current project: granny square blanket

Hello there! I have been busy at work on a few different projects. The first is getting or home unpacked. I'm going to be honest, 97% of our boxes are unpacked. There are just a few laying around, and I'm fully willing to admit that they are mine, but I'm just feeling unmotivated (ie: lazy) to unpack them. gah. So, to avoid the unpacking, I am working on a granny square blanket! Yes!

I recently saught the advice of crochet expert and lady-of-awesome, Linda Permann, in regards to the materials she uses for blocking projects. I realized that to get the final finish on my products, I really need to start blocking on a regular basis. When I have blocked small projects in the past, I have just used homegoods I had lying around the house (ironing board, etc.), but I needed a bigger surface to block on. Linda suggested that I buy interlocking mats from my local hardware store. It's what she uses and really loved working with them.

Her suggestion was dead on! They're awesome! First of all, these blocks only cost me $17 from Home Depot. Secondly, they are really durable and the clean up from the blocking solution I use is very easy.

Once you buy rust proof pins from your local craft store, you can block for the rest of your life! These blocks connect together to make a really large surface, but I have found that I'm usually just using 2 at a time. Whenever I stick the pins in them, they don't rip or tear, they just make the little pin hole.

Not a big deal.

Here's an example:

(The photo quality isn't great because I had my ISO really high since it was storming outside.)

I love them!

I'm just about 5 granny squares away from finishing up this blanket.  I need to run to Hobby Lobby and grab more yarn for the boarders. I'm using Hobby Lobby I Love This Yarn in Mulberry, Sungold, and Ivory.

Want to make your own Granny blanket? It's a really great gift for the holidays, but you should probably start now :)

Individual Squares:

Each square is made of 2 rounds of each color = 6 rounds total.

I'm blocking them so they measure about 7 in. x 7 in.

Blanket:

The total blanket will be 6 squares by 6 squares = 36 squares total.

Total yarn used:

2.5 skeins of Mulberry

2 skeins of Sungold

1 skein of Ivory

You can definitely buy all your yarn from Hobby Lobby needed for this project for under $20. It's a great deal. Of course, I Love this Yarn is acrylic, but it is really soft.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment or drop me an email @ Donnasdecembers(at)gmail(dot)com!

Happy Wednesday,

Liz