Sunday, April 27, 2014

Eating paste

Last Thursday I went to one of my local yarn stores for a granny squares class. I used to crochet, but hadn't in a while and last fall I signed up for a crochet along. It was once a month for 6 months I think. I made it to only 2 or 3 classes. I bought all the yarn so I have a ton of yarn sitting around. During one of the few classes I did attend, I asked about granny squares and so I like to think I brought about this class. Anyway, I went to the class unprepared. I forgot my supplies at home and didn't have enough time to go home and pick them up after work. So I went to Joann's and picked up $2 yarn and a cheapo crochet hook. My first mistake of the session was admitting that I had done that. I got the stink eye for saying I went to Joann's. I just couldn't get the pattern to work. It was off from the get go and it go progressively worse and was all misshapen and not square. It was like kindergarten where all the other kids are writing their name and you don't even know letters. I felt like I was the paste eating child! Sidebar- I never ate paste as a kid and I have no idea why anybody would. It was AWFUL! I even left the lesson early. Sitting in my car I texted my friend to tell her how awful it was and how I was going to have to either get a tutor and pay somebody to crochet up a few for me to take to the next lesson.


Yesterday I decided to try again. This time it turned out OK, but on the class handout I found out that there are different kinds of granny squares and they had taught me the circle in square kind. I like the original one, the one that was the inspiration for the granny square quilts. Worked like a dream. I can write my name! I did two and they turned out fantastic.


Since I can't leave well enough alone, I've decided to make an afghan. I am going to use the yarn I picked up for the crochet along. I used this image as inspiration. I love the two sample blocks I made. And because I am a big nerd, I don't want repeats so I used a permutation generator to get all possible combinations. With 5 colours there are 120 combinations. If I used 4 colours out of the 5, it is still 120 combinations so I am going with 5 colours since they will be bigger blocks and hence a larger throw with same number of blocks. Always thinking, this one. Technically I can get it done in a month. 120=4/day*31days/May. Yeah, right!

Saturday, April 26, 2014

I don't take good pictures

I take lovely vacation pictures. I am even a Iowa State Fair blue ribbon winner, but I can't take quilt pictures to save my life. I think it is because I have to stage them. With monuments or people in action, they are already staged.
Well, a friend of mine went into the hospital last weekend. It was a very serious situation and a scary time. I didn't have a lot of time, so I made up a pillow to give her while she was in. I made a Turning Twenty block and I think it turned out well. I stitched in the ditch to hold the fusible batting in place. I used three fat quarters from Dena Designs. I like the way they coordinate, but not matchy matchy. I needed one pillow, but I had enough fabric for two more so I am going to do that and mail it to my niece.




I also finished up the blocks for the Toes in the Sand Block of the Month. Only 2 months behind. Go me! I have to finish it, but that shouldn't take long. Famous last words, I know.

I like the red and yellow added into the prescribed blue blocks. It makes it brighter and more fun. I went to a crochet class Thursday which is quite the story, but I will post that later.