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granny cowl gifts

I guess it’s safe to say that I’m addicted to double crochet clusters. Is there a 12 Step Program for that? Here are two more gifts I made for the holidays.

purple granny cowl

This is the one that started it all. The yarn is from my stash. I’m not 100% sure of the brands, but I can tell there’s some merino wool in there. It is so soft!

blue granny cowl

I have had this single skein of Manos del Uruguay in my stash for a few years. You know how sometimes you just have to wait for the yarn to speak to you? It finally said “granny cowl” and turned out beautiful.

Coming up: the möbius and a fabric cowl.

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finished: granny stripe scarf

I’ve got a lot of finished projects from December and thankfully I remembered to take pics before sending them off. The other day a reader asked for an update on the pink and gray granny stripe scarf so let’s start with that!

pink and gray granny stripe scarf

I love, love, love how this scarf turned out. I even considered keeping it. Instead, I followed it up with three granny cowls, one of which is here, the others I’ll post soon. What is it about clusters of double crochet stitches? So pretty and fun to make.

stash: Pink is Lion Brand Wool I picked up on a crazy clearance sale years ago, gray is Lion Brand Woolease gifted to me by a friend.

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trying very hard to finish this project

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I started this cowl just before Christmas. After packing up and sending off gifts for everyone else, I decided to make something for myself. It’s a möbius granny cowl using wool from my stash.

It’s almost finished. My new yarn is calling. I just can’t have one more work in progress. Hope to have final pics soon.

The book in the background is a vegan Indian cookbook. It has lots of slow cooker recipes. Looking forward to trying a few.

UPDATE: The book is Vegan Indian Cooking: 140 Simple and Healthy Vegan Recipes. (amazon link)

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pink and gray granny stripe scarf

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I’ve been wanting to try a granny stripe scarf for awhile. When a friend asked for donations for the United Way Helping Hands Auction, I decided to give it a whirl.

It goes by really fast and is as addicting as a square. My color scheme was inspired by the Two-Color Crochet Cowl over at the Purl Bee. Also, hot pink and gray were the colors for my high school class. (Pink and Gray! All the Way!)

This is also the first time I’ve used a hook with a handle. I’m not sure I like it. Any hook-with-handle lovers out there?

I took this picture last week and spent some time working on it at the craft retreat. I’m almost finished and will share post-blocking pics soon.

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my creative space

crochet bath mitt

Remember this sweater yarn? I finished my first square. I know this is supposed to be my vacation project, but the pattern is so addicting. Maybe just one more? It’s not like I don’t have plenty of other things on my to-do list. Ha!

pattern info: This is Wagon Wheel #2 from Granny Crochet Favorites. I modified the last round to be hdc instead of dc stitches. The colors in the book are seriously dated, but the patterns are really quite lovely.

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my creative space

my creative space

This week in my creative space I’m unraveling a sweater. I wasn’t planning to buy anymore sweaters. I don’t need anymore yarn. But I saw these little sparkles and all I could think of was a patchwork baby blanket.

I love the primary colors. New parents are always swimming in pastels. Bright colors are a nice change, don’t you think? Plus, take another look at those sparkles!

my creative space

I’m planning to crochet solid color squares, so this will be the perfect vacation project. (Yes, I’m planning ahead for vacation projects.) I’ll seam them up when they are all finished. It would be easier to join them as I go, but I need a portable project for the plane, the beach, sitting in traffic, etc.

I’m getting pretty good at this unraveling thing. I hardly had any waste yarn — just a bunch of pesky knots at the end of each color change. And even they didn’t go to waste. My daughter took the pile of ends and put them in a bowl for her stuffed dog. He had ramen yarn noodles for lunch.

Make sure to visit more creative spaces over at Kirsty’s blog.

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my creative space

my creative space

After a few weeks of circles, I really needed to get back to squares. I didn’t have anything particular in mind. I just grabbed this little basket of wool that I use for wrapping packages and started making grannies. I’m thinking it will be a bookmark. I need a new one for my summer reading. Speaking of which, look what I happened to spy at the library today: three of my favorite Rs! After just flipping through the pages, I’m already in love.

Check out other creative spaces that you’re sure to love over at Kirsty’s blog.

question: I check out a ton of books from the library on sewing, knitting, crocheting, and vintage/cottage style. I never thought to write reviews of them on my blog, but it just occurred to me that maybe someone out there might be interested. If you are, let me know. I’d love to share some of my favorite books with you!

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recycling a sweater directly into a blanket

Toward the end of last week, I wasn’t feeling very inspired. Maybe it was the high pollen count? Maybe it was the non-stop conversation with my three-year-old? Maybe I just needed a little creative break? I decided a few days on crafty autopilot would be good for me, so I grabbed a sweater and started unraveling.

sweater unravel crochet blanket

Since I only unravel when my “helpful” daughter isn’t around, I still have some of the original sweater to show you. This is one of my trade sweaters. I usually don’t mess with acrylic, but this sweater was so pretty and soft. Plus, it’s super bulky weight yarn and it’s working up fast.

sweater unravel crochet blanket

I’m crocheting a petite afghan with a simple granny square pattern. The yarn is even more lovely after being unraveled. The kinks are falling out as I crochet, so I’ve eliminated that whole soaking and drying step. I’m curious to see just how big it will get.

Has anyone ever gone from sweater to blanket? How did it work up for you?

recycle: I wonder how many people we could keep warm if we turned all of the sweaters destined for the landfill into comfy blankets?

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my creative space

granny square scarf

In my creative space today (and tomorrow and the next day…) are granny squares. I had no idea how relaxing these were until I stopped making them. Then I felt a hole, like something was missing, and I realized it was clusters of double crochet!

I’m using my recycled sweater yarn for this one simply because it’s so soft and nice to work with. Whenever I start to feel stressed, I take a deep breath and grab a square.

What’s in your creative space today? Why don’t you pop on over to Kirsty’s blog and join the fun!