When kindness touches it!
~George Elliston
Several years ago, I made my first attempt at a granny square. At the time, I just wanted to make simple baby washcloths, but for the life of me, I couldn't figure out the darn pattern. More recently, I've tried again, would get to a certain point where it just didn't make sense, the increasing was not working out, so I frogged the messy part and gave up.
When I saw the giant granny square challenge over at Le Monde de Sucrette, I was inspired to give it a go once again. Who wouldn't be inspired by this gorgeousness?
Twyla at Two Crazy Crafters had joined the challenge and posted her completed project the other day. Isn't it beautiful ??? !!!
She even sent an email and offered to help me with figuring out the granny square. I mentioned to her that I had come across a pattern at Tangled Happy, and was gonna try one more time, but if I had a problem, I would be in touch.
Finally success! Why do some patterns have to be so fussy? Not everyone makes their granny squares this way, but this was so simple and just what I needed and I am so happy (my husband didn't quite get the joy I felt when I finally started going round and round)! Thank you Tangled Happy for the pattern and thank you Twyla for your offer to help.
Another pattern I've been wanting to try is the African Flower. Marilyn at Room on the Left has created a gorgeous pillow using that design.
She was also kind enough to offer to help me step by step when my attempts were not working out.
Why is it my center does not look like a flower? I guess practice makes perfect. Maybe I'll figure this one out in the next few years. :)
Have a great day! Friendship blessings, Tammy
32 comments:
I love all the granny square goodness out there and your pillow turned out terrific. Hope you are enjoying your weekend. :-)
Tammy~I love the giant square.Ive always done the little one yrs ago.I love Twyla's afghan... very cute.
Happy weekend!
these are gorgeous Tammy!!!! and it's always a pleasure to visit your blog...love the music....
Dearest Tammy,
Guess it would help you tremendously if you could use cotton thread instead of the ones you use. Anything other than cotton makes it really hard. The mercerized cotton is the easiest and smoothest to work with.
Wish I was near you, would give you some hands on lessons. I've taught several ladies that never crocheted anything. Also the trick is to fasten each round with a slip-stitch and then chain 3 for a treble and continue. 2 chain stitches for a half treble etc. Good luck!
Enjoy your Saturday and Sunday!
Mariette
Love your granny cushion, well done you, i bet you get the flower perfect too :D
Have a lovely weekend!
Karen
I love making Granny square blankets. Not made one with lots of small squares just 2 big ones:) I want to have a go at the flower one as well.....sometime!!!
Our local yarn shoppe did that challenge last year and the finished 'squares' were amazing. One girl used NORO yarn, one used sock yarn, and one did it in yarns of various textures (thin/chunky/fuzzy). Once you get the hang of it, you just love this pattern! The one you posted in bright primary colors is pretty. I can see it in shades of grey/cream/peach.
Now, see what you started!!!!!
Happy crocheting.
Hooray for you Tammy learning to crochet. You will keep on moving ahead now for sure. Thanks for posting my give away. I will send you a tote if you don't win. They are so light it would not be too out of sight to mail to you.
Blessings
QMM
My best friend and I cranked out granny squares in the 70's when they were all the rage. Purses, vests, afghans, you name it. Now I couldn't stitch one to save my life! I will check out your link. Maybe it's the method I did so long ago. It was simple enough for a 12 year old :)
So pretty! I haven't crocheted anything since I made my daughter a baby blanket. Hmmmm, 36 years ago. But I LOVE the look! One day, maybe I'll give it another go. :)
Happy weekend, Tammy!!!
~ Zuzu
I am putting up a step by step tut for you ...the comment about the yarn is right,especially for the pillow, but I did make another one using acrylic... but if all you have, is what you have, then practice with that...you WILL make a flower....you will!!!!
Always enjoy looking at your projects ... and wishing I could do so many as you do. I am starting a "throw" for a wedding present --the young kids today like anything homemade or with needlework somewhat like we did ... but we'll see if my arthritic thumb will make it! As far as your vacations, your kids will definitely appreciate all they have experienced when they are older, I'm sure! Our boys have been to many places in the world as well and I know that travel has helped them become the young men they are today. I feel so grateful that they have experienced life outside the USA!
The granny squares are all lovely and your pillow turned out GREAT! I'm sure you'll grasp the flower design soon as well. It's a nice hobby that you have. :)
Thanks for your comment on the blog as well. In all of our 15 years of living downstate in rural Illinois, we have never had water sanctions, even during dry periods. Our town runs on their own water supply and utilities. Our power did go out for about an hour and a half this morning. No doubt a problem due to the non-stop use of a/c. Our actual temperatures here for the past couple of weeks have been over 100 degrees and humid. Go figure how it can be humid, when we haven't had rain in nearly 2 months. But that's the midwest for you - the humidity rolls up from the Mississippi and the Gulf, and so the actual temp has felt like 120+. So, thankfully no water sanctions, though we did have those when we lived in the Chicago suburbs during dry summers like this one. So, in stead the girls and I enjoy the garden hose and sprinklers, and maybe the pool again once the water temperature in ours drops below 100. :D
Hey, I forgot to mention re the A/C comment - it literally makes me sick to my stomach and in my sinuses at times. We keep ours set at 78 and usually it's around 80 in here - just enough to take the humidity out but even then there's something about the cool, stale (almost moldy - which I'm allergic to) inside air that really bothers my sinuses and can bring on sicky headaches. I'm thankful that at work I have my own private office, so I keep that thermostat at 80. :) But most places - restaurants, stores, etc., are just far too too cold for my liking at this time of year. I would much prefer to have the windows opened so long as there is a breeze, and when it gets back down to the low 80's I will do that, because to me that's the ideal temp. I could never live in a/c 10 months out of the year; guess that's why I live where I do, lol. :D
Hope you're having a good weekend. Our Saturday morning is just beginning and everyone is still sleeping.
Just Lovely :)
and do not miss
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Håkan ( The Roseman)
Tammy, I'm one of the lurking followers and have never commented on your blog, but have so enjoyed your positive outlook!! Gives me a lift just to read your thoughts!! I also have a quick question - how did you add music to your blog? I love it!
Blessings
These are so incredibly beautiful! I've got to learn to do this one day.
Brenda
Hi Tammy,
These granny square throws and pillows look great. I enjoy making them as well. I am halfway making a throw. It's more work than I thought :-)!
Lucky you to visit Paris in August! I hope your husband made the reservations so that you can visit. It's such a beautiful city.
Happy weekend,
Madelief x
They are all beautiful....you are so talented!
I made a quilt years ago. All by hand! Was almost blind when I finished it/ha I retired from crafts..... Oh, and I made one afghan too!
Thank you so much for visiting me! I'm so pleased you did - so that I could discover your beautiful blog. I am just going to make a lovely big cup of tea and have a good read through! Those African Flowers drove me nuts when I first tried to make them. I couldn't work out what the heck I was doing wrong. Then one day I just got it - which is pretty much how I am with crochet ... confusion then clarity! Have a fabulous week.
Hi Tammy. Your pillow looks perfect! I am a lover of all things granny. So happy my tutorial was a help to you. Thanks for popping in at Tangled Happy and taking the time to let me know. Wishing you a happy weekend. :)
BOTH of your pillows are beautiful!! I can't decide if I love the granny square one or the flower one better. They are great. I have to admit those are the biggest granny squares I have ever seen! Ginormous! Thank you for sharing all of these great projects with us. blessings ~ Tanna
You go girl. It looks great. Once you got the grannie down, your world will be endless now...he-he... You know I only started about two years ago. By the way, I know all your friends here and they are great.
Onward you go,
Kate
They are beautiful! You inspire me so! Now I want to learn how to make granny squares! It's time to get my crochet hook out again!
Happy day to you!!!
Congratulations on mastering the granny square! There's no stopping you now :) Thanks for your visit :) /Limar
I decided to teach myself to crochet granny squares so bought several balls of cotton, came home with a book and sat in front of YouTube. For hours. Couldn't get the hang of it, just got crochet rage. So enrolled myself in a beginner's session at a local wool shop. Five hours of tuition and I still couldn't do it. I decided to give the book one more try - and finally cracked it.
I realised later that the methods I was trying to follow were more complicated than need be and that the crochet teacher wasn't a particularly good one. I almost gave up on something I now adore doing. It doesn't help that the beginning of the granny square is the hardest part to work out when you're a beginner. If ever I was going to teach someone, I'd actually start them off so they could see the pattern emerging as they crocheted and then come back to the beginning when they were more confident.
Love the pillow!! Crocheting can be so addictive. I used to crochet all the time and could barely stand to part with my crochet hook to go off to work in the mornings! My children were all born with a crochet project on my expecting belly! :-) And like with my mother's afghans, just think how much your kids will love all the pillows that you will be making from now on! Have fun creating.
I was only saying to my sister today that I've never mastered the art of crochet and now your pictures are making me wish I had! Maybe I'll watch a few youtube how to's this winter and see how far I get. Those two large ones are gorgeous! I also love the pillows.
Your granny is gorgeous. Love the colours.
I'm loving all the giant ones that are turning up too - that is the way my gran always made them.
Mum still has a rug or two that were made by my gran.
“You've got to get up every morning with determination if you're going to go to bed with satisfaction.”
George Lorimer
Reminds me of when I was trying to figure out how to darn x-stitch. Once I got the hang of it, it got easier. Looking really good!
Love the Grannies and all the other crochet lovelies you have here!
Am very much enjoying myself, so will be your newest follower so I don't miss out!
If you have a mo, do pop over and visit my end of blogland- I love a little bit of crochet too.
Xx
I love knowing that your days are so filled with crochet, even if it is not coming out exactly as you would like. I think your attemps look wonderful. I have not picked up my cross stitch oncce this summer. I am stuck in a reading mode right now, and enjoying it a lot. I am sure the cross stitch will come back to bite me again soon!
Glad you are finding ways to keep your learning going. Good for you.
Happy crocheting, my friend!!
Love ya,
Renee
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