Today while I got caught up on all of the housework that had accumulated over the past couple of weeks while I was busy with innumerable errands, I longed for the stolen moments Toby and I shared in my car while we waited. And while the housework got done at the expense of my crochet, I did manage to eke out one square.

Getting caught up on the crochet-along that I have been participating in seemed to me, a kind of housekeeping, so I sat down with my list of squares-to-do, my copy of Jean Leinhauser’s 101 Crochet Squares, and set my sights on Square 74.

I had been reluctant to start Square 74 as I was not very taken with either the color choices (pink, dark teal, and off-white) or what appeared to be some of the design features.

What I learned however was that color can make a huge difference and to make this square look it’s best, it is necessary to change color more often than was shown in the example. In fact, I changed color every round.

Because I initially did not know what the problem with the square was, I went to my go-to colors of cherry red, blue, and bright yellow with the thought that if they were good enough for Mondrian, they should be able to get me through any crochet design difficulty.

By the time I got through the first five rounds I was in love:

and while I thought I had achieved near perfection, I went ahead and added the final round, and I love it even more:

I am grateful that so much information is now so easily and readily available, and that I can gain access to the work of master artists from the comfort of my own home and ply my trade with the benefit of their work and insights.