Monday 28 January 2013

One A Day

I received some Stylecraft Special DK for Christmas in an assortment of colours. This is an acrylic yarn, but it's so soft that I'm happy to use it. This is the best budget yarn I've found, it's not splitty when crocheting, it doesn't have that squeaky feel to it, and it comes in a whole host of colours. It's a great price too.

As the yarn was a gift, I didn't choose the colours myself, but there's a whole selection with everything ranging from flourescent to pastels and then darker colours too.


I decided that it would be fun to mix all the colours together, and after seeing Gwen's Granny A Day project on her Cottage in the Lane blog, my one a day blanket was born.

I started it at the beginning of the year, so I should have twenty seven or twenty eight squares by now, but I have to admit to falling down over the weekend as I've been a little busy. Twenty four squares have actually been crocheted so far, so I have a little catching up to do, it won't take long.


I'm crocheting the squares together as I go this time, something I haven't done before, but it's so easy, and it will save all the sewing or crocheting together at the end.

I'm loving this project so far, I don't know how big the blanket will be, I shall just carry on until it looks right.


One a day leaves me free to get on with other projects too, so I'll have to tell you what else I'm up to soon.

30 comments:

  1. Hi Jo...I love this pattern...where can I find it??? I love the way it is put together as you go I guess??? My granddaughter would love this! ♥

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    1. Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment. They're just basic granny squares crocheted in one solid colour. There's many tutorials on the web for joining as you go, but here's one, http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/joining-asyougo-sqaures.html
      I hope this helps.

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  2. What a good idea to do it in little manageable pieces and to sew it together as you go too, I hear that can be a real pain.
    Lisa x

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    1. I've never sewn my squares together, sewing isn't my forte. I usually crochet them together, but this is a really easy method, joining as you go. I'm enjoying having a long term project on the go, and it doesn't take long to get one square done, which leaves plenty of time for other things.

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  3. Hi Jo - glad that you are enjoying your granny a Day project and I love the colours in your granny blanket. I am still working on mine, although the Granny a Day project for me has finished (I enjoyed it last year). It is so so easy joining as you go - just leaving the tedious weaving in to do! Gwen x

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    1. I'm going to try and weave in as I go too, I can't imagine having all those ends left at the end of the project. I'm really enjoying doing one a day, and it leaves plenty of time spare for other things.

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  4. What a great idea....one a day! It sounds the type of project idea even I could manage...well not the crochet or knitting part but to do one a day of anything sounds reasonable. We are onto the bedrooms now in the DIY scale of things so everything is being stored in what was my study...oh well this time next year eh? lol!

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    1. This idea could be adapted to anything, and as you say, anyone can manage one a day of something. This time next year and your renovations will be over, you'll be able to see everything you've achieved, and you'll see how it's all been worth it.

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  5. What a glorious selection of wool, what beautiful colours! I love the idea of crocheting a square every day, I've never tried the crochet as you go along method, sounds so much better :) xx

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    1. I'm loving the colours, such a mish mash, but one compliments the other. I think I'll be really pleased at the end of the project when I don't have to think about assembling it, crocheting it together as you go is so easy.

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  6. The colours are great. I don't crochet but the one thing I dislike about knitting is sewing it together.

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    1. I hate sewing up. The crochet blankets I've made previously have had their squares crocheted together, which certainly isn't as bad as sewing them together, but it's still easier to join as you go.

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  7. Love the colours - so vibrant and fresh! I can't crochet - wish that I could!
    June

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    1. You must learn to crochet. I found it tricky to begin with, but then it just seemed to click. Have a look at tutorials on YouTube. I'm really happy with the colours, I think they all go well together.

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  8. Hi there, found your blog through SFT :)

    Love this blanket, the colours are are beautiful. I would love to crochet but I've never quite mastered it. I'm hoping to join a class this year and finally get to grips with it. I'd love to make a blanket but have found a pattern for a similar one that I can knit, so might attempt that in the meantime!

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    1. Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment. Good luck with learning to crochet, I haven't been at it for two years yet. I found that after trying to learn for a while, it suddenly clicked. I'm a knitter too, I usually have a bit of knitting and a bit of crochet on the go. The great thing about doing a square a day is that there's plenty of time to fit other things in around it.

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  9. All the bright colours are going to look fantastic together. I'm interested in your joining technique. I've worked out how to crochet squares together when I get to the end of the project but I can't sort out how to do it 'on the go'. Can you give me a few tips? Jx

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    1. It's certainly going to be a colourful blanket. Have a look at Lucy's tutorial from Attic 24:-
      http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/joining-asyougo-sqaures.html
      Remember I only learnt to crochet a little while before you, so I'm no expert, but joining on the go isn't hard. It's just a case of joining in to the next square instead of doing a slip stitch. What I do is do the rounds I want to do as normal, then on the last round, I crochet the first side as normal, slip stitch on the corner, then instead of doing the second corner slip stitch I join. Treble three, then again, instead of doing the slip stitch, join. Just carry on like that, but the tutorial will explain it much simpler than I can. Do let me know how you get on, and if you have any problems I'll try to help, but I'm sure you'll be fine.

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  10. Well so far it looks fantastic. I have recently discovered joining granny squares on the go - it's a revelation, it saves so much time!

    I've just received delivery of a stylecraft DK colour swatch. I'm planning a big blanket and can't afford to do it in cashmerino. Their range of colours is excellent.

    Gillian x

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    1. Thank you. It's going save so much time joining as I go, just got all the pesky ends to sew in then. I can't wait to hear about your new blanket. There's a great range of colours in Stylecraft Special DK, and it's so much cheaper than cashmerino.

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  11. The blanket looks fab, Jo. Doing one square a day will stop you getting bored with it and, at the same time, you'll see immediate progress. Great idea! :o)

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    1. It's all going well so far, and leaving me enough time to get on with other things too so that I don't get bored.

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  12. Awesome challenge (and Xmas pressie!), well done! I'm making the Beekeepers Quilt so trying to keep up with knitting hexies - I just learned knitting on the round so it's been fun practicing lots! I want to try my hand at crochet next, not sure how well it's gonna go... :)

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    1. Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment. One of my favourite things to knit is socks, done in the round. I love not having any seams to sew up. I've only been crocheting a couple of years, I taught myself by looking at tutorials on YouTube.

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  13. Fabulous colours, it looks beautiful. Can't knit to save my life and can barely crotchet and then only if I have to - look forward to seeing how this grows.

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    1. I'm not brilliant at knitting or crochet, but can pass, but I can't sew to save my life. I used to take all the school uniform to my mum for her to sew on the name labels.

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  14. How's it going with the blanket? Just wondering...

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    1. I'm afraid to say that I'm a bit behind after being so busy over the past week. It won't take long to catch up again though.

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  15. Hi Jo, after reading your comment on my blog I had to come and see your blanket! It looks gorgeous and will be beautiful when it's finished. Join as you go is good because you haven't got to do it at the end but it is a bit fiddly, isn't it? xxx

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    1. Thank you. I'm managing to keep up with my one square a day, it's lovely to see the blanket grow, even if it's doing so slowly. I think I prefer the look of a joined after blanket, but I may be wrong, I'll see at the end.

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