Granny 125 and Blooming Pillow WIP

My blooming pillow is coming along.  I haven't decided, but this may be it.  It all depends on whether or not I decide it needs to be a floor pillow.  I love it!

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I had an hour and a half to spend this afternoon, and a bag of yarn along with me.  I decided to just start working on a square and see where it led me.  I'm calling it the "what if I do this?" square, because every stitch that went in was decided on in that way.  It needs some tweaking, but I like this square very much.  It has popcorns, clusters, front posts, along with doubles, singles, have doubles etc.

I'm thinking I can safely call this my own design, what say you all?

I won these wonderful pieces of art on TinnieGirl's  website.  Cathy, they are quite wonderful, and I can't thank you enough!  I've had my ups and downs lately, and to receive "Two Parts Hope" and "Three Parts Faith" is a real blessing.

Blooming Pillow

This is what has kept me from doing a granny today.  In between all the other things that need doing, I sneak a row in on this blooming pillow.  The yellow really is not that blindingly yellow, but, no matter how I shoot the picture, it overpowers everything else.  When looking at it with the naked eye, it looks pretty normal.

I'll try next time to take the pic in morning sunlight.  Plus, I clearly need to add another row of yellow, to balance it all out.

I can't decide on how large I'm going to make this pillow.  I might go all the way to a floor cushion, one never knows!  Also, when another granny is made, look for the above colors.  Most days I make more than one, so missing a day is ok as long as I don't get into the habit.

Man, that yellow just blew right out, didn't it?

Tomorrow.

Memorial Day Grannies; and hearts and stars

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It's Memorial Day here in the US, and whether you agree with it being held on the last Monday in May or not (it was originally held on the last DAY in May, until someone got the bright idea to make a three day holiday out of it), the important thing is that we observe it.

We come together to honor those who gave their all in our nation's service.  Thank you, brave men and women.  Take a minute today for a moment of silence in their honor.






Here are two more squares that are red, white and blue.  I am also reposting the two squares from yesterday, so that all four will be together.

All four designs were found in the book "200 Crochet Blocks".  Only the colors were changed.

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The red white and blue heart is actually the same size as the stars, and once they are all finished (probably in time for Flag Day), they will be strung together.  Ramona saw and stars and delighted;  she also requested that hearts be added.  Ok by me, and the wee heart came out quite well.  I hope the red yarn holds out :)

Red White and Blue Grannies 122, 123; Sunday Snippets

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I decided to go patriotic today, United States style.  Both of these squares are from the book "200 Crochet Blocks".


















Looking at the popcorn square now, I see that I could have straightened it up a bit more, because there are actually blue lines between each popcorn.  Imagine them...they are there.

 I found the design for these stars on Suzetta's blog, http://suzies-yarnie-stuff.blogspot.com/2012/05/star-garland-c.html .  Ramona has requested that hearts be added, and so they will be.

Each of the following photos were taken on Lighthouse Beach at Seattle's Discovery Park.  Discovery is one of the most amazing parks anywhere around, and formerly was military post.

Granny 120, 121; It's a Sleeping Caturday!

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121 grannies really sounds like a lot, doesn't it?  I've been excited about all these grannies, but I have to admit that in the last few days it's felt a little bit like a grind.

I figure that if I keep up with doing two per day, in a month I'll be caught up and can settle back down to just one per day.  Once I reach that milestone, I'll be looking ahead to the halfway point.  183 is the half way point!  Yikes, that is a lot!

I've been giving a lot of thought to what I will do with all these grannies!  I have a couple of gifts planned, but aside from that, I'll still have a couple hundred squares to use.

I came across 'Sibol' Sunshine International Blankets of Love a while back.  I love what they do, gifting people in rest homes with homemade blankets, each with their own butterfly sewn on.  So they will be the recipient of a blanket or four.

And I wonder if there is anything like this happening around where I live?  Worth finding out!

I also came across Caturday, sponsored by Omlair.  We cat people sure do love them, so once a week on Saturday I'll be posting pictures of my rescue kitty, Mr. Bernard.

He's been here two  months now, and I think we are finally bonding.  I get far fewer dubious, nervous looks, and he just looks more relaxed all the way around.

He certainly tolerates me getting really close with my macro lens, ha ha.  This week, my theme is sleep.  It seems to

be what he'd like to do a great deal of the time.

In the first picture, that's NOT dirt on his leg.  He's part Siamese and he has random brown patches here and there.  And of course, the prettiest blue eyes.'

And now that he is losing some weight, his face often has the triangular look of a Siamese.  The vet calls him 'lynx tipped'.

I'm off to enjoy the balance of my day.  I suspect there may be beach photos in the offing :)

Grannies 118, 119

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I've been working recently through 99 Squares to Crochet, but I'm taking a break from it now.  So many things I don't really care for in that book, from the awkward placement of overexposed photos to the instructions that don't exactly communicate the necessary.  Because I have to keep flipping back and forth from picture to instructions, the binding has given way...it's aggravating.

That being said, the two squares today are from 200 Crochet Blocks for balnkets, throws, and afghans, by Jan Easton.

And now I am off to take care of the very beautiful day :)

Granny 117; Magnolia Bluff

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Today's square is from 99 Squares to Crochet.  The instructions have it all in one color, but after four rounds of this variegated yarn, my eyes had had enough!  Both of these were picked up on my trip to Michaels a couple of nights ago.  I bought them pretty much because I didn't have those colors...always filling in the holes in the rainbow on my shelves.

I had an hour in the  middle of my day with no responsibilities in it.  Since I was waiting to pick up Ramona, I went and parked here.  These four photos are the panorama that surrounded me while I sat crocheting the square above.  Before that I walked for a while, but not a very long while because I wanted to finish this.

Busy day!

It's SO beautiful here.

Grannies 115, 116; Ramona's new hat; Vintage Crocheted tablecloths

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 Both squares today are from 99 Squares to Crochet.

I really go for variegated yarns, although a little goes a long way.  I found this yesterday at Michael's.  I have actually never bought yarn at Michaels, and had heard that they were phasing their supply out.  Our Michaels had plenty of yarn to choose from, and a much nicer section than other places I have seen.

This yarn is 'Impeccable' by Loops & Threads.  Never heard of that brand, but probably this is because I haven't shopped for yarn at Michaels.  The only Michaels in this area is too far away to pop around to when I need to fill in a gap.  I'm much more likely to go to Joanne's for that purpose.  Most yarn I buy online...or at garage sales.

Of course, there are also stores devoted to yarn only, but they tend to stock only higher end yarns, and very little that I would buy just to use for grannies.  I love those stores and really, I try to stay out of them...they are very hard on my pocketbook!

about two weeks worth of yarn ends

Ramona's summer hat in progress

 I started Ramona's hat this morning, and figure I'll be done tomorrow or the next day.  I found the "Garden Party Crocheted Hat" on Ravelry.com. 

Here are the two crocheted tablecloths that I spoke about the other day.  I found them at an estate sale, tucked in a corner and kind of dirty.  I paid $14 for the two of them, and after another $30 for expert cleaning, they are gorgeous!

Perhaps I will make one of my own someday, but since I tend to have the  attention span of a gnat, probably not!

I thank the person (or persons, it looks like two different 'hookers' to me) who made these delightful tablecloths.  The first tablecloth is the same color all the way through, which I think of as traditional.

The second tablecloth uses light thread in the middle, and darker thread around the edges, on the part of the cloth that would hang over the edge of the table.

I've been torn, somewhat, over whether or not there is tatting involved in tablecloth #2.  I think not....

Beautiful, aren't they?  It was a very lucky day at the estate sale, where everything else seemed to be wildly over priced.  I figure I lucked out because these needed to be cleaned.

Granny 113, 114; And the rain came pounding down

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I'm loving this peacock blue yarn that is in the center of this square.  One of my favorite hues, and really hard to find.  I think I had better order more of it while they have it!

I asked my daughter what I should put around the outside edge and lilac is what she chose.  That's what the Coalescent in the blog's title is all about...how colors can just coalesce and be amazing together.

Both squares today are from 99 Granny Squares to  Crochet.

While I was getting these photos ready to post, it suddenly began to sound as if there were a thousand drummers on my roof.  Just the loudest pounding...I grabbed the camera (of course) and ran on out to the deck in my bare feets...

You know it's really coming down when you can see the rain in the photo!  Wetness!  This storm coming in is why we didn't get to see the eclipse yesterday.

Sigh.  I never get to see the eclipse, unless I travel elsewhere :)  On the other hand, it's not 100 degrees here!  Gotta love that, and I will take the rain anyday.

Gutters completely overwhelmed.