Sunday, June 20, 2010

crocheting and blog camp and gratuitous yarn porn

learning to crochet granny squares
elizabeth and her family came to visit today and thankfully, they brought the sunshine with them. it actually hasn't rained here at our house since they were here. and that's a good thing. i'm really, really tired of this rainy, cold summer and could definitely use some consistent sunshine. especially as tomorrow is the solstice  and i would like to be able to see the sun in all its glory. so let's hope it holds!

beautiful crocheted basket liner by elizabeth + pears in the evening light of our terrace.
elizabeth is able to crochet anything she likes without the use of a pattern or most of the sight in her right eye. thanks to her expert tutelage, i am now crocheting granny squares with that yarn stash of which i have been so proud (see below). i hope to achieve elizabeth's facility with crochet one day, but at the moment, i'm having a few challenges figuring out exactly when it is you change colors (please tell me this is normal and if it's not, please keep the sniggering to a minimum) on the granny square, so i'm thinking they'd look quite nice all in one color. and do they really have to be exactly square?

yummy yarn stash
elizabeth brought a wonderful gift that's meant for the next blog camp, which is fitting, since it was one year ago today that we were enjoying the first blog camp! and the sun shined the whole time! so the danish summer is capable of being a good one. and i was supposed to have learned to crochet already back then.

back row: polly (who isn't polly) and marie (who isn't blogging anymore)
front row: b, me, sabin and extranjera
thinking of all of the good and creative people and things the blogosphere has brought to my life and feeling pretty grateful.  i think it's going to be a very good week.

* * *

oh, and since it's father's day, i wrote a little something to my dad over here.

16 comments:

Numinosity said...

You can have granny amoebas as far as I'm concerned!
It's nice to see a picture of you with your bloggy friends. Putting a face to go with your eye popping super beautiful photos. I'm liking the new layout too.

Oh, and I have to tell you I got blog-crossed and thought I was commenting on your blog about the spruce tip infused vodka I was trying to concoct. i was thinking about your extra special gin post.
This blogger seemed a tad bit confused as I referenced that I thought of her as I was attempting to make spruce tip vodka. (and I hadn't even tried any yet, just naturally confused I guess!)
xoxo Kim

Joanna Jenkins said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Joanna Jenkins said...

Oh those beautiful yarns! I wish I could crochet and help you out but I'm no good at it.

I think it's going to be a good week too, maybe even a great one :-)

jj

Lauralee said...

Your blog is super cute so I had to become a follower. Hey, come check out mine some time.

Mrs.Rotty said...

love the yarn.
I'm jealous of the crochet skills.

I just started sewing, so we'll see how that goes.

Glad you had a wonderful weekend.

Lisa-Marie said...

Your crocheting is beautiful, I too am learning and find colour switches tricky! Your yarn is lovely vivid colours too!

Zuzana said...

Elizabeth brings sunshine, because she is full of sunshine herself, always.;))
Love the picture of the blog camp, yes, the Danish weather can cooperate at times.;) Lets hope it will in the end of July.;)
xoxo

spudballoo said...

woohoo looking good!! i think grannies are actually kind of tough although it seems like everyone starts with them. V hard to get them square (although blocking will help with that) and your tension will increase as you get better. So you'll end up with you early squares being much larger than your later ones (if you start on a blanket like I did). I ended up redoing about 20 squares to get them the same size. annoying!

Changing colour...you do it at the end of the round, when you join up where you started in the corner. Finish off (leaving a tail of about 6 inches, you need to weave the ends in later and you need 6 inches to do it easily!). Then tie new colour to the 6 inch tail (and leave 6 inches of the new colour too). Put your hook through the corner (in between your groups of 3 treble crochet stitches and pull the new colour through to make a loop on your hook. Then begin again (so, chain three, then two treble crochets) etc etc.

Hoping she taught you British terminology not American. If American then I mean double crochet where I've put triple.

Sounds really hard now I've written it down! Check the Attic24 summer granny post for photos.

There is also a way of tying in to a SIDE not a corner. I think that's the way she does it on Meet me At Mikes, there's a video.

Happy hooking! Prepare for crochet claw, a well know medical injury ;-)
x

Sammi said...

I remember you saying about learning about crocheting after the first blog camp!!

I can't believe thats a year already, where did that time go?

Elizabeth said...

Another addiction is right around the corner. So be careful. No I am not kidding, look at Spud.

Thanks again for a wonderful day.

xoxo

Diane Cransac said...

I am missing the sun too, so glad your friend brought you some with her visit!

SE'LAH... said...

So nice to see the photos here. Looks like a good time was had by all.

Thinking of you.

Barb said...

Oh, I wish I could do blog camp. But, alas, it's not to be. (this year, anyway!)
I love all the colors. Hope the sun shines for you!

Marilynne said...

I once made an afghan from six-sided granny squares. Elizabeth could tell you how to do it. In the end you also have to make some three-sided grannies if you want the edges to be straight.

Anonymous said...

What a terrific post. I love that yarn, so pretty! And the picture of blogging camp is great! It's nice to put a face to your words. :)

Unknown said...

Sometimes I can't believe it's been a year since the first Blog Camp, and other times I can't believe it's ONLY been a year! Thanks to you (and husband) for starting it all, I feel so lucky that I was part of the first one and I hope to be back for one next year!
I'm tempted to start crocheting but I don't have time for a new addition, so i"ll leave it for now! :)