5KCBWDAY1: My Projects Are Talking to Me, and They Have a Request

Dear Denise:

It’s been a few years since we’ve written you a letter  but we’ve been busy, as have you been, we’re well aware.

La Peinture Blanket, from the
Summer 2013 issue of
Crochet! Magazine

Initially, we want to thank you for adding to our numbers! La Peinture Blanket is a wonderful shot of color – boy, we needed some sun glasses when she arrived on the scene. We were so thrilled to see how much time and care you took in picking the yarn colorways and then putting them together just so. You studied and studied that painting of yours every day, with no help from us (boo hoo). All we could do was lay there all neatly folded on the back of the futon. We were patient with you, and our patience was rewarded.

Additionally, you not only gifted one of us to a pregnant Ravelry friend, you then took a turn for the dark and green and added the Froggy Swap blanket to our ranks. As with the NYOBE Water Round blanket, we were pretty pleased with all the block swapping – the colors are coordinated not only within the blanket, but with different paintings you have. (We note the theme forming.) Since we’ve been overloaded with work, Froggy Swap blanket couldn’t get here any moment too soon (since you know La Peinture isn’t doing any work – she just sits there looking fantastic most of the time).

My Froggy Swap blanket, made with
blocks swapped with other
Ravelry crafters

Now, as we’ve written before, we know how much we keep you and George Bailey warm, and we’re incredibly happy to do so. We also appreciate the wonderful digs we have in which to do our work. But you know, we’ve got to tell you that while you make us look good, we make George Bailey look cray, cray adorbs. Our blues and light greens and pinks and creams do nothing but show off his assets to great effect – and don’t you think for one instant that cat doesn’t know it. We mean … like … really.

The handsome and talented George Bailey, looking
oh so fine thanks to us, your blankets extraordinaire

My Cotton Mod on Mod
Frenchtravaganza
in the making

We also provide some wonderful craft still life possibilities. Just look at all those stacks of color! Happiness is the truth, eh?

We end this latest letter with a request: for all we do for you, we hope you’ll get on the stick and finish the two blankets in the oven for us. They have been gestating now for almost the last two years, and that’s quite a long time, wouldn’t you say? It’s not like they’re alpacas or anything. Sheesh - get a move on! We want and need more worker blankets in the stable, ok?

Your trusty, stylish, hard working blankets:

Tunisia Bed Cover
Impressionistic Pinwheelie Blanket
NYOBE Water Round Blanket
Cotton Mod on Mod Frenchtravaganza
Froggy Blanket

                                                            
 And the two still in the oven:

All Things Blanket-like This Fee-Fi(ber)-F.O. Friday

 

After the final push to publish Fleurs et L'eau, I spent a few days doing some deep spring cleaning/rearranging/remixing of my living space. It was waaaaay overdue.
 
One of the results: I had all of those swap blocks from last fall that needed to be joined into a blanket. Getting them worked up into the blanket would free up some needed yarn shelf space, and I'd have a new blanket to go with my newly rearranged living space. A fine plan, no?
 
Sooooo ... here it is - my Froggy Swap Blanket:

This used 16 of the 18 blocks received. The block joining was fairly straightforward and done as I went; I only had two ends to weave in from the joining. Sweet. 

The edging I basically created on the fly -three rows in all (although it looks like four because of the joining round), and I designed it to use up as much of the remaining stash yarn from the block swap as possible. I love the delicate touch of the final outer row, if I do say so myself.
 
However, I had two blocks left, and knew I wanted to use at least one of them ... to create a small pillow. I had some great flower-inspired fabric that coordinated well with the color scheme, so I cut an appropriately-sized block of it, seamed the edges, then added a crochet edging all around 

with some coordinating silk fingering weight yarn. I then edged the entrelac block in the same yarn, seamed the two together with a round of single crochet on the outside for decorative effect, and stuffed the pillow with some fiberfill I had on hand just before doing the final few single crochet stitches closing the pillow.

Now my feet are comfy and cushioned when I rest them on the coffee table.

 
And, finally, some post-scripts on La Peinture Blanket: it was published in Crochet! Magazine; Talking Crochet is a newsletter hosted on their sister publication's website (Crochet World Magazine) and it has an interview with me about it and the painting. It's still amazing to see the painting and the blanket side by side. If you read through to the end, you'll find a link to a Universal Yarn give-away - they've generously made a kit of all the colorways used in the blanket and will be giving it away to one winner from all those who enter on the Crochet! Magazine Facebook page June 18 and 19th (that's next week, everyone - yipes, June is half done already).




Now head on over to Wisdom Begins in Wonder and see Andrea's latest installment from the farm - will she be weaving, or knitting, or dealing with farm animals?

And The Final Froggy Blocks ...

... are completed and on their way. The color choice for this swap was inspired by a frog (and thus the name of the block swap). While we might think of frogs as being green, they actually have a fair amount of mid-to-deep toned brown (as the stock photo to the left illustrates), thus the green and brown theme. All of the swappers used the same five yarn colorways in creating their blocks. We all, however, had free reign in the ways we combined those colorways, as well as the blocks we made (as long as they were 10 x 10). My final 10 blocks, in no particular order:

L-r: Spring Fling, basic Granny Square (from my head), Kata,
and Tartan Plaid from Nicky Epstein's Block by Block.
It's not yet in the Ravelry database.



R-l: Centrific, Simple 10 Petal Square, I Love The V-Stitch Block,
and a modified Forever Lace block.



L-r: Crown Jewels and August Sun.

While I thoroughly enjoyed making each of these blocks, the Tartan Plaid and August Sun were probably my two favorites from this set. There are post stitches in the August Sun that makes it full of texture; the vertical stripes in the Tartan Plaid were made with crochet! I rate all of these blocks (with the exception of the granny square) as intermediate. They each are a great way to test your stitch skills.



Now that all of my squares have been mailed, I'll await receipt of my final blocks, add a few additional blocks of my own, and then complete my blanket. I'm really excited to see how each of my fellow swappers put their blocks together.

 

Now definitely head on over to Andrea, the WonderWhyGal's blog, and check out everyone else's fibery fun on this Fee-Fi(ber)-F.O. Friday.

 

 



An Open Letter from Blankets and Squares

My chippy granny squares, donated to Sarah London's efforts
last year after the Australian floods

Dear Denise:

It's been kind of a tough week for us.

First, early in the week, a fellow designer downplayed one of our cousins, the ripple blanket, by indicating that it's only made by crafters with limited stitch skills who "are content to buy their yarn from big box stores." These same limited crafters also only want to make granny squares, according to the commenter - like that was a bad thing.

Then, we were completely devalued and humiliated when that Mr. Hirsch and his sub-par writing abilities decided to call out the Ravelympic's afghan marathon event (among others) as akin to putting down the efforts of U.S. Olympic athletes.

My pinwheelie blanket from a
Lisa Naskrent design

Talk about a denigrating week.

Now I know that both parties have apologized and apologized. But even the apologies sounded hollow and only meant to appease. Clearly these individuals do not quite understand that it's how we make others feel that's so important.

Of course, if there was ever a group of fine finished objects that know how to make a person feel good, it surely would be us. Whether ripple or granny square, knit or crochet, there's nothing like a handmade blanket to wrap someone in warmth. We look great in pretty much any room in the house, take to machine washing like fish to water (assuming we're made from the appropriate fiber) and bloom in the washing/drying process (although that high heat setting can be difficult on us).

George Bailey curled up on my
NYOBE Water Round blanket,
made from blocks exchanged
with other Ravelry crafters

We also provide a great canvas for fiber artists to hone their craft. Motifs are one of the best ways to learn intarsia, practice cables, explore color combinations, even hone finishing skills.

Can there also be any doubt that a blanket given to someone in need is one of the most powerful ways to say you care?

We do all of this while looking great no matter where we're thrown. And then we patiently wait for you to wrap up in us, and that's when we get to perform the best task of all - keeping you warm, from neck to toe. Heck, even cats everywhere know the best place to curl up is in our unfolded heap on the chair or couch.

My Mod-on-Mod Frenchtravaganza
from a Lisa Shobhana Mason design

We're just darn amazing.

We each want to thank you Denise for providing such a great interior that lets us shine, for valuing us by the books you have in your library with our great designs, and for treating us with the respect that all your handmade things deserve. We will always keep you warm and loved.

With all of our fibery beings -

Mod on Mod Frenchtravaganza
Pinwheelie Blanket
Chippy Granny Squares (donated to charity)
NYOBE Water Round Blanket

Your stable of hard-working, handmade blankets and blocks

Check in over at Andrea's blog to find out what everyone else is loving on this Fee-Fi(ber)-F.O. Friday.

Another view of some of the blocks from my NYOBE Water Round
blanket (water-themed because of the color of yarns chosen)