Something New

What does a craft maker do when she finds herself at the end of a long & drawn out break up that shattered her heart? Well ... she could resign herself to becoming a blithering mess on the floor, or she could focus her energy & create something new - for herself.
So that is what I have decided to do ... create something new, just for me.

As a maker of crafty things & a seller on madeit, I don't often make things for myself [not including building a house of course] - In fact I can't remember the last time I made something crafty for myself to keep.
I have had lots of ideas over the last few years of things I wanted to make for myself - A selvedge quilt is one thing I am really looking forward to creating, but I have a little while to go yet before I have enough selvedges saved to satisfy myself.

I taught myself to crochet late last year with the help of some wonderful youtube videos [Thank goodness for the digital age, eh?] Then last week I saw a crochet blanket that was made with 'a granny square a day' - for a year! Brilliant! I have been wanting to make a blanket for my bed for quite some time in brilliant cherry red wool, [but I had purchased 5 ply wool by mistake, so it never really took off.]
Then yesterday my mum came to visit. She had bought with her some red 8 ply wool to swap with me for my 5 ply stash. Mum is a brilliant crocheter, but she prefers the 5 ply, so swap we did.
Last night I used my new 8 ply wool, that mum had picked up in Bendigo at the Woollen Mill, to make my first granny square ... & so the project has begun.

I love making granny squares & it was admittedly hard to not make another straight away - but this is a year long project, I've got to stick to the rules! This is a project about healing, love, & giving back to myself, blah, blah, blah ... & anyway, I think 365 days [364 now] should be long enough time for my heart to recover ... So this time next year I will have a lovely new blanket on my bed to show for it ... just in time for winter :) I figure I will do them all in red, but just using different granny square patterns ... kind of like a sampler.

I found some lovely granny square patterns on pinterest last night that don't look too complicated for an amateur crocheter like myself, [again the wonders of the digital age.] There is a lovely collection of them on a Czech website ... & although I can't read a word, craft translates across all languages does it not? If you are interested I have linked the website here. & with thanks to my mum, I have the most beautiful Australian wool to create them with!
If you are into knitting or crochet, or some other type of yarn based craft, I can not recommend enough the Bendigo Woollen Mill. They do mail order [great if you don't live near Bendigo like me] & they make the most beautiful wool I have ever used! & it's cheap! What can be better than Australian pure wool, & shopping locally? Give them a call & ask them to send you a colour chart, it has little samples attached & is a very cool thing to have.
 
So here is my first square. I won't bore you with a new one every day, but I will keep you updated now & then on how it is going. Stay tuned for Easter next year when I will reveal the finished project ... & a much happier heart ... hand made with love <3
xx

P.S Wikipedia says ~ An amateur (French amateur "lover of", from Old French and ultimately from Latin amatorem nom. amator, "lover") is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science in a non-professional or unpaid manner. Amateurs often have little or no formal training in their pursuits, and many are autodidacts (self-taught).

That is me alright ... an amateur ... a lover of creating & all things crafty!