Year of Projects, Year 2: Rerouting
(This post is part of my Year of Projects, Year 2 series.)
This week, my goal was to try out some potential motif patterns for the bedspread I’m planning for my mom’s milestone birthday in February. My sister’s bedspread took about 5 months to finish, and I’m assuming this one will be more complicated, so I want to get started soon.
My sister's granny square blanket, with colors inspired by the New Orleans Saints.
I started a Pinboard of potential vintage patterns earlier this week.
It’s been really hot here, so I’ve mostly been crocheting with mercerized cotton. My first two swatches were a bust.
My first attempt, in Galler Yarns Parisian Cotton in Orchidee.
The first pattern I tried was the Marguerite. Each hexagon is 40 rounds (!). If you’ve ever tried a pattern from this era (1914), you know that there are a lot of details left unexplained. I ended up cutting the petals short by about 6 rounds, just to see if I would be able to figure out how to create the petal effect. I don’t think I did such a great job, and in any case, it would take too long to make each motif on my deadline. I’ll have to tackle this pattern at a future time.
I did find another hexagon pattern in the same vintage booklet, Priscilla Crochet Booklet Bedspreads.
Figure 34, Hexagon for Bedspread.
After 6 rounds, I wasn’t overly excited about this one either.
Now, I’m thinking of switching gears entirely. Instead of a vintage pattern (with the added stress of translating/interpreting the instructions), I may just use something from this wonderful book I picked up at Vogue Knitting Live.
There are a lot of lovely lace motifs, and everything is charted. Hopefully by next week, I will have narrowed down my options for my mom’s bedspread.
Just so I could feel as though I accomplished something this week, I made my first two granny squares. I sat right next to the air conditioner and used a partial ball of Lion Brand Wool Ease from my stash. I think the colorway is called Sage, but the label is long gone, so I can’t be sure. Both were based on patterns from The Granny Square Book by Margaret Hubert.
Dogwood Flower.
My Ravelry project page is here and the pattern page is here.
Ferris Wheel.
My Ravelry project page is here and the pattern page is here. It was nice to use up some stash yarn and to crochet with something a bit thicker after a week of thread. I’m glad I finished my first two grannies – only 50 more to go!
For more Year of Projects posts, visit Come Blog-A-Long on Ravelry.
Playing with motifs is so much fun! I always feel weird too when I work with either light yarn or thread and then hop back up to something thicker. My gauge gets all weird for a round or 2 and then I’m re-adjusted again
Hahaha, Nicole! I have that same problem. It’s like my grip needs time to readjust.
What a great idea to use a Pin board to organize ideas for Year of Projects!
Thanks, CrochetBlogger! I will probably start one for my grannies, too.
Sorry to hear about Marguerite – but no point on going any further down that trail since it sounds like a multi-year project. There are some lovely medallion style spreads … I’ve been mooning over a couple here:
http://www.antiquepatternlibrary.org/pub/PDF/GarbuttPrisBed.pdf
Hopefully you get it all sorted out soon!
Thanks for sharing the link, Minding My Own Stitches!
After all your hard work and planning I am sure you will find the perfect pattern really soon–and your mom? Lucky! What a precious gift to give her.
*Smiles & Cheers*
Thanks, Kim! I hope to find the right motif soon, too.
I’m sure with all the planning you are putting in you will find the right pattern soon and you will be much quicker for all the planning you’ve done. It will be a wonderful gift if your sisters is anything to go by, a present to cherish for many years.
That’s what I’m hoping for, Ruth. I really want this to be a bedspread that lightens up my mom’s room and gives her a lot of joy.
Hmm, I see what you mean about the purple motifs, although the first looks very pretty (clicking through to the Ravelry pattern – wow!) I love the second green motif – makes me think of a sunflower!
Hope you find a motif you love soon – it’s so frustrating when you know what you want to do in theory and just can’t find the right thing in practice!
I fell in love with that picture on Ravelry, too, Laura. I just don’t have the time right now to make mine look as beautiful!
That is an impressive blanket, I like the ferris wheel motif.
Thanks, Mary! I like the Ferris Wheel, too.
I like that Ferris Wheel square .. made it ages ago then forgot abut it. Thanks for reminding me. I hope you find a nice pattern for your mother’s blanket. xoxox
I’m glad I reminded you of it, Dorothy. It’s a fun granny.
Knowing how well your sister’s afghan turned out, I have no doubt your mum’s milestone blanket will be awesome!
Thanks, Evelyn! I’m hoping to choose a really special motif.
Another lover of the Ferris Wheel motif here
Good luck, I’m sure it will be a stunning blanket.
I have my Mum’s old Good Housekeeping Encyclopaedia of Needlecrafts and am surprised by just how difficult and intricate so much of it is – and that was only from the early 80s!
Agreed, Kate. These days, designers are expected to give much more detail than they were even 30 years ago.
Your heading down the right path – giving different things a try. You’re going to be spending a lot of time with the blanket so it’s important that you love what you’re doing!! Doesn’t it feel good to make granny squares? I’m also a fan of the ferris wheel!
So true, Robin. I have to love a motif to make hundreds of it lol.
I love the marguerite, I think it would be a tricky one to get right but it’s ever so lovely. Good idea to use pinterest like that, it’s perfect for organising ones thoughts and ideas.
I so agree, HillyT!
Love the Dogwood square! And I agree, though both hexagons are very pretty, I’m not sure they’re quite right for a bedspread
I love the Dogwood Star, too, Emma. I’m hoping to find something perfect for that bedspread.