It’s been a while since I wrote an update on how the latest blanket adventure is going. Which is no reflection on how it’s going, because it’s going really really well. I am loving this current challenge, it’s turned out to be much easier than I expected (thanks yet again to Lucy’s excellent clear instructions).
Crochet on the train
Also it’s a lot more portable than the ripple blankets were, once they got past a certain point. Because the blanket is constructed of small squares, it’s relatively easy to do it in a way that lets me work on it while I’m on those long train journeys or staying away from home.
To do that, I’ve deviated slightly from Lucy’s suggestion of how to approach it. The blanket is made of 9 squares each in 19 14 [edited 5.12.15 – not sure how I miscounted this, but much fewer than I thought] different colour variations. Each one has 5 different colours in it before it gets made up into the blanket. So, rather than work on a series of different colour squares to make up a strip as she advises, I’ve decided to make up all 9 squares in one colour-way at a time. Sorry if this sounds a bit complicated, truly it isn’t but it may not make sense if you’ve never done this kind of blanket yourself.
When I’m off travelling, I can pack a small bag with just enough yarn to do say three rounds of 9 squares, rather than a large bag of a whole lot of different colours. I’ve also put the six A4 sheets of instructions into thin plastic slip-covers. I only need to carry one of those around with me (the one that reminds me how to make the squares).
So far I’ve done 4 different sets of squares, which doesn’t seem bad at all.
Crochet in a cafe
I’ve also figured out how to weave in the ends as I go, which saves having to sew them in (this may be perfectly obvious to people who do lots of crochet, but I just invented it for myself so I’m feeling pretty proud of myself on that one). As there are a huge number of ends, it avoids a very tedious task.
Crochet on the window sill
The other thing I’m pleased about is that, because some of the colours overlap with the ripple blankets I did and I’m using the same yarn, I’ve been able to use up lots of the odds and ends I accumulated in those projects. When I get to the end of this one, I’m thinking about at last designing something myself, using the skills and experience I’ve gained from following Lucy’s instruction, and using the the yarn I will have left over.
Crochet on the window sill
So, I’m glad I picked this pattern, and I just hope I still like the colours by the time I finish it! The danger of working such a big project is that you go off it part way along the line….
the magic jug 
This post is actually making me nostalgic for my long university commutes via public transit! I didn’t knit or crochet during those hours, but I did read read read, and it is rather a nice thing, isn’t it — to have that time in which you “might as well” keep yourself occupied somehow 🙂 .
You’re making such good progress with the granny squares, and they’re beautiful! (And I really like your tobacco tin; I have two Dutch cigar tins from my grandfather which I use for crafting bits as well). But your last paragraph gave me pause — going off the colours mid-way through in a big project IS a real danger, and one I experienced when knitting a throw for the couch. It took me several years to complete the project, and by the time I was about 3/4s done I was wishing I had chosen a different colour 😦 . (I did finish the blanket, and I do like it, but still … hmmm … ).
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The tobacco tin comes with a sting in the tail – we inherited several from my father-in-law, he used them to keep his DIY stuff in. The sting in the tail is that he had first a heart attack and then died of lung cancer, to which I assume his long term smoking was a contributory factor.
I’m quite a fidget, so crochet that I don’t have to think too much about is ideal for me whether I’m travelling, sitting in a cafe, or watching TV at home.
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I know what you mean … my grandfather died of stomach cancer (albeit at a fairly long-lived age (he was in his early 80s)) and the smoking may well have contributed to that. Similarly, my uncle (husband to my favourite aunt, as per my knitting post) died at a fairly young age of esophageal cancer, due to his smoking. I cannot see a pipe without thinking of my uncle, or smell a cigar (or see the cigar tins) without thinking of my grandfather; it’s nice to be reminded of them, and yet it’s also a very rueful association that comes with these things.
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Yeah big projects are like that aren’t they! I am glad I am not the only one who organises her crafting so that she can do it on journeys, I do this all the time! It’s a good way to start a conversation with a complete stranger!
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Haha! wonder if you and I have chatted on the train or in a cafe??
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I’m looking forward to seeing the finished blanket when all these lovely squares are sewn together. Great idea to take mini-kits away with you.
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Yes, it works really well. I seem to be racing through it at the moment, though I expect it will slow down when it comes to learning the new skills on joining the squares.
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Ah, yes, I was going to ask how you do that…!
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