Here is the next square from the book Granny Square Flair, called Rosette. This one had many firsts for me, with construction of the flower and the making of the frame.
I’m hoping it evens out when I block it, which I’ll do in batches. Hm. I could probably start blocking these as I go. My plan is to put them on a grid with pegs, so they all come out the same size, and I certainly can’t put all 50 on at the same time.
I did another full width (100 stitches) knitting project on my “incredible sweater machine”. I wanted to make a shawl with random purple stripes, and originally intended it to be 65” long and calculated it needed 350 rows of knitting.
I tracked the hours I spent at the knitting machine using a row counter app (Knitting Chart), and when I bound off I had put in 8 hours to make 350 rows, which is much faster than I hand knit. I also had better focus, this project on regular needles would have sat for long periods of time. I did put in a rib every four stitches, and hooking up the perl ladders did slow down the process, but it was worth the time to have the shawl lay flatter and add interest to both sides.
I wove in the ends my favorite way with knit: at an angle on the perl side.
The cotton yarn knit tighter than my acrylic gauge swatch, so I didn’t make it to my desired length. I decided to crochet along the edges, a half double crochet stitch every other knit stitch, then added shell lace to the ends.
I steam blocked the shawl using a steamer and ironing board, which really helped even out the stitches and relax the curl.
The crochet blocks for Warm up America have become my favorite waiting room activity, and I really enjoy the diagonal block stitch (also called corner-to-corner (CTC)). It has just enough variation that it stays interesting, but I don’t have to watch a pattern.
I am also using up yarn odds and ends to make the blocks, which is why one block has an outlier. I ran out of cream colored yarn one stitch from the end of a block. I think next time I will rip out that last block for the color change. Hm. That gives me another idea for color switching.
I forgot to pack a yarn needle, so I wove in the ends when I got home.
Here is another square done from the book Granny Square Flair by Shelley Husband.
How long did it take you to notice that the center circle is showing the wrong side? I didn’t notice until all four outer circles were stitched in and I had started the connecting stitches. Sigh. I’ll put it in an obscured spot in the final garment. Or call it a design choice.
Making blocks is a great thing to do with the odds and ends of left over yarn you have in your stash. Warm Up America is a non-profit organization that gives warmth to those in need. One of their many ongoing projects takes 7”x 9” blocks either crocheted or knitted. Volunteers join the blocks together to make blankets. They have many free patterns, which is another way to increase your skill level with a smaller time investment, and make something truly meaningful. There is more than warmth in handmade items, there is connection and the knowledge that another person put time and effort into helping a fellow human. It is a philanthropic activity that is both physically and psychologically beneficial to both the maker and the receiver.
I made blocks with the diagonal squares pattern from Mary Maxim, which I love so much. I found worsted weight acrylic yarn crocheted with a size K hook with 8 squares by 10 squares makes a 7” x 9” block.
The block on top in the picture above was made with alternating rows of color, which was an interesting experiment, but resulted in many, many, many ends that had to be woven in. Please weave in your ends!
