I made time to block the sampler blanket this week. If you are following me on Instagram you will notice that I have also started putting a border around each square.  Here are some befores and afters of the blocking process. If you have never steam blocked acrylic yarns you really should try it. It does a great job of heat setting nice straight edges and giving the granny squares their final shape.
They sure look all wadded and out of shape. I started blocking them on my ironing board a few at a time.
They started looking so much better. I don’t always block my granny squares but these desperately needed it. I used a ton of pins and my steam iron. I was really careful not to touch the iron to the yarns as it would melt. the squares all turned out to be about five different sizes when I was finished blocking them. Which was a nice surprise. This was going to be one creamy sampler blanket with no other colors but I just couldn’t leave it alone. Here is one with the borders that I am putting on each square. It will be much easier if I end up with squares that are all about the same size.
I am already writing July’s to do list. Yay, it is the first week of July and I am on a roll, actually I am on the couch resting my knee as it is not happy with me today.
I have hit a wall on being creative these days. I am tired and grumpy a lot of the time. I hate taking pain meds as they tend to drug me up. I have been up since early today and it has taken quite a bit of energy. I have spent  huge amounts of time on Pinterest yesterday and today but I am not inspired to do much. So this to do list may be shorter than normal.
Here is what I have been working on and what I hope to finish this month.
My organization to do list. We have accomplished more than is shown on this photo. It is a much shorter list now.
My sampler blanket
I hope to finish about twelve to 20 crochet hats. I want some to look like these but I also have some new designs running around in my mind.
I am also wanting to finish my quilt before I have surgery. Â It is at this stage right now.Â
I have quite a bit of quilting left but if I work hard on it a couple of mornings I might get it finished. I have several patterns that I want to write. There is this granny square blanket pattern that I want to write. That is a ton of work for the next two weeks in July. We are still in the middle of changing around our den to a maker space.
I know that you are probably wondering where I am in the Use Your Stash Challenge! Have I been hiding, or have I simply forgotten about the Use Your Stash Challenge 2015! The truth is neither, I have been hard at work on this challenge. Here are some new things that I have made using supplies that I already had on hand.
This giraffe is number 14
His friend is number 15.
This is number 16.
This baby blanket is number 17.
So, I have been working on it but the items are more complex and take more time! It is great as they also use up more supplies! This is the last post I made in the challenge.
I have started a couple of new blankets but it is taking longer than I expected to get them finished.
I have been looking at some ideas that will use up more of my fabric stash. The Use Your Stash Challenge is making me think about what I can do to use up what I already have. I feel a bit guilty as I bought some yarn yesterday in order to work on a new crochet blanket idea. Â I gave myself permission to buy if needed. The purchase is within the rules I set.
These are wonderful. I used google translate and the meaning is never quite right but I think the photos are enough direction to be able to make these scissor keepers.
This pot handle pocket is along the same line and just as simple.
Just a few ideas to get your creativity flowing! Winter will soon be over in my part of the country. Well, at least it will be in the 70 degree range next week. We do have ice and some snow forecast for this week. We still have snow in the yard from this weekend.
Here is the next installment of 4 blocks a week. These 4 blocks a week are giving me fits as time seems to grow ever shorter. I seem to have more things to make than I have time to make them. I have so much to do and I have been incapacitated lately. Which means that I have been getting exactly nothing done.
This was a fun square within a square pattern. I like the diamond shape in the middle.
This on is a fun mitered square. It has no holes which would make it a good blanket square.
This square reminds me of butterflies.
Here is a compilation of all of the squares so you can see them all together.
I think this is all of them. I may have left a few of the easier ones off. I have bought a new book for a few new squares and I will get started with it this week for next weeks blocks.
I am also behind on the Use Your Stash Challenge. It has been hard to sew with a bad back. So, I babied my back the last two weeks and I think I am getting better. At least today I woke up feeling good! Yay, progress!!
I have been behind on posting these squares.  I hurt my back and it kept me off the computer.  I am also behind on the Use Your Stash Challenge. It has been hard to sew with a bad back. So, I babied my back the last two weeks and I think I am getting better. At least today I woke up feeling good! Yay, progress!!
I just flat out missed posting my blocks last week. I had too much to do and too little time. I am almost at that point again. Here I go trying to get back on track.
I am concentrating on tiny squares this week. They are so sweet.
This rosette is just so cute. I bet it would make a beautiful baby blanket!
This one is quite a bit larger than the others but the flower in the middle is just sweet.
This is week 5 but when I count the blocks for the sampler blanket there are only 18 in my bag. Two blocks have escaped. I need to take  minute and find them. Here is the next installment in the 4 blocks a Week. These are a variety of different styles from 100 Colorful Granny Squares to Crochet.
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A flower block.An An An octagon that ends up square.
Another floral block
A texture block. I think I forgot to count this one and it looks wonky. I will need to go back and fix it. The problem is right at the beginning of the square, as always. I guess the tv was too interesting or was it when one of the kids had huge questions. I did count louder but it didn’t seem to help! :0)
Another installment of 4 crochet blocks for the crochet sampler afghan! I love these 4 blocks from this book 100 colorful Granny Squares to Crochet. This bobble block has such a different look to it and was really pretty easy to crochet.
Block 13
Block 14
Block 15
I like the flower center in this one but the block needs blocking terribly as it looks a little wonky.
Block 16
This one also has a flower in the middle. The petals on this one stand up from the back of the square. The directions on this one was a little difficult for me to understand but with the chart and the written directions I finally figured it out.Here are is week one, week two and week three.
It has been a busy week with some appointments and new projects in the works. I am working on a new sewing pattern for some satin that I bought last year. I have been afraid to branch out in this new direction but fear is just a stupid reason to not try. So, I have been making some prototypes and trying them on the family. I know that I would have thought they are fun when I was a little person and our kids would have loved them when they were small. So, we will see if they make it to the shop. I am not real thrilled about some of the finishing that is happening and I think that they could be improved before they make it to my shop.
I have also been working on an order for a friend. It is a wholesale order and takes very little time to make so I am pretty sure that these are going to be great additions to my Etsy shop and since I am using up my stash they count to the huge Use Your Stash Challenge that I started in January. I feel that I have been slacking off but the days are filled to overflowing and I have finished quite a few large time commitment projects.
Here are this weeks 4 crochet granny squares for the 4 blocks a week crochet sampler blanket. I am enjoying picking out each block and trying something new.
Block 9
Block 10
 Block 11
Block 12
I can’t wait to start putting them all together. I think that I will need to join them all at the end as they are all different sizes.
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The weather this week promises to be frosty, a bit misty and possibly some snow. I am ready for to be snowed in for a couple of days. There is so much that I want to do. I am deeply into the Use Your Stash Challenge and I would dearly love a chance to sit and create. I have been working on it steadily and have finished a couple of projects already. One has been in the works since before Thanksgiving.
Our daughter is back a college and we are back into the routine of daily life. I am working on de-cluttering and cleaning. I have loads of laundry waiting to be completed and I already feel very productive this morning. Our son was up yesterday to take some photos of more of my Mom’s vintage stuff. I will be adding them to the shop after I write up descriptions and get them priced.
The dogs have been quiet today. They really do not want to get put out as it is a bit misty and cold. Daisy is getting pretty big and has passed up the leader of the pack, which is causing a struggle for power between the two. I am confident that they will work it out sooner or later. We really need to work on her training as I do not need the huge dog jumping up on people.
Here are the links if  you want to see week one and week two of the 4 blocks a week crochet sampler blanket.
 Here we go with number three. I am using a different book for the squares this week. Leonie Morgan does a great job showing the different rows in different colors. I hope they look great in one shade of yarn.
This one also needs blocking. I will have to steam block them and see if they improve.
The week is proving to be a challenge in many ways. I keep skipping around on different projects and it seems like my progress on one any of them is slow. I have a Minion hat to get out in the mail and then two or three projects that I seem to be working on more seriously than the others. I hope to get them finished pretty quickly as well. Â I am also working on some organizing.I have been sorting through Christmas ornaments and decorations. It appears that we have a bunch that are old and not used. The cleaning and organizing progress in the studio has also slowed down as I am waiting on some parts for some shelving. The parts should come in the mail this week. Then I can get more work done. My studio is up under the eaves and I am putting up shelving so that I can stack my tubs on them. I think it will help me get to them more easily.
The quilting class that I am taking with friends is starting in March instead of this week. I am going to try to get the fabrics gathered together for that class this week. We are making a log cabin quilt and I hope to sew it entirely out of stash fabrics. I also start my Use My Stash Challenge next Monday. I have been thinking about different projects to start and WIPS that need to be finished up. These will all be part of the Use Your Stash Challenge. I am also thinking about my rules for the challenge.
Our daughter heads back to school this week and the rest of us will try to get into a schedule of sorts. I just feel really scattered in my thinking and that time to think is in extremely short supply.
I am starting a new project this year. I am going to crochet 4 blocks a week from some Granny square books that I have here at home. I will need at least 200 blocks to create a useable sized blanket. I want this blanket to a sampler blanket. All the squares will be crocheted in a cream yarn and at the end of the program I will put them all together and have a nice sampler blanket.
Here is block number one!
Block number 2
Block number 3
I left off the picot edge on this block above as I want to join them all together with relatively flat edges.
Block number 4
These are all taken from the same book 100 Colorful Granny Squares to Crochet and are crocheted out of Stylecraft DK yarn. The color is cream. Joining them all might take some fancy stitch work but I think it will all work out. I really want a blanket that shows off the stitches in each square. The texture should be simply gorgeous! This is also a step out in a different direction for me as it will require me to do two things. Stretch out my work over a long period of time and work in one color. As you can tell I prefer to work with a wide variety of colors and to stick to one color is sometimes just a bit boring. These squares are all un-blocked as you can tell by the curvy edges. I will block them and see if that improves. These blocks are from the book Beyond the Square. I found mine on Amazon.com.
I have included affiliate links to Amazon. I will receive a small percentage from each purchase.
This project might fit in the Use Your Stash challenge as I am using yarn that I already have on hand. The yarn stash seems endless right now. I think this is going to be a great project and I can’t wait to keep it going. Join in with your own Beyond the Square book.
They started looking so much better. I don’t always block my granny squares but these desperately needed it. 
I used a ton of pins and my steam iron. I was really careful not to touch the iron to the yarns as it would melt. the squares all turned out to be about five different sizes when I was finished blocking them. Which was a nice surprise. 
This was going to be one creamy sampler blanket with no other colors but I just couldn’t leave it alone. Here is one with the borders that I am putting on each square. It will be much easier if I end up with squares that are all about the same size.
