My spouse's first square

[YarnyBoy]

So the spouse had an idea for us to make a couple's blanket. Each Saturday we will make a 5in square and then at the end of the year we will have a HUGE blanket.

I am so excited and honestly love that he is crocheting. (And he is actually working with thread trying to do doilies and things! 😲)

I just wanted to share this adorable little first square. I'm so proud. *sniffle*

 

[Lacycrochet]

He did a really good job for his first square.  Nice colours also.  I remember my first square years ago, didn't turn out so square.

[Tampa Doll]

That is a cool idea.  Love the colors and I should show you what my first square looked like.  It was very wonky.  Great job.

[TATS]

Awesome!!!

 

[Granny Square]

How cool, you can sit on the couch together and admire each other's projects as you go! 

I am a doilyhead, they are fun but also...not more difficult, but you run into all sorts of unusual maneuvers in lace doilies that you don't in other things, which makes them interesting.  There are a lot of doilies/thread stuff at doilybox  (these patterns are mostly mid-last century), or antique pattern library, but you might want to stick to ones from the mid 20th century, they have patterns that go back 100 years before that and the stitch terms are completely different.  The ones from around WW1 published in the US use UK terms and are a little terse, but some are surprisingly inventive.

 

[YarnyBoy]

9 minutes ago, Granny Square said:

How cool, you can sit on the couch together and admire each other's projects as you go! 

I am a doilyhead, they are fun but also...not more difficult, but you run into all sorts of unusual maneuvers in lace doilies that you don't in other things, which makes them interesting.  There are a lot of doilies/thread stuff at doilybox  (these patterns are mostly mid-last century), or antique pattern library, but you might want to stick to ones from the mid 20th century, they have patterns that go back 100 years before that and the stitch terms are completely different.  The ones from around WW1 published in the US use UK terms and are a little terse, but some are surprisingly inventive.

 

 Thank you so much for the links!

"Oh look at that, oh I want to make them all. Oh this is a problem."  -Spouse as he opened Doily Box.

[Lacycrochet]

Granny Square made a great recommendation, I love Doily Box.  I print my patterns and keep them in binders. I have an entire large binder dedicated to Doily Box patterns. Another one that is good is The Purple Kitty.  It has a lot of vintage patterns.  It isn't just for doilies either, they have everything. 

[Granny Square]

  So many doily patterns, so little time!!

I think the Purple Kitty link is freevintagecrochet.com, unless there is another one?  I 'play' there a lot, too, and watch for them to load 'new' old books.  

 

[Lacycrochet]

22 minutes ago, Granny Square said:

  So many doily patterns, so little time!!

I think the Purple Kitty link is freevintagecrochet.com, unless there is another one?  I 'play' there a lot, too, and watch for them to load 'new' old books.  

 

I say that all the time about both doilies and books.

I think you are right, they are both the same.

[bgs]

Awesome first square!  

I think I see something that you are going to want to address before making a big batch of squares.  I did the same thing when I began because I learned from books and none really explained about dealing with my ends.  I think I see where the green is crocheted over a fairly long end of the beige.  Been there done that and it eventually came undone.  It also looks like the green was knotted and clipped short at end.  Been there done that and it eventually came undone.  I have learned so much from others here.  I wish I had known the following back when I started.

 

[Granny Square]

Thanks for mentioning the ends Bgs, I'd noticed the short end at the top left and meant to mention it but forgot.  

Yarnyboy, a lot of 'help' questions are "my Mom's old afghan has a hole from unravelling, how do I fix it? ' and it is usually because Mom didn't leave a long end to weave in thoroughly with a tapestry needle, and doubling back to make it secure.  Seriously, we're talking several inches here, and you are going to need to invest in a tapestry needle (typically a blunt big-eyed needle, although I use a sharp one and it works fine).  I weave my ends so thoroughly that I leave them all for last, because I can't rip back if I find an error beyond that spot otherwise.

I might have suggested trying to darn it if it weren't the last row, but I'd just undo part of the last round and re- do it, leaving long ends to weave this time' now you are going to have 2 sets of ends now.  Seriously, leave at least 6", because you can't just leave the amount of 'end' that will get sewn in, you need a few inches extra to maneuver the needle with.

[YarnyBoy]

Thanks everyone for bringing this up! I went back and fixed it, and explained to the spouse why I did it. 🙂

[bgs]

23 minutes ago, YarnyBoy said:

Thanks everyone for bringing this up! I went back and fixed it, and explained to the spouse why I did it. 🙂

Good!  I wish I had had someone tell me on my first square way back early 80's but I really did not understand what to do until I joined Crochetville. I have learned a lot here especially by reading thru the answers to the help requests.  Many of the same questions come up over and over again.  The top three important things I have learned here is dealing with those ends, how to keep a large granny square from looking wonky by turning every other round, and since I cant seem to do a good job of counting chains especially if its over 50 is to make extra because you can undo the unused ones.

[bgs]

If I wind up with an end on the  short side I have used a steel crochet hook to weave the yarn.  Sometimes I have positioned the needle and then threaded the yarn thru needle but its easier to use the crochet hook.