Stash-busting

Helloooooooooo!!

Remember me??

I'm the one who used to have six child-free hours a day to please myself, six child free hours a day in which to write, bake, crochet, create, read, browse, shop and potter...oh how I miss my leisurely Pottering! Yeah, I do miss my "old life" somewhat. But I'm certainly not complaining. No, not complaining at all. In my "new life" where my child-free hours have become Baby-full hours, things are good...Little B is really a delight, an easy sort of a baby for the most part, but somehow so completely and utterly absorbing and time consuming even when asleep. Which he is right now. Asleep. Ahhhh yes, here I am at 8.30pm, love-love-loving the sudden peace and quiet in the Attic24 house with all three offspring off in the Land of Nod. Bliss.

So before I also take myself off to my snuggly bed, I really did want to come and say hello, to chat to you a little about some hooky stuff. Yes....I have finally begun to crochet again, yippeeeee!!!! Last Thursday I did indeed make it along to the lovely cafe to join my knit and natter group, and it was bloomin great I tell you. I had soooo missed it! Little B was super and managed to stay asleep the whole time which allowed me to crochet my little heart out. Bliss.

I'm officially Stash-busting at the moment. Truthfully, I really, really, really want to buy a heap load of new yarn and launch myself into a new big blanket. Really I do. But with a fair pile of Baby Cahsmerino still knocking about after the Baby Granny blanket was completed, I don't feel like I can justify buying any more yarn just quite yet. So stash-busting it is for now...just before Christmas I had a look at my BC yarn and figured I had enough to make another small baby blanket. I've taken my inspiration from the above book which I've got out on loan from the library :: it's an oldish book, I think late 70's or early 80's, and despite the veeeeeeeeeeery dated look of the photographs, there is a lot of good stuff in these pages.

 

See the baby blanket up above there, top right? The white and pastelly one with the little duck? That's my inspiration. Want to look more closely??

Here you go..........

Hmmmm.....doesn't look very "me" does it?

Waaaaaay too pastely and wishy washy.

But....I LOVE the design idea, the way the little squares are tipped over onto their sides to work as diamond shapes and then fitted into the zigzags of a chevron :: BRILLiaNT!!!

Let me at it!

With MY colours!!!

So this is where I'm up to so far :: these two bands of chevrons-and-squares will form the top and bottom edges of my little blanket.

The squares were made up first and stitched together. Then the chevron rows were worked into the edges of the squares, top and bottom. It's not an easy pattern, it took me a while to work it out and get it right. But I do think it's come out really well.

The middle of my little blanket is going to be made up of just squares, a patchwork of little diamond squares in all the colours I have left. I'm just working my way through my stash, making as many squares as I can with the yarn I have left, stacking them in neat little piles and hoping there's gonna be enough.

I'm loving making these little Solid Granny squares, they're great to do, easy to slot into the itsy bits of time available in my hectic days.

One after a feed and before dinner.

Two after dinner and before bath time.

Little by little my stash is being Busted and my piles are being Built.

Thought you might appreciate seeing a few more pages from the book...............

Aren't the pictures funny??! They're sooo dated, yet I can't help but love them.

A granny square bikini look....oooohhh could be just the thing for the Summer!

Oh and lookee here, a crocheted Hostess Apron, how charming!

Actually, I really do LOVE this design. No no no, not the apron as such, but the design of combining squares-in-rows with stripes is FAB, don't you think?

The squares used for this apron are called Wagon Wheel Granny Squares, and are really quite lovely...I tried one out look.......

 

Think this is gonna be the inspiration for my new blanket.

I can call it the Hostess Blanket.

Just as soon as I've finished Stash Busting I'm on it.

As soon as.

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Comments

[Vaughnde]

Those are Awesome! I love some of those patterns you showed and I love what you are doing with that baby blanket. I totally understand baby feedings and such lol. My youngest grandson sure takes up my daughter's time. I'm gonna put this into favorites to come back to and I just might adopt your idea with my own colors for a blanket in the future.

[KK]

I just stash-busted some of my Fall yarn into a shrug! It is my first crochet project that I can wear (besides a scarf)! Can't wait until spring to wear it! Perhaps crochet clothing will make a come-back! :)

[Tina]

I looove the bikini! I grew up with the white afghan with the red roses on it. My mom crocheted that when I was 14. She still has it 31 years later. Yikes.

[Wanda]

Hey Lucy: Great to see you are getting some crochet time in--well done! New baby blanket is looking good too. I look forward to tah-da! on that one.
So funny to look at old books. I have to say that I really like the gingham effect blanket (shown in both pink and blue, I think).
As always, thanks for the inspiration ;-)

[Gemma]

The blanket is going to be great!

All those 70's em, fashions, did bring back a memory or two..actually some sort of flashback to a hideous granny square dress in the 70's shades of brown, orange and some third color I have managed to totally black out on...

[Elizabeth]

Yea! So nice to see a new crochet love post from you! Lucy you are so my crochet insperation these days. I have vowed to make 2010 the year of handmade gifts. And that mean starting early and having a plan, your blog has helped with the plan!

[Elisa Tamayo]

Lucy, hello...my name is Elisa and I truly enjoy your website. I'm taking crocheting and knitting back up again and your work inspires. It has so much color and life to it. Everything you make is truly quite lovely. Your landscape views are so beautiful, unlike what we have here in Texas. It seems so peaceful and serene there.

Thank you for continuing your blog and I look forward to what lies ahead in your life.

Keep the color wheel turning!!!

Elisa in Texas

[wendy w.]

If you want to try a garment I'd start with a baby soaker (nappy cover). Then the intended wearer can't complain too much if it looks wonky!

[Sarah]

Hi there, I'm a new reader and I have to say I just love your blog. I'm also someone who can get very frusterated by poorly written patterns, but your step-by-step instructions and your wonderful pictures make it so easy. So, thank you! I'm currently working on a wagon wheel granny square blanket. I use the patons pattern http://www.patonsyarns.com/sg_cr_wagonwheel/

[michelle]

wow, how do you do it. the stash busting result thus far looks gorgeous. love the pictures from the book. but, i don't understand what's going on with the baby booties in the ducky pic. that baby must have enormous feet

[Erin @ SYL: Slipcover Your Life]

I absolutely love the colors you pick!

[cathleen]

Hi Sweetface....I've been thinking of you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Melodie]

Love, Love your blog. I feel so inspired as I read your blog. So glad you and yours are getting back into the routine of life, which of course including your crocheting. I love the wagon wheel pattern. Did a small search on the internet but couldn't fine it. Can you supply a pattern? Again, thanks for taking the time to share your life with us! We need you!!

[Janet]

You must be living on a different planet than me - I only have 24 hours in my day - you must have 3 times that! I recently made my first crochet flower following your instructions - its a start, anyway. (You can see the pathetic result on my blog!)
Lovely work, lovely blog!

[Mousy Brown]

After seeing all this crochet lovliness I have just made my new year resolution - crochet here I come! :) (Not bikinis though - I have to draw the line somewhere!)

[Shorty]

Love the blanket you are working on! And those pictures are great. My mom used to have a yellow crocheted bikini my grandmother made for her!

[Teresa Atkinson]

Hi Lucy - I have that same book from my mom - Those wagon wheel blocks are a favorite. I used the pattern to make a doll blanket out of some tiny tiny yarn.

Love the colorful take on the granny ripple. YUM

[lisette]

I LOVE old crochet magazines. Mostly the best patterns. Love these!! And what a great crocheted band. Love it!
Enjoy the family!

[Claudia]

It´s great to see how you get lovely ideas from anything and how you blog and manage time to crochet being a full time mom!!! I love the little squares and the old turning into colourful, shinning new! :)

[Mara]

Hi Lucy,
I found a fantastic website (may be you allready know it)for crochet and knitting patterns: www.garnstudio.com
Ciao, Mara

[Linda]

Such a great illustration of how skill, personal style, and inspiration come together. Your blanket will be beautiful. Thank you for taking the time to post. Your work is an inspiration to me!

[Helen]

Fantastic to hear from you again. Very pleased you are getting a little me time. The blankie, well I was worried for a bit, thought you might have got post baby brains BUT your colours are so fantastic and it really works. Well done. Keep enjoying your hookietime and hope you make it back to the cafe soon.

[audrey]

Hi Lucy,
It's been a while since I have commented on your blog (I have had a computer-imposed exile..it broke down over Christmas and hubby has only managed to recently fix it!) So I am VeRy late in saying congratulations to you and your family on the safe arrival of your little boy. Well done! I am glad all is going well and I am thinking of you from the bottom of the world! Take care!xx

[Mihaela]

Oh! Did I tell you that I envy you for your camera? Your pictures are pure-clear-water!The best tutorial!

[Mihaela]

Yippee!
You're back!And with a lot of crocheting ideas!
That mean that your creative spirit managed to anchor!
My best thoughts for you!