Saturday 5 March 2011

All hail the crochet cushion

I want to crochet a blanket. Like really badly. It annoys me that I can’t do this but no matter how hard I try I haven’t been able to put anything aside each month to create a Yarn Fund. I had high hopes for next month but that’s been dashed because I’ll have to be paying out £100 for the second hen do of the year that’s taking place in May. Oh and then May will be out because I’ll have had to pay for the actual night out of the hen do. And then I believe the third hen do of the year is currently booked in for the end of June. You see a pattern emerging?

Sigh.

But I still have my scraps. Scraps which have kept me going for quite some time. Scraps from all the blankets I made last year. The sit in their glass jars, looking all colourful and stuff and I have tried to put them all to good use. They made The Beast remember and they made some crocheted flowers to put on some cards but I still had an urge to do more.

And then I remembered that I said I wanted to make a cushion cover so the hook came out and the jars came down and I made a start.



I quickly knocked up 9 granny squares to make one side of my cushion and then I came to a screeching halt. Didn’t I say I was going to do different kinds of crochet this year? Didn’t I say I was going to stop grannying so much? So I stopped grannying and picked up Jan Eaton and picked out Number 3 of her 200 blocks, the Square Target. It was fun to do something new and I only made a couple of modifications (she wanted me to do 4 chain to turn a corner and I felt that 3 was probably enough).





I felt proud and ever so smug. “Look at me, crocheting something different” I smirked to myself.

Only then it hit me that I could come up against a potential problem. Making sure both sides of the cushion were of equal size so that they could be sewn up together. Cue panic attacks and much sweating. What would happen if my tension was all different? Oh my goodness the horror THE HORROR.

Then I came up against the realisation that my magic scraps really were turning into scraps. Obviously the trouble with doing one massive square target is that for each round you need just that little bit more wool and I was getting to the point where my wool wasn’t going to go any further. I'm not sure why I didn't just do 9 squares targets like the granny squares on the other side but obviously at some point in my head I was going for broke and doing one massive one.

Cue more panicking and sweating.

Luckily the gods of crochet were smiling on me and I managed to a) get both sides to fit the cushion and each other and b) I managed to make the wool last, just.


Then it was just a case of taking my cushion and its cover to Stitch and Bitch and crocheting the sides together around the cushion. Yeah, this isn’t a cover you can remove I’m afraid, that would involve a sewing machine and I still have a morbid fear of those. And if I’m perfectly honest I don’t think I’ve washed a cushion cover in my life. I know. What a grebber. Worst comes to worst I will bung the whole lot in the washer and life will be tickety boo.

But stop ruining it all with practicalities. Instead just feast your eyes on its amazingness.


I love that it’s got 2 very different sides. I know that some would prefer symmetry but I really like that I can turn it around according to my whim and it looks like a completely different cushion.

Well done me. Now, what else can I cobble together with my scraps?....


Hmmmm when is crochet too much crochet?

15 comments:

  1. Ooh impressive stuff! I love both sides but I think the squares side is my fave - such a pretty pattern.

    And on an entirely unrelated note, why are hen dos so bloody expensive??

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  2. I love your cushion. I especially like that it has different sides.

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  3. Ooooh lovely cushion cover! I'm so jealous you can crochet granny squares - I've tried and failed many times. You can never have enough crochet - the cushion and blankie look lovely together.

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  4. Your cushion is marvellous! Perhaps the yarn fairy will bring you yarn for your birthday.

    xxx
    p.s I have just been to the castle and it is awesome!

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  5. Fabuloso - very, very impressive!

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  6. Love your crochet cushion - both sides look great. I've been reading your blog for a while now and love it. Jo xx

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  7. Loooooooooooove it!!!!!
    Em xxxxxxxxxxx

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  8. Ah it's wonderful!! I totaly want to learn the solid type granny square, just as soon as I finish this bloody baby blanket that's taking FOREVER!

    Fingers crossed for the yarn fairy as Heather says. And is it just me who would like to see a pic of your woolly scraps in their glass jars? :S

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  9. Aw, I love that cushion - it's so cheerful looking! I've never tried crochet, but that cushion is making me want to have a go...maybe when I've finished all the other projects I've already started :/

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  10. So would it feed you need if I sent you the money to make me blanket?

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  11. Ooh, I'm very impressed with your crocheting! I am so excited about granny squares atm, I just learnt how to do them and you've inspired me to make something cool with them. I am also popping off to get that book, it looks fab!!Love the blanket btw!!

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  12. Oh my god it's brilliant! I love it!!!!

    So you made crochet flowers to put on cards?! I must admit I saw those on your flicker, did you follow my pattern?

    When is crochet too much crochet... hmmm! I remember my mum making a comment last year when I got a little craft happy and showed her all the new things I'd made for the house... she went on to say something like " listen dear, moderation is the key here, don't go overdoing it ok?" (Ok that's how it sounded to me, she obviously didn't say those exact words as I'm pretty sure it was in French too)

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  13. I LOVE IT! I really need to get mself crocheting one day...I want my own blanket and pillow!!! xxx

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  14. Your cushions are fabulous. It inspires me to go and get my little ripply rainbow back out and keep on trucking. How much yarn do you need for a crochet blanket anyway?

    Don't get me started on hen dos... mutter mutter...

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  15. This is probably a mad idea as you're trying to maximise your scraps... but have you seen the Wool Eater pattern?

    http://sarahlondon.wordpress.com/2009/08/25/wool-eater-instructions/

    It is very high on my crochet-to-do list

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