On a random day at the end of 2024 I decided to follow a crochet tutorial by one of my favourite YouTubers by Helen Anderson. Managing to pick it up pretty quickly, I instantly became hooked – it’s such an addictive hobby.
Early in January, after completing 3 large granny squares as practice, I decided to embark on my first full project. One of my oldest friends was coming to visit from France with her baby and as she had just moved house I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to make her a cosy blanket for a housewarming present.
I browsed the yarn section in my local Boyes for forever, trying to decide which colours to go for and how to combine them. Eventually I made my choice and got started as soon as I got home, eager to see my vision come to life. I had chosen a mustard yellow, a pinky red, a light blue and a white to create two different designs by inverting the order of colours used for the squares. I also went for a darker blue to border the squares and be the join colour.
As the pile of squares grew, so did my excitement – the squares were looking soo good. A little niggle of worry did cross my mind too though as the tension wasn’t always 100% equal. I just hoped they’d all join together nice and evenly. Working every evening after work, I managed to get all my squares completed in about 2 weeks.
The joining of the squares was another new learning curve as I’d never done it before. I had a look online at a few different methods before settling on one that seemed simple enough. It was a little confusing at times and I accidentally joined the wrong sides once or twice and had to back track, but seeing the squares gradually transform into a cohesive blanket was very rewarding.
Crocheting my first granny square blanket has been such an enjoyable and rewarding experience and I can’t wait to make more – who knows, perhaps I’ll make everyone a blanket for Christmas this year aha!? The success of my first project has spurred me on to learn more and also try some more challenging projects.
Next stop – a granny square cardigan!
I’d love to know if any of you also crochet or knit??? Do let me know in the comments below!
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