One thing about writing a crochet pattern is that even after putting in a lot of work, you don’t necessarily have something that you are ready to share, which is where I find myself with my “Pop goes the granny square” pattern.
After getting sidetracked for several hours yesterday, I finally got back to business and finished the final two rounds of my Life Saver® inspired granny square:
I had been uncertain about certain aspects of the square, but once I finished it, I was quite taken with how well it had turned out and began working out the details of a children’s blanket in my head.
One thought led to another, and before long, I had a firm grasp on why I have so many WIPs (Works in Progress): my imagination simply runs away with my crochet hook and leaves me to clean up the resulting mess.
With that in mind, I set aside my dreams of a child’s blanket for the time being, and worked on writing the pattern and documenting two of my favorite tools in my crochet tool kit which happen to be two overlooked crochet techniques.
The first video demonstrates what I think of as one of the most important crochet techniques: how to work through the back ridge loop of the foundation chain to get a nice tidy edge (this can also be done with something called a foundation single crochet, but which is not quite as tidy):
The second video explores the difference between a clockwise and counter-clockwise turn at the end of a row:
and while I have no particular opinion as to which is best (each has its place), I do think that it is a detail that crocheters should consider when they ply their craft.
Both of these techniques are small pieces, almost imperceptible aspects of any project, but these small pieces have the power to make your edges tidier, straighter, and easier to manage.
It is true that the small details such as whether you turn your rows clockwise or anticlockwise can make a difference. Like you, I could never decide which way was better – they can both look good – so I came to the conclusion that it doesn’t really matter as long as one is consistent throughout the project.
I can also relate to having one’s imagination run away with the crochet hook. I will get a spurt of ideas and then need to make sure I record them in some way. I have lots of scribbled notes that were ‘of the moment’ as I was crocheting something but if I do not do the chore of re-writing them while the memories are fresh, I fear I will not understand my writing when I come back to it weeks or maybe years later.
I love the fresh colours of your “Pop goes the Granny Square”. It is exciting when your designs work out well. Thanks for sharing them online – I look forward to seeing all the different things that your granny square lead you to. 🙂
I also like to work into the back ridge of my foundation chain. I do it for several reasons, but mostly I like that when I’m done, even if I don’t work an edging, the top and bottom of the piece are the same.
Thanks for the video on turning your work. I never really took the time to figure out the difference.
I love “working the bump” when starting. It just seems to make the edge much nicer and more tidy. Great info on turning! Thanks!