Christmas Granny Afghan Ready to Join and Trim in Less Than A Year!

I found a note that showed I started my red, white and green Christmas Granny this January.  Here we are, in December and all I need to do is join the squares and add a border, then ready for Christmas.

 

Isn't it so festive already?

WIP Wednesday: Caron Cakes Faerie Cakes and Super Saver Minty Big Blocks

I saw a picture of a project on  the Left in Knots blog of a charming hat pattern:


 https://www.leftinknots.com/home/2018/1/16/snow-drops-slouch-hat-free-crochet-pattern

I loved the colors so much I looked to see what the yarn was.   Ah, Caron Cakes Faerie Cakes, a very sweet green set.   By chance, I happened to have some, but just a few cakes.  Nearby sat some  Red Heart Super Saver "Minty".   They looked perfect together.

I made squares that were a bit large (center and four rows of Faerie Cakes, one row of Minty).   The color just unfolds so beautifully, and the Minty frames it so well.

My first cake made 15 of these large blocks.   I have four of the cakes.  So, I'm thinking  I'll make all the Faerie Cakes squares, then make a set of solid Minty squares to go around the outside to frame it.  I think the size will be just right.

I hadn't looked closely at the Faerie Cakes to see that the color runs are different in each cake till I went to take pictures.

 That really won't make any difference at all.   I love seeing the colors play out as I work.  I kept mine in order as I made them, so you can see on my first cake the way the variations played out.  That Minty really unifies the squares.  I can't say enough good things about these yarns and how pretty they are. Sigh.

I'm going to finish this,  but for the future when I get a Caron Cake, I'm going to check for an accompanying Super Saver color.  The Caron Cakes are about $8.00 each, which I find to be expensive.  This is why you want to watch the Michael's adds like a hawk.   Pro tip, hahahaha.

WIP Wednesday

Work In Progress Wednesday returns with a few of the projects I'm working on simultaneously.


Pinpoint Crochet Blanket

All the center circles are done.  There are 72 squares in the blanket and I've got eight squares completed.  Moving right along!   The centers took forever and drove me crazy.  They required 12 double crochets in a small center ring.  I could not get the circles to be uniform.  Some "holes" were fine, others seemed too big.   I tossed one that seemed ginormous.   I like the way the centers stretch out in a little starburst pattern one they're worked into a square.  The soft colors really stand out in the gray.   I have eight different colored centers.

Pinpoint "Mirror"

Those Pinpoint Blanket centers made me so nuts, I took out some Sage Green Caron One Pound and decided to make a regular granny square, with a regular center that other wise matched the Pinpoint Gray afghan for size and number of squares (72).   For the centers here, I am using scrap yarn bits for the colored centers.  I think it is possible I have 72 different shades I can use.  We shall see.  The color of the Sage Green isn't showing up here.  It is a really lovely vibrant green, not the grayish color it seems here.  So far, it is matching nicely with every center color I've used.   I'm making these two side by side, keeping the same number of squares made for each of the throws.  It's oddly enjoyable.

Calculating Grannies:



Christmas Granny 


I decided to use the Crochet Crowd Granny Calculator on my Christmas Afghan to see how many squares I'd need for a reasonable sized throw for cuddling under.  I never meant it to be big enough for a bed of any kind.   Here are the Crochet crowd sizes:

"Common Afghan Sizes Are As Follows: 
Crib 36" x 54", Baby Afghan 40" x 40", Twin 39" x 75", Double 54" x 75", Queen 60" x 80", King 76" x 80". These sizes don't include drape over the edges of the top of the mattress"

I used the 48"x66"  throw measure from Crochet For Knitters and plugged that dimension into the Crochet Crowd calculator.


I have one hundred of the Christmas Granny Squares (but not the last white row on each) done and will make 30 more.  Then I'll add a row of white and put that blanket together with a simple edge.   It will be 10 squares wide and 13 squares long.   My squares are 5" x 5"
  

Green Granny

Somehow, I decided to work on yet another small squares granny.   I'm just calling it the Green Granny.  I had purchased the yarns on sale, and I just kept looking at them as I'd go by in the craft room.  Next thing I knew, I was crocheting away.

The center is Caron One Pounder  "Cream"
Row 1 is Red Heart Super Saver "Watercolor"
Row 2 is Red Heart Super Saver "Frosty Green"

They're so pretty.   The Cream center matches the Ivory/Cream color in the Watercolor variegated yarn.  

I used the Calculator here also, with an ultimate size of 48" x 66"
I'll need 204 squares.   The throw will be 12 squares wide and 17 squares long.   I have the first row of squares done!   These squares are 4" x4"