Vintage Solid Granny Squares Blanket Throw - Done!

As promised, here is my Vintage Solid Granny Squares blanket all finished and DONE! I really enjoyed making it over the last 3 months, it has moved house with us and now has gone to live at mum's in Cumbria, it was her Christmas present and I think she loved it!

There are 16 colours of mainly Stylecraft Special DK for the squares and the 17th is teal used to do the double crochet join (just the inner two loops wrong sides together) and the border. It tones with mum's patchwork quilt and living room colours, although the gold is a bit off the wall. The colours are listed at the bottom of this post here. I forgot to take a picture in the room it was designed for.

The squares are from Little Tin Bird's lovely Elmer or Solid Granny Squares pattern, I got addicted to them making the Provencal style gingham cushion.  

The border was made up as I went along, as far as I can make out, a round of treble in teal, then double crochet in pale rose (I alternate direction working the border so it doesn't curl) then treble chain etc the third round in teal, then double crochet all around in Mint, then a staggered treble chain space round again, then double crochet in grape then a round of trebles in teal and I finally finished off with Attic 24's picot border again, just like on the cushion.

I love these neat squares, more so than ordinary granny squares, they seem more contemporary. One can be worked up in 20 minutes and carrying a ball of yarn around is so easy.

I loved the way they sat in piles on the footstool, I kept counting them.

However joining them all together, so the slightly different sized squares looked the same size, was very satisfying. I do find random very difficult though. I approached it in a Sudoku style, a colour should only appear in a column or a row just once, occasionally twice.

Here come some more gratuitous pictures, wish I could do the fancy photography others manage!

The tree was up when the border was being finished off.  

Vintage Solid Granny Squares Blanket finished 18th December 2012, it took me about 6 weeks as I started it as we went to France at half term! I was not overly happy that the border was a bit wavy, but other than trying to take the flat photo who notices? No I am not a perfectionist, but I am pretty happy with it!

FINISHED SIZE: I forgot to measure, each square was about 10cm so about 180cm x 130cm I should think with join and border.

YARN:  Stylecraft Special 100% acrylic Double Knit in 15 colours, each square is about 15m yarn. Mint and gold were other makes as they were colours lacking in Stylecraft. 17 in total. Colour inspiration was from the super talented Sandra of Cherry Heart fame and her Giant Grannie Patchs blanket
Mocha 1064
Copper 1029
Meadow 1065
Silver 1203
Gold (King Cole Big Value DK 323)
Mint (Stylecraft Life DK 2342)
Pale Rose 1080
Sherbet 1034
Claret 1123
Parchment 1218
Apricot 1026
Raspberry 1023
Soft Peach 1240
Grape 1067
Walnut 1054
Aspen 1422
Finally Teal 1062

Hook: 4mm

PATTERNS: Solid Granny Squares (or Elmer Squares) pattern by Little Tin Bird
The border was as described above finished off with Picot Edging by Attic 24

HOOKY HAPPY INDEX: 9/10

Links to the One a Day/Tuesday Tallies posts on my Vintage Granny progress are here:

Vintage Solid Granny Blanket Week 1
Vintage Solid Granny Blanket Weeks 2 and 3
Vintage Solid Granny Blanket Week 4
Vintage Solid Granny Blanket Week 5
Vintage Solid Granny Blanket Week 6

One a Day 18th Dec 12 Tuesdays Tallies

Oh my goodness, what a week! Somewhere in the middle I have finished my Vintage Granny Blanket for my mum, but mostly I have more tallying to do in trips to the dump, the charity shop and cleaning. We finally had confirmation that our house was sold last Wednesday, with completion on the sale this Friday. The removal men came yesterday and the rest of our "stuff" has gone into storage for a month or so until a new purchase goes through the motions. I will do a proper "Done" post at some point, but not today.

I have been running up something else in spare moments, mainly in the car travelling up and down the hour each way, but that can't go on here.

I have to start Christmas preps now! How is everyone else doing, have you finished all your Christmas Makes or will it be a frantic middle of the night job on Christmas Eve? The latter is normal for me.

Please join in Tuesdays Tallies, I suspect we all have brand new projects we are planning for a New Year and a New Start!

If you want to join in with Link Party add your details below. Copy the One a Day header and put that in your post too with a link back too if you wish so we can all find each other! Lots of chance to chatter on the One a Day group on Ravelry here Ignore the Tackle it Tuesday bit...I can't get a Tuesday's Tallies header but it is one and the same!

Red Onion Marmalade

I am finally getting a few things prepared for Christmas, it has been a bit of a roller coaster week. Finally we exchanged on our much loved family house of 15 years in gorgeous Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire, where our girls grew up and went to school. We have already moved to Somerset, in October, but it has felt very transitory as we can only be in this house for 4 months. At least now we are certain ours is sold and we can buy somewhere to call home again. I put some jars in the oven with an inch of water in each for half an hour.

However home is where your family are, and everyone arrives "home" next Friday for 2 weeks, so we are a complete roost again. We go from 3 to 6 adults in this house, it is quite small but it is home, for now. I can finally get my head around cooking and preparing for Christmas, well after the small matter of packing up the rest of our belongings this weekend to go into storage on Monday, and cleaning our "old" house. I detest the selling system here in England, nobody has any comeback on a sale as it is not binding until about a week before the move happens, so you can't plan. Thankfully, as we just need our things to go into storage sometime next week, and not a coordinated move on a particular day, I could nab the one free slot with the removal company not charging a king's ransom! We were thinking we were going to have to do all of it ourselves at one point, a steep drive and a piano...hummmmmm!

We had been assured the exchange was happening every day for the last 2 weeks, no chain was involved, and every couple of days there was another excuse, but on Wednesday I was assured for the nth time it was happening today so I set about making red onion marmalade as distraction therapy. It is a good job it takes a while....on a freezing frosty day it is a good way of warming the house up by having a comforting pot bubbling on the stove. Lots of red Christmassy colours; gingham jars, red onions, red wine, balsamic vinegar and chillis.

It was a mish mash of several recipes including Sarah Raven's in her garden cook book and a Good Food magazine one online. I peeled and finely choppped a good kilo or so of red onions, almost filling my largest Le Creuset casserole. A very good glug of sunflower and olive oils went in first.

I then sweated the onions for about 40 minutes, stirring regularly. I added about 150g brown sugar, choppped garlic, a shake of chilli flakes, seasoning, some whole cloves and thyme and sweated a bit more, what a lovely phrase! Then about 6 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar went in and half a bottle of the cheapest red wine you can find. In my case I always make sure I bring lots back from France as cooking with wine that cost €1 a bottle is not as extravagant. Then you bubble and bubble and stir and it is not too much trouble at all for another 30-40 minutes or so until very soft and thikened. Jars out of the oven and empty the water and then in goes ladlefuls of your red onion marmalade. Well it would if the ladle was smaller than the jar, it goes everywhere. The solicitor rang at this point to say that we were exchanging in five minutes if that was OK with us, ohh heck! I put the tops on tightly straight away, I don't bother with wax discs (shock horror 'elf and safety) and try and wipe the sticky gloop up off the jars as well as I can. When cold I put on my labels, I found some clip art last year and just print them off on Avery labels, replace the clip art for whatever it is you are making. That should be enough for all the lovely cold gammon and turkey for the next few weeks! Pity, our new house wont have a pantry either, I've always fancied having a pantry or a cellar. in reality it won't last that long anyway.

..and crochet has also been my distraction therapy. I finished my Vintage Granny last night, more about that soon.

One-a-Day Vintage Solid Granny Blanket - Week 6 - Tuesday's Tallies

The lovely Carole of Gingerbread Girl fame had the wonderful idea of the One a Day project to inspire us all to pick up our yarn every day and crochet or knit something, one square, one row or one stitch is better than nothing! Anyone can join in, it is not competitive just a place to keep in touch with fellow yarn enthusiasts and keep on top of your projects at the same time at a pace you dictate. Carole hosted a Mr Linky and whilst life is a tad busy for Carole I have volunteered in to "babysit" One a Day for a while and the Mr Linky link stuff is below so we can all admire each others progress and offer encouragement when it has been "one of those" weeks!

I was hoping to have a "DONE" post for you today...but um...I have not quite.... sort of...like.....finished my Vintage Solid Granny Blanket! I have completed all the dc joining and 6 1/2 rounds of border...the plan is 8 rounds, well it has evolved to 8 rounds. Initially one round of plain treble in Teal (RS), then double crochet worked the other way round to keep the border flat in Pale Rose (WS), then a treble chain space round in teal (RS), another dc round in Mint (WS), then a teal treble chain space round (RS) then a dc round in Grape (WS), a round in solid treble in teal (RS) and the final round will be....watch this space!

The border is growing!

It will be "done" in time to be mum's Christmas present.

If you want to join in with Link Party add your details below. Copy the One a Day header and put that in your post too with a link back too if you wish so we can all find each other! Lots of chance to chatter on the One a Day group on Ravelry here Ignore the Tackle it Tuesday bit...I can't get a Tuesday's Tallies header but it is one and the same!

Oaty Banana Nutella Muffins

I picked up various recipe cards at the checkout last week. They were on the table and when my 16 yo came in from school she looked hopeful that I had made the muffins. Never mind, I have now managed to procure all the ingredients and planned to make them for after school today, warm out of the oven, but could I find the recipe card anywhere? Of course not! I went back to Waitrose and they had changed the displays so no oaty banana muffins it seemed.. Thank goodness for google, here is the original recipe but I changed it a little so this is my version:

Oaty Banana Nutella Muffins


Makes 12 - 15
Prepare 10 mins
Cook 20 mins

Ingredients:

300g self-raising flour (or plain + 2tsp of baking powder)
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
100g light brown soft sugar
50g porridge oats
2 ripe bananas
285ml low fat plain yogurt
75ml sunflower oil
2 medium eggs, beaten
100g Nutella or similar Hazelnut Spread

1 Preheat the oven to 180ºC, gas mark 4. In a large bowl, sieve together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and sugar, stir in the oats.

2 Using a fork, mash the bananas until puréed in a bowl. In a pyrex jug measure the oil, spoon in the yogurt to the 350ml mark making sure it is level. Beat in the eggs with a fork. Add the banana and oil/yogurt/egg to the flour bowl and stir lightly to mix — don’t worry if it looks a little lumpy.

3 Divide half of the mixture between 12-15 paper muffin cases then drop a teaspoon of Nutella into each one. Top with the remaining muffin mixture then bake for 20 minutes until risen and golden. 

Speed is of the essence for good muffins, both mixing and getting into the oven! Best eaten on the day of making, preferably warm and they freeze well too (ha ha does anyone ever have any left to freeze?)

Very scrum-dilly-umptious....we are now trying to decorate the tree but of six strings of lights only 2 work, disaster! A light party has been dispatched out to buy some more, well fuelled.

A Baker's Dozen of Banana Oaty muffins with Nutella surprise in the middle

Vintage Solid Granny Blanket - Week 5 - Tuesday's Tallies

Still joining the squares. They are looking neater now I am joining crosswise too. Next week I will be on the border...I will!

Apologies for the quick rumpled snaps...it's gone midnight time to go and put the bread machine on!

Vintage Solid Granny Blanket - Week 4 - Tuesday's Tallies

So one hundred and ninety two squares, twelve each of sixteen colours are whizzed up. The only teeny tiny annoying bit being I didn't sew in the ends as I went. Now regretted, naturally.

Although it isn't too bad as I am sewing in the ends for a pile of 16 different squares and then adding to my throw, a row at a time.

Using teal that has not been used so far. I will work all the rows one way, and then the vertical rows.

A nice neat join going through the back 2 loops only, and just an end at the beginning and end of each row.

Properly arty types can be random.....but I have equal numbers of 16 colours, and am randomly working out each row as I go. So I sew in the 32 ends for 16 squares, and place next to the throw to date to make sure a colour only ever repeats in one row of 16 and never more than twice is a 12, and of course never adjoin each other. The top row is "planned" but not joined yet below.

So is this random or not? Who cares.....! 6 rows of 12 done!

I love the Elmer Squares, so neat.

I should be on the border next week, and I am hoping to goodness my mum hasn't taken up crochet and blogging and seen her Christmas Present!  Keep up with Carole's One A Day Tuesday's Tallies here

Vintage Solid Granny Blanket - Wks 2 and 3 - Tuesdays Tallies

Crochet is fabulous. However bananas life goes you can carry yarn and find 10 minutes in a day to squeeze in a square. Dead time becomes profitable. so progress has been good on my Vintage Granny despite an update not happening last week. I have finally decided on 16 colours for the blocks and a 17th to join. Yes I know, a prime number! I love the maths and counting and repetitive patterns in squares.

So I am making 12 squares each of my 16 colours. So far I have ten of each so the missing siblings should be finished this week.

I love the way the squares all curl in the same way.

I have spent quite a bit of time jumping ahead of myself and contemplating the joining method. Originally I was planning a final round in teal for each square and then a join as you go technique suitable for the solid squares. It was not right. In the end I think I have settled on a double crochet join but through the back loop of each stitch when wrong sides are together. So the join is a feature of the design. Last time I joined in this way on my flowery throw I joined through both loops (so through all 4 loops in the two stitches) and it was not very neat.

It looks a lot neater through the two rather than four loops. I am also gleefully enjoying the fact that this is a very quick way to join with minimal ends to sew in as complete rows are worked up and down and then side to side. I think the border may also be teal heavy, after all I bought 3 balls of teal expecting to need a lot!

My work basket...some of the colours are hiding!

Stylecraft Special DK unless stated Left to Right. Row 1: Mocha 1064 Copper 1029 Meadow 1065 Silver 1203 Row 2: Gold (King Cole Big Value DK 323) Mint (Stylecraft Life DK 2342) Pale Rose 1080 Sherbet 1034 Row 3: Claret 1123 Parchment 1218 Apricot 1026 Raspberry 1023 Row 4: Soft Peach 1240 Grape 1067 Walnut 1054 Aspen 1422 Finally Teal 1062 (not pictured above) to join

Aran Cushions - Part 2 - Blackberry Stitch DONE!

Do you remember  way back when? The summer sometime, before the trees turned, before we moved house etc etc etc Middle one wanted an assortment of cushions for her uni room. Aran Cushion number 1 was completed before the start of term, but number two was finished for her birthday last week. It was going to be a knitted bobble stitch with a plain back but I decided to have a bash at a crocheted Blackberry Stitch instead based on this pattern.

I Bobbled Along.... quite happily. Working in Stylecraft Chunky was harder on the hands, and each bobble takes some working, 5 stitches into 1 do go with some elbow grease.

The lovely effect of this stitch does come at a price, you need a massive amount of the yarn. I was so far out I used double what I expected and that was keeping the back as plain trebles. It is a gorgeous effect though, just be warned on the yardage!

I worked a simple button closure slip stitching along the last row of trebles and just working a 3-4 chain loop where a button was sewn on accordingly on the opposite side. The cushion is a large 60cm square, and cost a fortune to post with its pad to my daughter.

Pictures were hard to get on a gloomy day when rushing to pack and post off.

But she did like it! One of those "DONE" projects that was enjoyable but I am glad to be moving onto something else, namely my Vintage Solid Granny that is progressing well, no update so far this week as my mum has been here for a few days and I just worked on the odd square here and there keeping the rest hidden away.....

BLACKBERRY STITCH CROCHET CUSHION finished 5th November 2012, it took me two months off and on.

FINISHED SIZE: 60cm square

YARN: 3x100g Stylecraft Special Chunky each in Fondant 1241 and Cream 1005

Hook: 5.5mm

PATTERN: Based on this Blackberry Stitch Baby Blanket

HAPPY HOOKY INDEX: 7/10

Blogging Fame (tongue in cheek smiley inserted here!)

As I mentioned in my last post, I was lucky to win a gorgeous satchel from Julie Slater and Sons in a competition organised by Brands on the Blog. Part of the "prize" was evaluating the bag honestly. I don't blog for fame, or money, but it is quite flattering to see your work "in print" on someone else's site! A boost to the ego anyway. I love the bag, genuinely, but at present I could not have bought one so I am very happy!

Crochet on the go

Here is the article on Julie Slater and another one on Brands on the Blog...it is quite spooky as the picture of the bag in the French window I did not take, but the window is almost identical to the kitchen windowat our  gite in France, White Shutters, where we were last week. I wrote the article before we went away! I know I am not going mad, I hope I am not! Hang on, there are shutters on our window. Phew, sanity is retained for another day, just! It turns out that the day I took the photos of the bag on the bench was the last day I spent at our old house too. Mixed emotions as things are all topsy-turvey having half moved house!

Oh well, I'll keep on crocheting...that is a constant, along with family, and the friendship of lovely bloggers and twitterers and FaceBookers and Ravelry peeps worldwide! You can see my solid granny squares that travel with me, well my hook and a ball of yarn do.