The Yarnarian Chats About Crochet! Warning: Highly Opinionated Remarks!

Good grief! 3 postings in one day. I'm tired and verbiage seems to be flowing, so put up with one more prolix post. Please.

Granny Squares! Crochet!

Yep, crochet. Poor crochet, it has such a bad rep in this country. I think it's because of all those beyond ugly afghans made out of beyond ugly hot pink yarn that we all grew up with. Well I didn't, but then I have a European mom, and hot pink afghans was not where she came from. (she made tatted doilies and gorgeous crochet doilies, and other pretty things that no one uses today.) The 70's didn't help much either. Do you remember those granny square scarves and pocketbooks that looked like something the cat dragged in? (quick aside here: don't get your knickers in a twist because I'm picking on your favorite afghan that your grandma crocheted. You love it because she made it, not because you like that awful pink yarn. so calm down, hold your girdle, and just relax)

My sister is the crocheter in the family; she produces some very lovely garments. Me, I'm the knitter, but I have a thing for pretty shabby chic stuff, and pretty granny squares just tickle my fancy. So, my sister came for a visit in August, brought her crochet mags, and I fell in love. If you all haven't looked at a good crochet mag lately, just wander over to the book store and check out Interweave Crochet. This is NOT your mother's crochet or your Grandma's crochet. Hey, I'm a mother and a Grammie, so I can say it. Really lovely sophisticated garments. Yeah, every now and then, something truly idiotic appears, but you know that knitting mags can produce butt-ugly garments too. (There is a certain knitting mag that's out now and has maybe the ugliest garment I've ever seen. Trust me, this is beyond ugly!)

So, yeah, granny squares. Even the Hubbo finds them intriguing! The trick when making a granny throw is to attach those little pieces as you go along. Oh, and work in your threads or you'll be sorry. There's something very satisfying about making a little square or hexagon.

My take on granny squares is to use sport wt yarn or skinnier. I don't like to work with worsted. It hurts my arms and wrists, and it bothers me even with crocheting. But my little scarf is done in teensy weensy fingering wt yarn, and is quite flexible, and the granny afghan is in sport wt, so my body is happier.

OH, and here's the next horrific thought! Are you ready? I'm using, gasp, a lot of acrylic yarn for the afghan, plus a bunch of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino! Shocking, I know, but these acrylics come from the finest acrylic goats out there. Soft, and flexible, and indestructible, and inexpensive. Well not the DB yarn, but Snuggly yarn & Encore DK? Hey, it's not bad stuff at all.

Yarn snobs, get a life. I'm a wool person from way back when, but there are times when acrylic is just fine.

And now that I've offended all the folks who love those pink afghans, and those who are wool snobs, and those who liked the orange and brown granny pocketbooks of the 70's, I'll wander downstairs and make an egg and some homemade bread for supper.