Flower Garden Granny Squares

I was overwhelmed by the explosion of colors & combinations of granny squares when I chanced upon this Granny-Along, and their flickr group. So much freshness & color, applied to something so basic & simple to crochet.. this is spontaneous, fun creativity indeed!

Seeing the number of Japanese publications that are coming out, it does seem that granny squares are having a major revival. Or maybe they never left.. just quietly & slowly endearing themselves into classic status? There are squares that are lacy, puffy, cute, earthy, colorful...looking through the Japanese books I have almost convinced myself that I really really must have a granny square rug/table runner/coaster/chair cover....like NOW. pls?

Thus inspired, I dug around in my stash and chanced upon nearly 20 balls of Cleckheaton 8-Ply Wool & Woolcrepe mix.. i had mauve, burgundy red, cream, tan (w a little mohair), variegated greens/purples/browns.. I had bought them separately but wonder of wonders, the colors work! Does this mean that I actually have some color sense..? wow. Or maybe, it just means that I have too much stash...

The motif is from this Japanese book, I really liked the texture of the puffy flower in the middle vs. a traditional granny.

It is so liberating to just pick up a color and crochet a round, pick up another for the next, and another... for someone used to overplanning my projects, this feels really free & refreshing. I would highly recommended this project for those of you who wish to exorcise your inner control freak.

No idea what I'm going to make from these squares yet... for the moment, I'm just having fun. Any ideas?

A little dip to test the waters...

It has taken several months to ease myself into the idea of blogging. This is essentially a very public activity, and for most of my life, my thoughts have been very private & exist only in my head. This blog is meant to record the bits & pieces of knitting, crochet & craftwork that goes on in my life, and document my growth as a creative person. It will be a place where I see beauty & inspiration. It is a reason to use those cool buttons as I participate in knit-a-longs and stash reduction projects. It is my entry into the knitting/crochet blog world, my little carved out space in this community where knitters are well-read, savvy, and maybe, just a little geeky like me. Really looking forward to the journey ahead!