As you have no doubt gathered by now, my Creative Mind is a very busy busy busy place, it buzzes day and night with creative ideas. It's very messy and chaotic within my Creative Mind (much like my home) which can make it impossible for ideas to break free and come out into the real world. Ooodles of projects are stuck up there, waiting for their time to come. Having a CM like this is simultaneously amazing and frustrating. So much I could do!! So many many ideas!! But how to find the time??
Sometimes though, an idea comes to me as if from nowhere, like a surprise gift being delivered. It won't be anything I've been pondering on or mulling over, it won't be anything I've recently seen, it won't have been sitting in a tangle alongside all the other ideas up there in my CM. No, it'll be something completely unexpected and new. It's quite wonderful when this happens, as it did a few evenings ago.
Yes, a few evenings ago I randomly got to thinking about Granny Stripes. There I was, sitting quietly giving Little B his bedtime feed and I suddenly had this overwhelming vision of a Granny Stripe blanket. Do you know what I mean?? A blanket formed out of little clusters of treble crochet similar in construction to traditional granny squares, excepting the clusters would be worked in rows instead of in the round. So after putting Little B to bed, I immediately ran to get my hook and yarn, I couldn't get to it fast enough. I just HAD to try and make me some Granny Stripes. I thought briefly about searching the www for a pattern but nah, let's just get on with hook and yarn and see if I can work it out for myself. Can't be too hard surely??
Picture above shows my first three attempts. You can fairly see the frustration I experienced as I tried to work out how to begin and end each row without it going all wibbly. But by the third try I think I pretty much had it.
I then wanted to see how it worked in multiple colours (run downstairs to the Scary Cupboard chockablock full of stuff and locate leftover itty bits of Kool Kotton). Above picture shows me playing with it some more, trying out different spacings of the clusters (too far apart in the top pic, just right in the second pic where I omitted the chain spacings). Yes, I think by the time I'd made this fifth sample, it was looking OK. Neatish at the edges, cluster spacing just right. Pheww.
Ok, time to have a little search on Flickr to see if anyone else was doing this sort of thing. It suddenly seemed to me that this pattern will make a Most Excellent blanket, so why was no one else making Granny Stripe Blankies?? I eventually found this lovely blankie oh joy!! Thank heavens I'm not the only mad one thinking of this idea, and it IS do-able then and yes yes, I can see huuuuuuuuge potential for playing with colour here in an easygoing no nonsense way. Up and down, up and down, easy row upon easy row of colourful stripy grannyfied lovliness!!
Searched some more and found this aahhhh, look what happens when you work two rows of the same colour, it goes a little bit zigzaggy!! ooo I LIKE that even more, lets have a little play.....
.....what do you think??? Can you picture it all expanded and big and blankety?? Oh I can, I really can, and I think it'll be fanTAbulous. Now then, just need to think about what yarn to use (this is going to be for the Caravan) and I'll be away with it, whipping myself up into a frenzy of Granny Stripes. Can hardly wait :o)
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P.S. Once I get going with this properly I'll write out a tutorial, I'm still tweaking it slightly but am pretty much there with it now I think (thanks to you lovely peeps over at Ravelry for feedback and info on this pattern) xx
PPS check out this Flickr group for more Vintage Stripe lovliness xx
Love your work its so nice to see that crochet is becoming popular again
Posted by: lindawilks | December 22, 2010 at 05:24 PM
Your blog is so cheerfull and bright and your works are simply amazing !
I can't wait to try my first granny hexagon...
Bravo !
Posted by: Hélène | October 10, 2010 at 12:46 PM
Your photos and writing is beautiful and you are a wonderfully talented crocheter!
I'll be back for many more visits!
Posted by: angie | June 17, 2010 at 02:35 AM
Lucky me! I found your blog as a result of a search for *crochet flowers* to use as embellishments on my hand-made cards - your Teeny Tiny ones are perfect!
BUT just look at all the other wonderful treasures I've found here! It could be a bad thing, though, as I not only have an addiction to patterened paper and cardstock, but also to fabrics and yarns, all of which are bursting from their storage bins!
Oooo, I can't wait to give your Granny Stripes a try. And YES - I *can* picture them in a big, comfy, yummy blanket! :-) - Susan in Pennsylvania, USA
Posted by: Susan F. | June 09, 2010 at 05:12 PM
Came across this while trolling the internet early Thursday morning. I absolutely love this! I cannot wait to incorporate it in my next project. Thank you!
Posted by: SoftCheese | May 27, 2010 at 10:36 AM
Oh Lucy, you are just so great. I have been following your blog for a while but have never left a comment because I can't quite sum up in words how much delight you bring me. Even now, no words can do the job. I just think you are ace. I have started my own blog now and you are in the very first post with a link back to you. I hadn't worked out how to trackback then though. Thank you Lucy for being so "Lucy" and so amazing. x
Posted by: The Cuckoo | May 26, 2010 at 07:56 PM
Just love it all!
Am now addicted to crochet!
Thanks so much lucy x
Posted by: Angela | May 26, 2010 at 03:25 PM
Lucy, oh Lucy... Discovered crochet 6 days ago, and like many before me, thanks my lucky star for finding you on the www. I still haven't got the tension right yet, but I haven't stopped for the past 6 days (dinner, what dinner? Kids? husband?)... And tonight (well, it's 2am now...) I have RIPPLED!!!! Oh Lucy... Thank you ;-)
Posted by: Pat | May 26, 2010 at 03:04 PM
Granny stripes! Great idea from you! Perfect.
Posted by: handmaidliset | May 26, 2010 at 06:54 AM
Hi Lucy!
I posted a pic with the pattern of this granny stripe stitch, you can see it at my photostream on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lauralrf/4636855328/
I made the blanket following this pattern and it worked fine for me.
Thanks for inspire us!!!
Posted by: LauraLRF | May 25, 2010 at 07:03 PM
Hi Lucy!!!
I got it!!!! I've just finished my crochet bag!!!
A thousand thanks for your tutorials. I didn't know anything about crocheting last october and your tutorials were great help!! I can't believe it!!
If you like you can visit my blog and have a look at it!!
Thanks again from Barcelona!!
Posted by: Sandra | May 25, 2010 at 06:04 PM
Hi Lucy - stripes are looking good, and loving the caravan shots! I've sent you a pm on Rav re a possible magazine article - just thought I'd let you know here in case you aren't Ravelling often (busy mom and all that!)
pw x
Posted by: Pernickitywitch | May 25, 2010 at 12:08 PM
This is so cute and colourful! I have a lot of pregnant friends at the moment and this would be great for a quick gift. Looking forward to the tutorial!
Posted by: Ellie | May 25, 2010 at 09:27 AM
I love it when your creative mind gets really busy because you come up with most creative and artistic ideas ever. I love your work. Keep it up!
Posted by: Responsible Service of Alcohol | May 25, 2010 at 08:38 AM
I love it! I am making a granny chevron blanket and I love it. The pattern works up super fast and doesn't take too much yarn.
Posted by: ashley akers | May 25, 2010 at 03:05 AM
like it :) will be intresting to see what you come up with :)
love your blog
have you seen this granny square pattern
http://www.straw.com/cpy/patterns2/accessories/MochiPlus-CrochetGardenWrap.html
saw it and thought of your blog
Posted by: Inga | May 24, 2010 at 01:02 AM
dear Lucy! I found a graphic of a Granny Stripes. How can i send it to you???
Thank you for sharing with us all your beatiful work!
Kiss
Posted by: Claudia Mansur | May 23, 2010 at 03:09 PM
Please! Post the tutorial! Take pity on those who stumble without help in the granny region of things!
Posted by: Maddi | May 23, 2010 at 05:53 AM
Hello Lucy, actually I wanted to send you the link to pickles but I have seen I am not the first. Several others have already told you. You see, when we read about crochet patterns elsewhere we just think of you!! Have fun! Greetings from Germany.
Posted by: Claudia | May 22, 2010 at 04:36 PM
tres jolie blog j'adore ce que tu fais...biz...sabrina de region parisienne.
Posted by: sabrina | May 22, 2010 at 08:44 AM
Since I saw this I've been thinking about this over and over and over. I'm currently in the middle of a zillion crochet projects - but I can't get this out of my head! It is so lovely!!! I hope you do a tutorial soon!! Or I'm going to be trying to figure this out - probably without much luck! I love your blog - brightens my day when I see all your crochet goodies and bright colors. Thanks!
Posted by: Stephanie | May 22, 2010 at 03:07 AM
I am new to your blog and am so glad I found it! Your color work is so inspiring! I went to sleep with colors dancing in my head!! I've been mostly a knitter for years. I love to crochet but don't usually like the finished item - now I am inspired to crochet again - granny, here I come!
One reason I gave up on granny squares was that I found it impossible to hide the yarn ends without them sneaking out - have you any secrets for that issue?
Looking forward to your pattern for granny stripes.
Posted by: Sara GL | May 22, 2010 at 12:53 AM
http://www.pickles.no/great-granny-blanket/
I saw this granny blanket.....
Posted by: me | May 21, 2010 at 09:55 PM
I have just finished a blanket with some granny stripes, which I started about 10 years ago. The problem was also for me to get the edges right and I have to confess that my edges are really wonky. I should have swatched like you before, or even better, have waited for your tutorial. (And I only now realised that I have an instruction already at home for a long time and never noticed it - the Jan Eaton book which I own. Oh my, so so silly of me)
But what I wanted to tell you actually is, that I just started a Ripple blanket with your tutorial and it´s fantastically written, so very easy for me to follow, especially love your explanation of mountains and valleys. Thank you so very much for this tutorial, thank you so much for having such a creativ mind and above all for having such a wonderful gorgeous lovely generous and inspiring blog.
With the very best wishes from me and my hook,
Suzi
Posted by: Krawuggl | May 21, 2010 at 07:56 PM
Wonderful. I am going to start one right away! Just sat milk tankering catching up with your blog. I only have 4 other projects on the go but this looks like too much fun not to try at once........well done Lucy inspirational as ever
Posted by: JustHerdingcats | May 21, 2010 at 05:31 PM