Thursday, September 30, 2010

Crocheted Blanket in Progress


I'm really excited about this project I've been working on that is finally starting to take form. This is a small blanket/throw made up of many rectangles sewn together. So far it is about 1'4" by 2', so I've got a long way to go yet.

Since I have a hard time following crochet patterns, I do pretty much everything freeform. I watch the examples of friends' work for new ideas. So I'm sorry but I can't really provide a proper pattern, but I'll let you know generally what I'm doing.

I found five colors of the same texture of very soft synthetic yarn. I wanted to incorporate them all together somehow, and that's how I came up with the blanket idea. I like easy projects, so I thought I'd start with making a lot of small rectangles and then go from there. I said I like easy - that doesn't mean it's not tedious! Actually, crocheting is one way I relax, so I prefer projects that are very simple and repetitive.

Using the single crochet stitch, I make the rectangles about 6" wide by 4.5" long. I haven't been exact - I measure each rectangle against the last one to make sure it's the right size. I don't even count the stitches or the rows. Insert here the shocked gasps from experienced crocheters! ;) So no they are not exact, but even still, it's fitting together well.

I then put a border of beige around each rectangle. And then using the beige yarn, I sew the rectangles together.

I don't have a pattern in mind, other than keeping the colors well mixed up. I'm not sure how big it's going to end up. I still have many rectangles that need to be added, and I still need to make more rectangles as well.

So even though it's not done yet, I just wanted to show it off! I'll follow up here when it's done. And I think I might want to hunt for more yarn after and make another one! This is definitely a long-term project, but working on the little "squares" is so easy in waiting rooms or airports or wherever you have free hands. Of course it's also possible that I won't want to see another crocheted rectangle as long as I live! I'll keep you posted. :) This blanket is for my house, but if I make another it'll be a gift for some lucky friend or family member.

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