Saturday, May 09, 2009
crochet!!!
Pattern: Chocolate-covered Cherries Afghan by Lion Brand Yarn
I've always wanted to do a granny square....well...once I decided to put down the needles long enough to really get into crocheting.
I am here to declare that you are not a true crocheter until you've done a granny square!!! ;op
From the start I knew there would not be a bunch of mini squares (as most granny square afghans are traditionally done) by my hands; as I didn't want to put a whole lot of "elbow grease" in it (seaming, changing tons of colors, etc.)
With that being said One Big Ole Granny Square was perfect for me!! :o)
Presenting....Cella whose namesake comes from my absolute fav chocolate covered cherries!! How fitting ;o)
Time: I did this "lapghan" in honor of March Crochet Month working off and on it until April (about a month). It really is a smooth sailing project and quite addictive!
Size: My 2009 afghan (one has been done every year since Lizzie!) is 40 rounds total and measures at 52.5" x 48.5".
I never intended to make it that large until another Purl in my knitting group caught the granny square bug too (along with a couple others) and was making her project huge for a male recipient...so I thought I should keep going too! Haha!
I just love how it drapes over my legs and keeps me warm. Even cozier doubled up!
HOOK/Yarn: This is my 1st crochet project so my first time having to say "hook" vs. needles in my post and hitting the "crochet" button on Ravelry ;op which was just a bit different for me.
On this lapghan I used a size K hook with Vanna's Choice yarn (first time dipping into this yarn brand), which needed 6 balls in expresso and 4 balls in Cranberry. I will say VC is one of the better acrylic yarns I've used thus far.
Modifications: I pretty much stuck to the pattern (how hard is a granny square right?!? Very cookie cut).
However, since I was still trying to get comfortable with crocheting and getting my tension right I never did the 1 ch. in between the 3 dc.
And of course you may have noticed I did my "border" with 4 rounds in red and 3 rounds in brown ending with a SC edging. That is really not a mod, but more of a designer's choice ;o)
I will make a reminder note that in doing the edging for the corners to do 4sc next time versus 3sc as they are curling up a bit.
What I learned: That I was very proud of myself doing my first 100% crochet project...finally!
I also learned how to do color change, join new yarn, and weave all my ends in as I crocheted! Yay!
and there were a lots of them!!
Towards the end I learned that crocheting can be addictive like knitting too :oD
Because....
I didn't want it to end
I started another one!!!
This was actually a gift to my close girlfriend for her 30th birthday (this weekend! which is why I can now blog about both afghans...she has it!!).
I whipped this one up even faster as I started it on a Thursday and it was washed and mail delivered to her by the following Friday!!
I was burning up the yarn on this one ;op Gotta love my ergonomic hook! ;o)
Specs on #2: On this one I used the I Love This Yarn brand only thru H.obby L.obby 2 balls of Red and 1 ball of Antique White (only one ball as you saw what happened to the second ball Hahaha).
These colors were chosen b/c it is both (my friend and I) sorority colors!! OOO-OOP!
I liked this particular yarn in that there was twice as much in the ball for a better value! It is also super soft, but after being washed it becomes a bit stiff and sheds more than the Vanna's Choice yarn. That is minor for the value! Next time I would just put a fabric softener liquid ball in my washer ;o)
This was done a bit smaller since I had a shorter window of time to complete it. Strawberry Shortcake (hey..sticking with the food theme haha) has 29 rounds and measures at 42" x 40" with a red SC trim to complete it.
Verdict: Again I am so proud to complete not 1 but 2 crochet projects coming straight out the gate!
This is absolutely a great pattern to start warming up your hookin' skills on! 
And mighty cozy to knock the A/C chill off your legs this summer too ;o)
I'm so proud of you and your beautiful granny squares. Your color combinations are great. :o)
I just don't have the patience...
See you soon!
I hope you enjoyed this Mother's Day with your mom. Have a great week!
As for the corners you might want to loosen your tension some and keep the three stitches. It sounds like your tension may be off. If you do more than three keep the number odd. You need the odd stitch to make the curve work.
Keep up the good work.
Yes, crocheting is just as addictive as knitting. As I'm sure you've discovered, crocheting goes much faster than knitting but uses more yarn. Welcome to the world of crochet!!
Thanks so much for leaving such a sweet comment on my blog entry about my dad.