The Happy Hooker

No not that type of hooker you sillies. My crochet hook of course. Remember my post on September 23 and how I said that I have never finished a crochet project yet? Well.....

All sixteen blocks are done. Each block took one ball of wool and about one and a half hours. The finished size of each block is 25 cm approx. (10 inches). I fiddled with the layout of the blocks until I found one that I liked. Then I stitched them together, first into four rows of four and then joined the rows together.

The edges weren't perfect, and I had bought another ball of wool in case I needed it to sew the blocks together, so I started crocheting around the edge. I got around nearly twice before I ran out of wool so I unpicked the second row and just did double crochet all the way around. I finished with a couple of metres of wool to spare.

Here is the FINISHED product on my stitching chair. I think it looks lovely against the bottle green with the gold coloured curtain in the background. My first ever finished crochet project. Go me!!

Talk again soon

Jeanette

By hook or by crook

I was shopping recently in one of my favourite shops. You know the sort, they stock a bit of everything, something for everyone. Well, I was wandering down an aisle looking for something when, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted something else. You know me, I love autumn tones and when I saw this I just had to have it.

When I got it home I thought, well what do I do with it now. It is a 12 ply wool so it will obviously need a large needle. So, I got the largest crochet hook I could find and started experimenting and this is what I ended up with. The finished size is 26 cm (10 inches) square.

Now when it comes to crochet there is something you should know. I have never finished a crochet project that I have started in my life. Every 10 years or so I will see some wool, buy it, and start crocheting until I get sick of it and toss it aside. Why then did I buy this? Because it looked pretty and I was in the mood. Well now I had one square of crochet done but what could I do with it. An idea formed and I went back to the shop and bought all they had left.

As you can see, because of the nature of the wool, each square has turned out slightly differently and I am loving it. 12 ply wool and a size 10 hook makes the work very easy and it is something I can do while watching TV (time vanisher in my book). At least this way I feel as though I am accomplishing something while watching Ripper, Mr Selfridge or comedy shows with my daughter.

What are my plans for these squares you may wonder. Keep watching this space to find out.

On a final note: Thank you Nana Barton for teaching me how to crochet. I will always treasure the time we had together: you teaching my sister and I to crochet, you letting me practice on your piano because we didn't have one at home and you playing some wonderful pieces for me even though you fingers were twisted with arthritis. I will always remember that a lady, who was not related to me in any way, allowed me into her home and showed me kindness and love.

(Sorry about the quality of the photo but it is the only one we have of Nana Knuckey (left) and Nana Barton (right) )