Working my way though the Granny Square Academy, I’m now on number 3, Back Betty. This one features the Back Loop Only (blo) technique. Here’s my first attempt at that one:
And here’s my 2nd try at the Skipping Sarah pattern. I posted my first try yesterday.
First, a quick note. When I mention places or people that I get things from, or provide links to products or whatever, I don’t get any benefit for doing so. I just include it in case you see/hear about something I’m doing or using and you’re interested in learning more about it.
So, with that said, I’m starting a couple of projects. One is to work through Shelly Husband’s Granny Square Academy workbooks – you can find her and her other materials at Spincushions. I’ve done the first two of the ten in book one so far. The first square, called Solid Sue, is very basic – it’s rounds of double crochet with a two-chain space at the corners. I’ve done two of it so far. The first try (teal and white) came out ok, and the 2nd one (all white) show some improvement.
The second one, called Skipping Sarah, kicked my ass for the better part of 2 days. I dunno what the problem was, but I just couldn’t get the hang of it. The only real difficulty is counting the stitches so you get the skipped stitches in the right place, but while I finally did get it done (teal and white) it’s pretty sloppy. Hopefully, I can post an improved version in a day or so.
I also started work on my first attempt at my first major project – a Moroccan Tiles Afghan in Midnight Mosaic from Annie’s Kit Club. It’s a GORGEOUS 54″x 54″ afghan that has bright colors on a black background. Here’s a couple pictures of what it’s supposed to look like 🙂
Below is what I got done on it tonight, which isn’t much. I need to start over because it’s supposed to be 3″ and I ended up with 3.5″, and also because it honestly looks like crap, and not just because it’s still got all the tails hanging all over it! But I got a chance to see some of the techniques it uses and how difficult it’s going to be for a rank beginner, and I think I’ll be able to manage it. I just need to get a lot neater, first.
I’m really enjoying crochet so far. I like the feel of the yarn over my finger, and I love the feeling of creating something tangible, that someone else can use. I can see why a lot of people describe it at a kind of meditation or a form of therapy. I’m finding it a nice way to honor Frigga, the Norse Goddess and Odin’s wife.
So, that’s where I am with it now. I’ll post again in a couple more days.