This weeks wips

Sewing the binding on Billy's quilt.

I actually like doing this, I don't like planning, cutting, piecing, or quilting a quilt. But I do like hand-stitching the binding.

?

I'm also finishing off a little baby panda for a very dear friend

just need to sew his chicken label on and he's done.

And in the ultimate act of crafting foolishness, I've decided ' I have ' to crochet a Granny Square blanket.

it's going to take me about 6 years just to sew all those yarn ends in, whatever was I thinking ?

I blame Claire, she posted about the lovely Cath Kidston blankets  (she has a lot to answer for, that Claire. She's alerted me to all sorts of lovely things to spend my money on).

There's some fantastic Granny square love going on in blog land..

like me, Siow Chin is contemplating those ends.

Look at this beautiful hat and scarf at Moonstitches,

Drew has a great tutorial for joining your squares together beautifully ( scroll down about half a page).

I like the colours here, there's a very pretty cushion here , and a tremendous amount of squares here,

And the final word must go to the ultimate crochet Queen - Regina.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

xxx

Comments

[Tania Ho]

And now I'm blaming you ;) I'm not even done with my ripple blanket yet, and you had to show me these ? I'm foreseeing some granny squares in the future as well ...

[Mama Urchin]

Oooh I love Granny squares but I don't know how to crochet - which is a good thing. I do have a granny that crochets though and she has kept us in granny square blankets our whole life. You've chosen a very pretty color combo.

[Sarah]

Funny about the binding, aren't most people the opposite? I never quite get that far anyway! LOL

[rfg]

And then there's the Babette blanket over at the Purl Bee. It's a good thing I don't crochet or I'd be in serious trouble too...

[A.J.]

Oh Lyn, this makes me laugh so hard. For many of the same reasons, I started a granny square blanket this week too. I decided to try the green version of the Cath Kidston blanket and I'm making pretty decent progress.

I wasn't going to reveal that I was working on it until I finished it, but seeing your post this morning prompts me to post my project as well.

I love that we're on the same project wavelength, as I admire your work so much.

[Inga]

Your stitching looks so pretty on the binding and I agree with you about all the planning, cutting, piecing. . . Probably why I haven't taken up quilting, even though I adore the finished product! Can't wait to see your progress on the granny squares - it's going to be absolutely lovely!

[sara]

What lovely projects! Just out of curiosity, are your softies hand sewn or machine sewn or a combination of the two? I've done a couple of medium size softies on the machine but I just got a pattern book of smaller softies and I found them to be too difficult to sew on the machine.

[Passions & Distractions]

Oh wow. There will definitely be a lot of ends. Maybe you can weave as you go?

[Pam]

I've been thinking about one of those for a while. those granny square blankets.. I might have to give in.

[Abby]

I'm glad to know that there is someone out there that likes to sew on binding. I love every other part of quilting. After seeing your crocheted squares, I have to make the time to learn how to crochet.

[Nicki]

That is going to be a fab blanket when finished - lovely colours.

I'm all excited about crochet again. Having spent ages trying to learn from books and failing (because i need to *see* it done), it suddenly occured to me...YouTube :o)

That is a very lucky person getting the panda!

[Vallen Queen]

The reason I just made a giganto granny square pillow is for the simple reason that I HATE WEAVING IN THE ENDS!!! It would take me longer than six years to finish an afghan because after the first square I would just hide it under my bed until I could face the weaving in part! Come to think of it, I think I have an unfinished bathrobe in box under there right now.

[*jenny]

Oh my gosh, what a zeitgeist! I just bought a kit so I could relearn how to crochet granny squares. I made an afghan in high school (yes I was an odd duck) but I can't remember how to do it. Wish me luck.

[Michelle]

Oh, I'm so with you on the handsewing of the binding! People hate that part, but me? I handpiece and handsew and find it so soothing and much more fun than dragging out the machine. Love the crochet, those colors. Your posts are always such gems!

[Holly]

I completely agree with you on the quilt binding. It is the most enjoyable and relaxing part of the quilting process, in my opinion.

[Helena]

I so know what you're talking about, I also started on a granny square blanket the other week and I've just realized what I got myself into. Twelve squares down and 468 squares to go... :)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftcreativity/389100018/

I adore your work, you are very talented!

[Nicky Fraser]

oh lyn, i wonder where do you find the time?! I wish I could concentrate on several different projects at once, but I find I spend too much time looking at other peoples' work on the internet or shuffling through a mountain of craft books and then dont actually get much done at all! The crochet blanket looks gorgeous.. are you using real wool or synthetic?

[theresa]

oh yes, very lucky special person to get such a panda!
;-)

[littlejennywren]

I found a green version of the Cath Kidston blanket at a thrift shop yesterday. It just lovely and in very good condition. Granny squares a great fun to make but darning in the ends is a pain. If you find an answer to the problem, let me know.

[stickchick]

OHHHH GREAT!!! More things from you that I want to make!! Oh for cryin' out loud! ;-)

DAAAAANGGG, those were some awesome Grannies!! I really want to make some now, I've been eyeballing the purse made from then on Crafting Japanese. *sigh*

You always make me smile and I will never be as awesome as you!! durn it!!

[evashouse]

A wonderful blog! I put you as my favorite blog. Everything is so cute, so softie. If you want you can take a look to my blog,lamaisondeva.blogspot.com
thanks

[mary]

I love granny squares! A friend and I raided the back room of the yarn shop she worked at to get good (though often cheesy) vintage crochet and knit booklets. It got me back into crocheting, after having pushed it aside for so long.

I ended up making one with a lot of leftover acrylic and NEVER got around to sewing in all the ends. Doh. My dogs use it now and I don't think they mind.

[Jade]

Hi! Just popping out of reading your blog for so long to say, I love your granny squares. I don't know how to crochet yet, but I'm now wanting to learn.

I love handsewing quilt binding, too. Must be because the end of the project is near.

[Becca]

I love the quilt...I never get tired of polka dots and gingham.

I am also perpetually working on a granny square...I work the ends in as I go. I don't have the patience to do it later...you just sort of wrap the loose end in between the stitches you are knitting. My Mamaw taught me how eons ago.

I also don't sew them, but crochet the squares together...it gives it a right and a wrong side, but like I said I am a lazy finisher, so this doesn't bother me.

Can't wait to see how it turns out!

[Vanessa]

I adore crocheting. I learned from my grandma, and I have told this before but, at parties, everyone gets mad at her and I because we hide out an invent new crochet stitches, etc. etc. It is the best!!!

[teresa (maggiegracecreates)]

I am working on my own version of a "scrap" granny square blanket. I weave my ends in as I go. It is the part I hate the worst. I haven't done a ripple yet because I get all wierd on the sides and I dont like that.

Have fun.

Inspireco.com has some adorable granny easter baskets.

[Else Tennessen]

I too love sewing the binding. I don't know why. It's one of those compulsive things, I bet. And I think there must be something in the water...re: granny squares. I was thinking just this week that I have to make one in pinks and oranges...I must be picking up some granny-square-making virus in blog land. Too Weird!

[austen]

isn't it so satisfying to finally be at the binding stitching phase? i like it the best too. and those granny squares are great. my sister made a ginormous granny square blanket once and I think maybe she left long tails on the squares and then sewed them all together with the tails? maybe that would kill two birds with one stone?

[ladylinoleum]

Ah-ha! Welcome to the dark side of crafty goodness...LOL

[Alicia P.]

Ooops -- late getting here -- I'm making one too, and you know what I'm doing? I'm just crocheting over all the ends for about four inches or so, then snipping them off sticking out about 1/4. I'm sort of worried that the whole thing is going to fall apart, but I decided that if I had to weave everything in later AND bind them all together, the thing would deffo not get made at all. I cannot for the life of me figure out why this blanket is a classic, unless our forerunners truly were gluttons for punishment.

[roz]

I am so glad I'm not the only one going crazy for these grannysquare afghans. I saw a scarf made of them recently and it's on my to do list now!

[PGKrista]

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