

Yesterday I finally decided it was time I gave a Granny Square a go!   

My knitting mojo has gone on a wee holiday and the time was ripe for a new challenge, not to mention the fact I want blankets for camping so the elusive square was calling me.  Also we are all accosted by such beautiful images in blogland it is hard to resist and I was resisting.  Thought I would stick with knitting and all the possibilities therein, not understanding crochet had the same potential for creativity.  I can crochet a little already and learned many many moons ago from my mum who passed down all she knew (which wasn't much compared to what she taught me about knitting) but all I have done in my crocheting life is rounds and rounds of stitches until the blanket reached the required size and only a few blankets at that.  Here are two I'm working on at the minute for my Biscuits' beds...

The centre of this one was found at the Christmas Fayre at my Biscuits' school but was way too small, I've been working on it for yonks but it's almost finished now.  I do love how they look, especially the top one.

Pretty basic stuff or so I thought until yesterday when I realized I already knew how to do a Slip Knot, Chain and I finally discovered the name of the stitch I can do, a Treble.  Just to discover the name of a stitch I've been doing for years was a revelation.  My first port of call was at Meet me at Mikes as I have the book and realized quite quickly I do NOT learn at all easily from words and drawings so I was in need of live action.  The lessons are amazing and for someone like me who needs to see something over and over again the clips made it so easy.  The internet, in many ways, is like having that mum, aunt or gran when it comes to leaning new skills.  I was amazed at how quickly a square comes together and in particular the instant gratification on completion of one square.  I can see now why in some blog photos you see piles them.  So here it is, drum roll if you please because I'm chuffed I finally made the time to learn, my first (and definitely not my last) Granny Square...

and then I made two more just for a practice...

The tension is not quite right as I am used to working with larger pieces of crochet so found holding the square a little fiddly and I did the learner amount of chains so the gaps are bigger than I'd like too but I am very pleased with how they came out.  I have plans now to use up some of my acrylic wool stash on adding squares to that colourful blanket in the first photo, as I don't mind crocheting with it but hate knitting with it and it's cheap but I'm sure I'll move on to cotton soon enough.  I'm wondering how long it'll be before I'm tackling a pattern and I've heard wonderful things about Lucy's tutorials at Attic24......aah the possibilities!  I didn't think I'd ever say that about crocheting.

I'm off to make some more!

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