40

Hi there.
Back from a three day weekend which I spent in my craft room for (re)organizing it... Finally all books together on one shelf, the growing yarn stash sighted and more storage boxes bought to make sure there will be no harm to the yarn even if it stays for some time. Fabrics neatly folded, being remembered of all the things I wanted to sew this summer... well, autumn has come. Other fabrics will be piled, waiting to be transformed.

Last week I told you I hadn't one single place where I keep all my important passwords, which can be very annoying in case your computer suddenly ceases service and has to be reinstalled... So finally I  wrote them all down, very clever, in the back of my creative notebook, which I always have somewhere around me...
Last Friday I couldn't find that book when I wanted to login to my IMDB account, not knowing my password... of course. Of course I didn't know and of course the notebook had to disappear right after I fed it with all that important information. It appeared to be nowhere at home. But then, where else could it be?!
I thought. And shortly later made the most hurried trip to my local yarn store where I suspected it having spent the last three days... I must have had forgotten it there. Like a busy squirrel collecting acorns I had been returning to Yuzawaya in Machida a couple of times last week to prepare for a long winter... new big crocheting project. Feverish, because the yarn I was going for had been on sale and is coming in 80 150　(that is why it is called Rainbow 150... just found that information on the Yuzawaya website) colours... no way I kept a clear head... I was like "Today the browns and yellows, only ten skeins!"...please so many colours - on sale - are just too many to stay calm and care for your belongings properly... I got the book back, it had been found in the yarn section of the store. Again, lucky me. Wish I had been so lucky to spend three days and nights at Yuzawaya, though... suppose my notebook doesn't really appreciate its stay.

So, about that new project... it started with me falling in love with the cover of this new crochet book.

For about a week I thought it was the scarf... so I got my first batch of that yarn I mentioned above but had to put start crocheting on hold because I was knitting a very important birthday present and that had to be finished first. Later it occurred to me that it wasn't the scarf at all, I think I dreamed of having hair like that and rosy cheeks and being twenty years again...
Coincidentally the same week I got the book (which is nice but not essential like most of these cute, little Japanese craft books) I finally found a reasonably priced copy of Nanny McPhee and, while watching it with Dagny, felt the growing urge to eventually make an actual granny square blanket.
Like this:

And off went the squirrel into the woods...

I said, the yarn was on sale.
At home the squirrel did this:

And began crocheting.

I have been trying covering the ends by crocheting but that just doesn't work for me. So I am collecting these loose ends again, but I will try weaving them in as I go. As Louise recommends. Otherwise I will be ending up like Lyn, and declaring a wholehearted NEVER AGAIN would be too bad if I had not finished my hexagon blanket before...

Speaking of hexagons, I am amazed how the hexagon love is spreading, there are already a lot of wonderful WIPs and even finished objects to see over at Hexagon Love, so inspiring! I am getting extremely itchy to keep on working on my blanket again.

40 squares done. One week's crocheting. Around 9 more weeks like this needed to get them all done. 
Smile, Alex!

Have a good week!

Edit: Rainbow 150 is called Rainbow 150 because it comes in 150 colours, finally understood that... Have a pleasant weekend!

Comments

[Amanda]

Oh my! How beautiful! Looking at all that luscious yarn is making me a bit light headed...

[Oiyi]

Wow, such gorgeous colors!

[katrin]

*sigh*
oh, the colors! the blanket! maybe we should do a swap - a blouse for you, a blanket for me? *gg*
yeah. i would definitely be the winner in this one! ;)

[Nina]

Hey, I just started a Granny Square Blanket some days ago. I love your colours.
And all the yarn - and on SALE. You are so lucky.

Schöne Grüße,
nina

[DesignTalk]

Congrats on reorganizing the craft room. Do we get to see pics? :)

[nicole]

I've been obsessed with making a Nanny McPhee blanket ever since I saw the movie. I even took a bunch of pictures of my tv (like you) as reference. Mmmm, all those colours... You're really giving me a hankering now!

Yours looks great! Can't wait to see the finished product.

[Kim]

Wow, it is gorgeous so far! Can't wait to see the end result!

I keep debating tackling a project like this, but wow, that is a lot of squares!

[futuregirl]

I want her hair and rosy cheeks, too! Those beautiful models will trick you into making just about anything, right? I think the blanket is starting of wonderfully! I love the squirrel stash. I'm jealous of you (and your notebook, too).

[Lisa]

Thanks for the peek, Alex! Lovely colour choices. And don't you just love the way one colour totally changes when placed with another? I am definitely partial to the mustard, turquoise and green one.

Great start, the cosiness begins...

[Anina]

Wow! It's lovely! And those hexagons over on Flickr are just amazing.

[Junie Moon]

What a wonderful post. So many things to think about. Good for you in achieving your re-org efforts.

[Betsy]

How beautiful! So many times granny square blanket color combinations can just go..wrong..but yours is wonderful!

[Amber Lee]

So beautiful. I love this blanket. I loved that movie too, all the colors were amazingly fantastic, I wished I could just slip right into that world.

[tiennie]

Glad you found your book! The blanket! The yarn! The colors! The child! Gorgeous!

[pezzgrrrl]

i am glad to hear i wasn't the only one who was entranced by that blanket!

gorgeous colors! what a great start to your blanket.

by the way - what brand of yarn are you using? & how are you joining your squares?

[hannah]

Your blanket is looking lovely already - my what a lot of yarn you bought!!! I too would love to have hair like the girl on the Japanese book, she looks so pretty and happy.

[Abby]

wonderful. I love it when modern media inspires craft. what a fabulous colour selection....
luv Abby

[Anita]

You are amazing! Another afghan? I keep dreaming about making one, but that's as far as it goes. Lovely, lovely colors. They make me smile.

[Esther]

Such gorgeous colours on those yarns and just love your "colour wheel" :)

Loved Nanny McPhee - "I did knock" gets me every time for some reason.

[Alison]

Go Squirrel Go!

The colours - how on earth do you not get overwhelmed??!! They are gorgeous and perfectly balanced and luscious.

[lola]

First Hexagons, now Granny squares!? I can hardly take it. Someone bake some bread & pass me my hook.

[pamela wynne]

Cutest things ever. I can't resist -- must pick up the hook.

[Katherine]

Pure magic! Love the colours you combine and can't wait for you to continue to show your progress on this beauty. Very inspiring...

[ceels]

The blanket is gorgeous. How are you choosing the colours? Is it random, or do you have a system?

[Ruth]

Such brilliant colours! It already looks great, good luck with the rest.