Thursday, April 17

I'm not a granny and I'm not square .....

..... hmm .... ok, so I am square, but I'm definitely not a granny (and as my Rather Beautiful Daughters aren't allowed to leave the house without a chaperone, hopefully I won't be for a very long time). Even so, I am loving the whole granny square revival.

.... although I can't help wondering if there is actually a revival. Are granny squares so retro they're cool again, or am I just getting old?



... my granny squares ...





My Rather Fabulous Sister was a granny square virgin until she had a lesson from our Mum. Here she is modelling her very first square .....





.... oh no, wait, I seem to have blanked out her pretty face. Hang on .....



.... that's better ....



My RFS is steadily working on a throw .....





.... whereas I don't have the patience for that (plus I'm meant to be knitting monkees), so after being inspired by this girl's scarf in the film Snow Day ....







.... that's what I went for .....




.... I asked RBD2 to model my scarf for me but she refused. So I made her model it by proxy ....








One day I would like to make a full size throw, but for now I'll have to settle for a virtual one .....






.... although bearing in mind that RGH hates them - he's not a fan of knit or crochet ..... unless it's in monkey form ..... my throw would have to look more like this ....








In other crocheting news, last time we were at Ikea, I bought this lamp shade ....

(this is crocheting news, honest)





..... and I thought it might be nice to make a small throw in matching colours to replace this charity shop one that's on my chair ....


(told you)





.... so I ordered some cotton. Unfortunately I made a boob at the ordering stage and got this .....


.... spot the (non)deliberate mistake ....




Damn and blast it! I hate 4-ply!



*Sigh*



.... Still. Never mind. It makes quite cute little monkees .....




40 comments:

trash said...

you're right - they are both small and cute!

~RaenWa~ said...

Every time I see granny squares I wish I knew how to crochet I love your scarf its so beautiful

Linda said...

Fab little monkey! When I was young I used to crochet hideous granny squares in neon acrylic!! Yours are nice.

Kitty said...

Awwww, love the cute little monkey at the end. And that lampshade is flippin' gorgeous - don't you just love IKEA?

Had to laugh at your sister - although I'm wondering how she gets on in life with that big black rectangle head. Bet she got teased at school. :-(

x

All of my Todays said...

Love the green monkey he is flippin' gorgeous. Totally my colours as is the lamp. x

Mrs Moog said...

Is RFS a hand model? If not she should be!

Your scarf is lovely - maybe I should do that with the few granny squares I've made 'cos I doubt I'll ever get to the blanket stage!

The result of your little wool buying accident is gorgeous!!! He's a very chilled out and calm looking monkee - must be because he knows he's a luxury soft model :)

xxx

p.s. does lack of chocolate bunster on today's post indicate what you had for breakfast?

Just asking....

Cazzie said...

Love the latest monkee - he is fab :-D

Tizzalicious said...

They are definitely retro cool!
I wish I could crochet like that!

Zoe said...

Love the green monkee - I'm with Rach definitely my sort of colour!

Granny squares are cool!

D@nielle said...

oooh I love the colors on the granny squares looks very cool. I'm in the flowers only stage and even they look a bit uhm well let's just say you can tell I'm a beginner LOL. Love the latest monkey !

sheep#100 said...

When the Royal Post brings you 4-ply, make monkees!

Angela said...

Granny Squares are the only thing I know how to crochet and I think they are fabulous never mind about fashion.
Love the new monkee.

Manoute said...

Very cute indeed!

Anonymous said...

I'm probaly being a bit thick but , why can't you crochet with 4 ply? I'm new to crochet and your blog, but I love it, and your monkeys and the pigeon

Locket Pocket said...

I'm very impressed with your granny squares (being a new convert myself) and even more impressed with your technical/photographic/computery wizadry that can make such a small scarf cover your whole bed!!!!

Love the 4ply monkee!

Lucy x

Kaz said...

I love that scarf! I so want to be able to crochet.

That monkee is gorgeous, maybe if I made one like that, my family would stop asking for hairy ones.

Why has your sister got baked beans on her cheeks?

Unknown said...

Wow, that monkey is beautiful. You take such amazing primate portraits!

I've not tried that yarn yet, I may have to get my own stash of it!

monda-loves said...

I love that modeling by proxy thing you've got going on there :o) and your new monkee looks fab, does this mean you are knitting monkees again?

Monda
x

How's this for the longest ever word verification:
swjjacjm

I think it stands for:

Stop With Jibba Jabba And Crochet Jolly Monkees!

It's motivational, don't you think? LOL

monda-loves said...

just noticed the next word verification too - another long one

mhmmkgii

hmm, I think it stands for:

Monda hears Monkee Maker Knits Gorilla's, incredible innit!

sorry about this, I'll go now...

Monda
x

Munkeh said...

I don't think granny squares ever really go away. They just get a new crop of admirers.

I love the lampshade - great colors.

The munkeh is super and looks very sweet. Its probably a ploy on his part (beware)

Unknown said...

Gaaawgus lamp shade, although you could have pretended to embroider is yourself couldnt you? I wouldnt have known.

And what a smashin little fella there at the end... does he have my name on?

Anonymous said...

I suddenly got the feeling of beeing at home here.. Squares are cool. Or at least I think so, but maybe I'm a bit weird(having to many blankets and all that) ;)

He's green!!! Cute AND green! (you probably knew that already.. but I'm just saying)

Have a nice weekend!!

monda-loves said...

just realised there is no apostrophe in Gorillas. doh.

verif: gqbllqca

god, queer bloggers love leaving queer comments. Alarming!

Am I verging on spam?

Monda
x

monda-loves said...

sorry I couldn't resist this last one - i'm seriously going to bed now...

WKHUKPG:

was kinda hoping u knitted purple gorillas

Monda
x

joanne wardle said...

yay! crochet rocks!!!

been looking at granny square scarves in shops, thinking "pah, I could make one of those in a night" but have I???
no!!!
like I could knit a monkey, just as soon as I've finished these other 15 projects I've started!

love your scarve, beautifully modelled by your daughter, and RFS is beautiful, lol lol lol
was going to try and be smart and do the word verification thing too
but I got

zwflqx

typical!

Elaine/Muddling Through said...

Great job on your granny square scarf! I love the colors, and what a pretty model:)

mushroommeadows said...

I've made two granny squares in my life and they were the best knitted things I every made. :) Love them.

I think it's hilarious the digitized throw you made on your bed that only covers your side. :)

Joanne said...

Love the squares. I am of course a complete convert and am definitely going to buy the book.

nice monkee, but I'm with you on the 4 ply :)

trash said...

Have just heard headlines about a controlled explosion in Brizzle. Why do I feel 007 and a certain not yet eaten Easter bunny are involved?

. said...

Cool granny squares. I've just managed my first one - but haven't gotten around to blogging yet due to some seriously lurgy. Loving the 4 ply monkey, that green is lush.

xMx

Anonymous said...

CrazyJane is right...you can crochet 4 ply....you can (I know I've done it) also knit a corner to corner square and then crochet round it....this means you can knit smaller squares and bulk them out using crochet, and then the 4 ply is very complimentary to DK as the knitted middle....and they grow quickly too!!! (But, I agree, monkees are cuter!!) Fran

varvifd

??????? Not a single monkee or knitting reference comes to mind, useless! Open to all?

Charlie P said...

Crochet, eh? Is there no end to your talents?
Love the 4-ply pastel monkee...erm...I don't want to anger/alarm/outrage the knitters but...what's the difference between 4-ply and...not 4-ply? Ooh, that sounded quite shakespearian- "2-ply or not 2-ply? That is the question."

Melissa J. Lee said...

Given that I am always too cold and H. is always too warm, your throw would work brilliantly at our house. (I always felt someone could make a bundle selling split-tog duvets - you know heavy on one side but light on the other...) As it is, in the winter, I always wake up in a huge tangled mess of duvet to H's (unjust) accusation that I've been stealing the covers...

the vicious chicken said...

I've said it to you before, and I'll say it again: you've made me see granny squares in a whole new light with that scarf - it's fab! And doesn't it work well in virtual throw form? SO much easier to whip up than the real variety, too. Very clever :op

Lovely monkee, too (as always), and well done for tackling 4-ply monkees again! But please don't go cutting a gert big hole in the back of this one...
VCxx

Jennie said...

awww that Monkee is sooo cute.
I love granny squares, I cannot knit or crochet and so I have to buy mine from charity shops or go and accost old people who live on the street, make them a nice cup of tea and steal their crocheted throws whilst they are not looking.

Leigh said...

I love you, there I just said! You just make me laugh so d*$# hard! Hey, remember that, if that gorgeous monkee needs a new home, arhahahaha!

Kitty said...

Maybe we could all make some granny squares and sew them together to make Monda one of those nice jackets with lots of buckles and long arms? She's gone bonkers with the word verification! :-D x

Bethany said...

You always make me smile!! I love your bed illustrations! I think we married similar men... his Grandma made us an extra large afghan for our wedding (I'm tall) and he just hated it! I think if we hadn't grown up with crocheted granny things then we'd all love them even more. I think (?). I have no idea what I'm talking about!!!

Miaou said...

Oooh how did you get on knitting with that sirdar stuff? I made knitted squares for my blanket from some of that stuff and my god, never again, it just split terribly! I found it (marginally) easier to crochet with but it was a Buying Error, no mistake!

(Charlie P, yarn comes in 2 ply, 3 ply, 4 ply, Double Knitting and Chunky, to name but a few, 2 ply being the thinnest, Chunky being the thickest)

Carol R said...

Is green monkey looking for a new home?