Hoppo Bumpo (n): A children's game. Played by folding one's arms and hopping on one leg. Aim is to bump opponents, so that they lose their balance. Last person standing wins.


August 15, 2008

Back to (granny) square one

Voice-over: Previously on granny-along ...

Vignettes from progress (or lack thereof) from last two weeks, flash on screen



Background music: something suitably farcical, like the theme from The Benny Hill Show


Today marks the midpoint in my granny-square-in-a-month challenge. When I started I knew it was going to be difficult to find my inner crocheter; I just didn't realise that it might be nigh on impossible. At this point, it seems even Mr Hoppo Bumpo thinks he would do a better job of turning out a granny square. (Mr HB is one of those clever, logical sorts who is clearly talented in the building stuff department ... but it pains me to think he might also be more crafty than me).

Rather than feeling completely despondent though, I've been encouraged by the nice comments and helpful pointers left for me last week. I also received a photographed diagram. And I have been offered a crochet lesson. I am very lucky indeed!

Here is a review of progress this week ...

I started by putting my project into a new bag. At last I seemed to be on the right track - the granny square look so much better .... when the bag was closed.

Then I watched some more YouTube crochet demonstrations. They seemed awfully fast; even the one labelled "in slow motion". And it didn't answer fundamental questions like how did I end up with 5 stitches on the hook at the end of a treble crochet?

Shortly after, I made what I think was my greatest advance to date: I took the granny square back out of the bag and liberated the yarn. Hours in the making; moments in the unravelling.

So here is my second attempt. Its hard to be sure, but I think it might be a little better than last time?? Its quite wobbly and uneven (I suspect I have a few counting problems), but at least you can see some open bits which weren't visible to the naked human eye, last week. I haven't made it past this first round ... but I guess I still have two weeks!



I wonder how other crocheters are going? Better than me I should hope.
Here are my goals for this next week (which look remarkably similar to the goals from last week)
  1. Re-do the existing crochet and see if I can get a better finish
  2. Complete rounds 2, 3 and 4 in The Purl Bee tutorial

12 comments:

  1. It looks just perfect to me. Well done, I think you might have found the inner crocheter!

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  2. It looks like you've got it! Well done.

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  3. That is so sweet, crocheting is an art that scares the hell out of me. Once you master it maybe you can teach me, my humble beginnings wont seem so bad then.

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  4. Hmmmm I must confess that after the first one was mastered...then that was it....kaput...haven't picked up the crochet hook since.
    Yah to you for keeping up with the challenge!

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  5. You can do it!! Keep going! I'll meet you halfway and throw a cup of cold water on you, just to keep you going til the finishing line!! Go you good thing!

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  6. Keep at it HB, you will get there and to be quite frank your round one looks good to me. I havent done any of the things I said I would last week - might try to get to it tomorrow.

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  7. You are hooking along beautifully! Didn't realise Ms Curlypops had fallen off the hook though!!

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  8. I know just how you feel. I've tried on numerous occassions to learn to crochet but it never works out!

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  9. Well good on you for keeping at it. It will all make sense at some point!!

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  10. You're getting there now. Don't give up. We are all with you.

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  11. Good luck! Sorry, I can't offer any advice here, I can't crochet, but it looks great to me!

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  12. A valiant effort! It's definitely recognisable as the first round of a granny square now. Can't wait til you finish the next round (it'll have corners!)

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