Remember it the one I started over a year ago? I'm going to call it my never ending blanket!
Yes I know that I said that I would have it finished by last November...well it didn't happen and I have to say I don't think that it will happen any time soon either. I seriously miscalculated the size of this blanket. It was supposed to be four and a half foot square to cover my bed well silly me yes it would cover my bed but I want it to drape down the bottom and the sides so really it needs to be 95''x 96'' now that's a lot of blanket, a mere 756 squares! Anyway I have counted and by my reckoning that means I need only make another 558 are you feeling faint yet because I am!
I am so impressed by you folk and you know who I mean, who can turn blankets out in no time. Don't you get bored doing the same thing? I thought that I had cracked the boredom when I did the three a day method which I am calling method one remember this but I got fed up with that So here is method two....
Method Two (part one)
The first round..cute little cogwheel centres ...count how many colours you have for your blanket then just grab a colour any colour and say you have 10 colours make 10 centres then weave in all the ends and thread them onto a length of wool.
Continue until you have made cute little strings of cogwheels with every colour in your stash or at least all the colours you want to use for your blanket.
Ain't they cute! at this stage you can actually play with them if you like and I do like.. all the pretty colours all playing nicely together.
Now the next stage choose a colour any colour and remove one cogwheel from each string apart from the colour you have chosen or a centre that doesn't go well with the chosen colour, confused? sorry, well at least I know what I'm talking about..I think haha
then do the second round, weave in the ends and thread onto a strand of wool.
I love these too almost as much as the cogwheels maybe even more so because they are more colourful.
Continue this way until you have used up all of your centres.
Then stage three which I can't show you yet because I'm still onto stage two, so once I have used up all my cogwheels I will show you stage three
The object of this exercise is to make lots of motifs in the least stressful way possible, by doing it this way, I don't have to think too much about what matches what and what colours I do next, one stage just leads nicely on to the next.
My blanket kit this is all I need to take with me to work to get done in my lunch break, nice and portable, if you think you will have time to do more, then just put another colour along with it's matching centres in a little plastic bag...see easy, it works for me anyway.
How do you do yours? have you got any weird and wonderful methods. Do you make your motifs one by one , do you do a few centres first or complete each motif round by round and how do you choose your colours? do you just pick them randomly.... do share because I know that after a while I will get bored with this method
too :)
(My thoughts and prayers are with those in Oklahoma who's lives have been devastated by the tornado)
 |
| I'm pleased to say these are all now part of my blanket. |
I am so impressed by you folk and you know who I mean, who can turn blankets out in no time. Don't you get bored doing the same thing? I thought that I had cracked the boredom when I did the three a day method which I am calling method one remember this but I got fed up with that So here is method two....
Method Two (part one)
Continue until you have made cute little strings of cogwheels with every colour in your stash or at least all the colours you want to use for your blanket.
Ain't they cute! at this stage you can actually play with them if you like and I do like.. all the pretty colours all playing nicely together.
Now the next stage choose a colour any colour and remove one cogwheel from each string apart from the colour you have chosen or a centre that doesn't go well with the chosen colour, confused? sorry, well at least I know what I'm talking about..I think haha
then do the second round, weave in the ends and thread onto a strand of wool.
I love these too almost as much as the cogwheels maybe even more so because they are more colourful.
Continue this way until you have used up all of your centres.
Then stage three which I can't show you yet because I'm still onto stage two, so once I have used up all my cogwheels I will show you stage three
The object of this exercise is to make lots of motifs in the least stressful way possible, by doing it this way, I don't have to think too much about what matches what and what colours I do next, one stage just leads nicely on to the next.
My blanket kit this is all I need to take with me to work to get done in my lunch break, nice and portable, if you think you will have time to do more, then just put another colour along with it's matching centres in a little plastic bag...see easy, it works for me anyway.
How do you do yours? have you got any weird and wonderful methods. Do you make your motifs one by one , do you do a few centres first or complete each motif round by round and how do you choose your colours? do you just pick them randomly.... do share because I know that after a while I will get bored with this method
too :)
(My thoughts and prayers are with those in Oklahoma who's lives have been devastated by the tornado)
That looks like a great and portable way to keep the wheels rolling off your hook Linda. Especially as you get to weave in all those pesky ends as you go!
ReplyDeleteI do things in stages too but most of mine are in tens! I admire your perseverence - I'm sure you'll have hundreds done before you know it!
Ali x
Thanks Ali, I have done these in tens too but I'm going to run out before I've gone through all my colours for round two so next time will make more centre's :)
DeleteThe mathematical approach definitely works for you. I'm more a "grab it and knit a few rows when I have time" knitter. I even knit while I am waiting for my slow laptop to decide to grace me with its presence.
ReplyDeleteWell that way you will get it finished Una trouble with me is mine gets put to one side while I start something else :)
DeleteThat's an interesting method, Linda !! Your colourful cogwheels look very pretty:) I haven't made any blanket yet so don't have inputs on 'how tos' . I don't get bored making motifs but the huge task of joining them is a big deterrent.
ReplyDeleteYes I Know Preeti joining them is a huge job that's why I'm trying to do a bit of each stage at once rather than leave all the joining to the end :)
DeleteI know exactly what you mean Linda! I get bored easily with blankets and I think they are huge projects. How is it possible that there are people making a blanket in a month time? I don't know.. The only method I use for a blanket was saying to myself "make x motifs/stripes a day" but after a week I am always behind! :) Good luck with your blanket!
ReplyDeleteBarbara
Thank you Barbara yes I always full of good intentions too but I'm really going to try this time or it will never get finished. :)
DeleteI feel your pain !!! My BIG blanket is just the same. I have tried tricking myself that i am actually not working on it when making squares but my goodness I agree I am full of admiration to people who are " finishers" rather than "starters"
ReplyDeleteShall we try a pact of so many pieces a week together until we finish. It might help?
Good idea Linda, I will try and use up all my cogwheels by the end of May. :)
DeleteI think you have a great method of crocheting tons of motifs. Easy to carry around with you and you don't really have to think about it too much. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Debi, I know how quickly you turn those blankets out! :)
DeleteYou have a nice collection of motifs already! but it sounds overwhelming that there are so many more to go :-S
ReplyDeleteI guess you have come to the point of making a decision...to keep going for a BIG blanket, or you can always turn it into a baby one for a gift...
No Ana I must keep going! :)
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ReplyDeleteLinda Gilbert22 May 2013 09:17
Glad you think it is a good idea. I have no little squares completed at the moment so let me know how many cogwheels you have and I will see if I can make that many!
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DeleteLinda Gilbert22 May 2013 10:20
Ok .. That may give me the impetus I need. My blanket has over 600 squares so far but a lot more are needed
Lucky you being able to go there, are you close to Lucy's lovely countryside too
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Sounds like you are further on with your blanket than me Linda 600 is great!
DeleteWhen it comes to doing anything that looks like a granny square, I go willy nilly. If I think too much about matching I get frustrated. I like to believe the yarn fairies are helping. I always love the look when I do not force it. I do believe I will try your cogwheel method....looks cute;-)
ReplyDeleteDo try it Jill, I'm enjoying it so far :)
DeleteMy head is spinning just reading this post! I wish you all the madness required to finish this, and look forward to reading Methods 3, 4 and 5 (hopefully it will be done by then?). I think I would be running through Methods 1 - 50 with my poor track record. Good luck Linda!
ReplyDeleteThank you Wendy you are right it is madness especially when I start talking to my little cogwheels haha
DeleteGreat idea, Linda, and so organized and easy to follow :) I do need to be more organized when crocheting blankets, so I might try this out.
ReplyDeleteYour big blanket is coming along nicely, and I love the colours :)
Thanks Hilde, yes do give it a try I would be interested to know if it works for you too. :)
DeleteI am feeling faint thinking about all those squares, I really don't like to make blankets, I get so bored. They always seem like a good idea, but then half way through I want to start something else.
ReplyDeleteHugs to you,
Meredith
Well I do love making blankets Meredith but I have never made one this big before and believe me a few things have been started and finished since I began this blanket there's no way I could do just this :)
DeleteOh my! You do have a challenge there. I like your idea of making the little cogs. How cute are they?? Well, I'm not one to do mine that way. I make the entire thing one at a time. Your way seems much better. For my Granny Patches blanket I made the squares individually, (but they were all the same color so easy peasy) then I added the white with the join as you go method. It seems to go much faster that way. I still have to work in all those ends but it's not too bad just using the two colors.
ReplyDelete((HUGS))
Eileen
You are something else Linda, I can not believe how many circles you have to make. That is more than I could do.
ReplyDeleteHugs from Iceland
What a great idea!! The little stacks of centres are so sweet :-)). I can imagine that this method makes it more easy and fun to go on when having such a big project. I normally finish my squares one after another, but this is a cute idea to consider, thanks!
ReplyDeleteYes, this is THE way to make a blanket. :-)
ReplyDeleteI have never seen a cogwheel made.. They are very pretty and colorful. Love them. Hugs Judy
ReplyDelete