Granny Square Ta Daa!!!

Last year, about this time, I was in Charleston, South Carolina.   And before we left on vacay, I went to Groovy Girl Yarn to get some yarn for a granny square blanket that I've been wanting to make for a long time.

 

I saw it in this book years ago.  I love the decorating style in this book.  L.O.V.E. it.

 And this is all I had to go on for the blanket.  One picture.  So after much assessment on how the colors were used,

 I picked out the yarn at Groovy Girl.  However, the blues weren't working for me. Oh I liked the colors in the above picture, but the blues were not the color in the blanket. So after much switching of blues, I got the colors in the picture, and I went on vacation.

 I made a few squares on my Charleston vacation.   But I didn't have my ripple blanket finished at the time, so when I returned home, I got to work on the ripple.  I needed something for vacation and the ripple was too big to drag along. So the granny square had to go on the back burner until the ripple was finished.

I got the ripple finished and started on the granny square....I took it on vacation to Florida in March and got a lot done as Vickie did almost all of the driving. (you might say this is my vacation blanket!)

 You would think a blanket with such random colors would be easy to lay out, but not so much. 

 

 

 And I had to figure out how I was going to sew the squares together. (I tucked all of the ends in as I went.)

T

Then I sewed the rows, and thought.....these could be a bunch of scarves!  

(kidding)

I wanted a simple border, like in the picture.

So here it is!

Taa Daaa!

I want to tell you a little bit about the yarn I used.

 It's called Cascade 220 and I absolutely love it for blanket making.  It's wool, and I don't like wool next to my skin, but rarely do blankets touch my skin.  Sheets do blankets don't.

This yarn comes in a lot of colors....

(these are colors I've considered before)

 When I pick out yarn for a blanket, it does take me awhile, I admit it!  But, it's an investment.  And I absolutely love the way Cascade 220 works up.  I love the way it feels, and the way it lays. 

If I were recommending yarn to someone to make a blanket, it would be Cascade 220.

Cindy Bee

PS - I JUST NOW got a call (7:00 a.m.)  MY BEES ARE IN MY BEES ARE IN!!!!!

TA DAH Moment and other fun stuff!

First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY VICKIE!!!! My Shug and I called her this morning at 5:30 and sang a lovely rendition of Happy Birthday on her cell phone.


And now for my first FINISHED PROJECT!!!!

Winston sacrificed the blankey long enough for me to put a border on it!

TAA DAAAAH!!!

It fits the bed.

I've probably got just enough yarn left to make a pillow or two.

So I'm working on pillows.

Then I'm going to get started on another blanket and get it done!

It feels good to finish something.

On the Italy trip.....5 day countdown!!!!!!

Getting excited!

I bought a new purse for the trip.

I had to.

This one is small, yet it holds everything. The wallet is part of the purse.
Lots of zippers, cross body strap, nice leather, my phone and camera both fit in it.

Perfect, I say, for Italy.

I've got my clothes packed for the first time. Now I need to go through them and take out about half of what I packed.

I'm working on my carry-on bag. I printed some fun crochet patterns. And I'm trying to decide...should I take the cheap yarn on the plane and just do piddly stuff and dishcloths and such, or should I take the more expensive cotton yarn and do dishcloths and piddly stuff and such. So the question is, cheap cotton yarn or a better quality cotton yarn? Decisions decisions.

I'm visualizing teaching people on the plane how to crochet. Well, we're going to be together for 8 hours....plenty of time to learn to crochet.

And FYI My Sister booked a ghost tour. Starts at 9:30 PM in Rome. It's called Dark Rome...kinda like Dark Shadows......I wonder if she told our parents yet? Probably not.

I wonder if she booked our room for the last night yet. Probably not.

Cindy Bee

Life is like a ball of yarn!

Oh Blogettes, I know life isn't one neat and tidy ball of yarn! Believe me I KNOW! And you know how it is....you can have 15 nice tidy bundles of yarn, but that one messy bundle just...well....sends you over the edge! It happens.

But look...it's getting better! I'm not so whiney now! And I haven't been blogging because you probably wouldn't have wanted to hear it. You wouldn't believe the paragraphs I just deleted. Whining about the yard(S), acres, bees, MIL (and the lack of help even though he has two siblings) and on and on....I know...and I'll shadup!

And just so you know....this ball of yarn is at Groovy Girl Art store. I hear it's providing non-knitters/crocheters who come to hang out, something to do! (Huh Kathy?) You see, last week was going downhill fast, and I went to GGA to kinda relax, and get my skeins of yarn wound. And would you believe that is what happened. She, the Groovy Girl, dropped my yarn, then dropped it again! Then told me "Don't look!" However, she taught me the star stitch, so she's forgiven. I love the fact that I have a place to go now, even if I can only bop in for an hour or so now and then.

And my Shug and I are taking action! And every chance I get I am finishing something. You see, it isn't just the crochet projects that are not getting finished, it's everything. Housework, yard work, beekeeping, etc. It's overwhelming. And we just spent the entire day today moving his Mom. with no help

And about the "Cindy stitch." I tried to do a tutorial, but you know what? It's hard to do a tutorial! So I'll just tell you.

You know how you do a double crochet right? Where you wrap the yarn around the hook, put it through the loop, wrap it around, pull it back through two loops, wrap it again, and pull it back through two loops again? Well, I was wrapping the yarn around the hook, putting it through the loop, wrapping it again, and pulling it back through ONCE, then wrapping it and pulling it through two loops, then wrapping it and pulling it through two loops. So, I was adding that first little pull through the one loop. Get it? Is that a real stitch? It is in my blanket!!!!!

This one!

I know, blurry picture. But look..I thought I had this blanket done. And then I noticed.....this is what a corner is supposed to look like.

And this corner is lacking three double Cindy stitch crochets! WTH?

And this square had 8 double Cindy stitch crochet rows....

and there should only be seven! WTH?

Then after laying it all out on the bed, there was a square that I just couldn't like! WTH?

You can't even see it, but I'm in the process of redoing it right now.

And I'm off to my stitchery group right now to have some female bonding fun! So see ya....and thank you all for the lovely comments and thoughts and hugs.

And Kay R....I didn't know you were a blog stalker! For crying out loud, comment girl!

Cindy Bee

Crocheted afghan

Last year I started my very first crocheted afghan by following Lucy from Attic 24 using her ripple stitch pattern. I decided I would use yarn I already had, and I had a lot of cotton. I had this brilliant idea to make a bunch of dishcloths and towels for friends, family and myself, and it never happened. So, I started hooking, lots of bright colors, and I was going to do the border in the three different shades of blueish/turquoish/aquaish. I did two borders, but didn't have enough to do the darkest shade.

I decided not to sweat it. I figured I'd come across the color some day, and in the meantime I'd use the blanket.

Well guess what folks...I came across it. And now I know the picot stitch so I'm thinking I'll finish this blankey up for once and for all.

Cindy Bee

PS - Now I only have three afghans in progress. Geeeesh. Anyone else finishing up afghans?

Michigan City, Indiana

I went to Michigan City this past weekend with my sister, sister-in-law, and three of my nieces. We spent the morning shopping because of a storm, but the clouds disappeared, the sun came out and we headed for the beach.

Lake Michigan is like an ocean, without the salt, and it's only a couple of hours away.

I don't know why we don't go there more often.

This is Sarah, who is six. Sarah is most definitely a girly girl.

This is Taylor who is seven and she likes to be active. Gotta be going somewhere or doing something all the time.

This is Emily, who is ten. She prefers to be alone, not being bothered by the other two. She likes to draw and sing.

This is me, relaxing with my crocheting. Gotta get this granny stripe blankey done!

This is a sandman (he took a fall!) that my sister-in-law, Lorri, made while relaxing on the beach.

The girls trying to pose for Aunt Cindy.

It was all fun and games

until a big wave came

and Sarah got mad!

It was a nice girly weekend away.

Cindy