The marathon and the sprint
It's a bit of an oblique title and no doubt rubbish for my SEO, but you'll see what I'm getting at in a minute. I can put your mind at rest though if you were worrying this might be a post about running... I assure you that the terms are used purely figuratively.
No, those words are used here to represent what I've been up to lately. You see, I've been working on these granny squares and although I'm loving them, me oh my they've been hanging around forever and a day. Look, I mentioned them way back here in July!
I'm not good with projects that linger and this one has had so many interruptions and disruptions that progress has been far too slow to keep me happy. Worse still, after deciding this weekend that I couldn't possibly hook up one more square and 63 of the blooming things would just have to do, I've now joined them together and seen what an utterly inadequate size of blanket they make.
I've tried to convince myself that it could just be a baby blanket, but for what baby exactly? Or maybe a really thick border would make it big enough to use as a lap blanket? But in truth I knew at once that more squares would be needed. Many more. Here is my marathon and I'm not even half way yet.
It's while I've been making these squares, pulling colours in and out of my workbasket, that it's become increasingly annoying to me how plain and dull my little brown basket is. I've had it for ages now, a cheap thing from Dunelm Mill if I remember and suddenly, all this time later I found myself wondering why on earth I hadn't done anything to cheer it up a bit. A speedy makeover seemed called for. My sprint!
So a jolly afternoon of fabric selection and sewing was spent fixing the problem. I had a few pre-cut squares of some CK fabric left in about the right size, so I used those and a few others to whip up a quick lining. Well, not even that, I just modified the top part that folds over the edge, just a few pretty bits of material and some ribbon on the parts you can see. The rest of the plain lining was left intact to cover the inside of the basket, just to make my sprint of a project as quick and easy as it could possibly be.
So, now I'm back to the marathon, but you know what, I'm enjoying it. You can't sprint a marathon I know, but just at the moment I have the time and the energy so I'm racing through these second lot of squares as quickly as I can!
S x
♥
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Hi Sandra, it's funny you refer to your blanket making as a marathon because that is exactly how I'm feeling at the moment about mine! I'm having to set myself a daily goal to make a certain amount each day so I keep on top of it. This makes it sound like a chore, which it isn't i love doing it! I also can't believe that the 56 I've made so far are no where near the finished amount I will need, but no matter - it's still all good fun. I love your colours in your blanket, as usual your choices are pretty and very you! Great idea for your basket liner - loving that too :o) Sam xxx
ReplyDeletelove your basket but only one i use two or three when crocheting or knitting up squares one for the colors i havent used that round then the yarn goes into basket two and the finished work stays in basket three so basket three gets gradually fuller while the other two keep swaping around but certainty stops you putting the same two colors together too often
ReplyDeleteYour blanket is gorgeous! I'm just learning to crochet and this is good inspiration :) I love your basket lining too - I got one ready lined recently cause it seemed like a big faff to make a lining but you make it sound nice and easy :)
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean.....I just finished (FINALLY!!!!) sprinting to the end of a very long boring not fun knit for our church. I put it off and put it off and made it much worse than it should have been. The sprint felt good. I think you can sprint to the end of a marathon project......good luck with yours. (and I adore the quick sprint lining project!!!!!)
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your marathon! It's probably encouraging that you have already sewn some squares together too. I love your partially lined basket!
ReplyDeleteHello Sandra, I love your blog, it's beautiful.
ReplyDeleteHis works are so beautiful, the magnificent colors, love it
I wonder how to make these beautiful things
Hi Sandra
ReplyDeleteThe basket looks sweet, have so many that could benefit from a similar makeover, maybe its time :)
the blanket is gonna be so worth it, looks great, wonderful colours, I'm def cheering you on
Karen x
Lovely job on the basket. Keep going with those squares, it will all be worth it in the end. I am pressing on with a never-ending scarf at the moment, it's got to that moment when I'm thinking "Why?" CJ xx
ReplyDeleteWhat about all those "ends" Do you weave them in all at once or do they get taken in when you crochet the squares together? I hate weaving in ends and I love your color choices but never my own but there's enough pictures of yours and it looks to be Stylecraft Dk of which I have some but would be more than happy to order more! LOL! I am inching towards another blanket...this one a granny square for sure! See how you inspire me? I love your basket too!
ReplyDeleteYour blanket is gorgeous - very bright and cheery colours but I absolutely know how you feel. I have JUST finished a 288 square blanket and am now on the first row of the border. I have been doing it for months and can't remember when I started! My squares are 4 rows each in 8ply (DK) and I kept thinking I had done enough but at last, now, I am on the 'home run' - although I am feeling frustrated because I have been too busy to do any crocheting the last few days!
ReplyDeleteThat's really funny. My husband is always asking why I break off one thing to do another but sometimes one project is just so big you need some 'completion satisfaction'. Your basket is just that and I find that once I have completed smaller project (invariably a scarf) I am ready to press on with the marathon project, currently the stripy sampler blanket. Even typing the words fill me with dread.......
ReplyDeleteBeautiful... both ongoing blanket and basket! I would love to have such pretty wools in a sweet basket just waiting for me to pick them up again. But I know that Miss Ethel - our kit - would jump straight in!
ReplyDeleteHi Sandra, love your blog and all your creations! Am thinking the basket would be even nicer painted, I've done it just using leftover emulsion and it works well. Just a thought...
ReplyDeleteWell you won that sprint! Sad to say pretty much all the crafting I do lately feels like a marathon.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about the marathon, it seems sometimes especially that blankets really are a marathon aren't they. I hope that now you have done your sprint you will enjoy the marathon more! Both your blanket and basket look lovely! xx
ReplyDeleteI have 4 ... yes FOUR granny squares to go and then I can join them and get on with the edging. So what am I waiting for?!?!? lol! I need to get inspired again!
ReplyDeleteI'm loving the colors of your newest blanket!
Love what you've done to your basket!! So pretty and a joy to work from! And love your granny squares too. Keep going, I'm sure they won't take long to multiply!
ReplyDeleteI completely understand what you mean here Sandra! I have my own crochet blanket marathon (one year and 2 months, 210 squares...) and so this weekend I made a totally pointless wall hanging. It took four days, and hour here and an hour there, and I enjoyed every second of it. Sometimes we just need a sprint, to put the joy back in. x
ReplyDeleteThose colors are so pretty, in the blanket, and in the lining of the basket. That's a nice idea, lining the basket. If only I sewed. I gave away my sewing machine a few years ago, as I was never inspired to sew much. I did when my kids were little, but that was YEARS ago. Haha. Good luck finishing the blanket. Can't wait to see it finished. So pretty! xxoo. Jo
ReplyDeleteHaha, I love the way you 'whipped up' your pretty basket lining - it would be a marathon of a task for me, I assure you! I absolutely love, love, love every single picture in this post and selfishly want that blanket of yours to take as long as possible so we can see lots more photos of it! ;-) xxx
ReplyDelete