Can u spare a square?

Nope. This is not about TP.  Just wanted to show you a couple of my granny squares for the Sunshine Day Afghan.

 These are just the first few that I made. I've since made a lot more and added lots more colors- just have to finish unpacking from our trip down South so I can photograph the piles of squares I have!!
If you like this and /or you've looked at Alicia Paulson's blog   you might also like her two books.  She's really accomplished a lot on her own.  Has her website, blog, designs and sells patterns and had two books published (see below). She did all the design and photos in the book as well!! Pretty impressive -- and she didn't have to live in New York to get it done- she lives in Oregon... I have to say a house with a yard is sounding really good.  When its this hot in the city I dream of my little life out in the country somewhere!

Enjoy what's left of the summer.
xo Suzanne

Start of the Sunshine Day Afghan

A couple months ago I was on one of my favorite blogs Posie Gets Cozy and saw that she (Alicia Paulson) was making the most scrumptious blankie I'd ever seen.  Okay- my kids are too old for blankies but I figure they can use it as a decorative piece on their little beds.... I was obsessed with tracking her progress on the thing and after  she completed is I went to her site and  bought the pattern !  That was back in February.


This is her blankie:

Sunshine Day Afghan by Alicia Paulson

You can get the pattern and read more about it here.    Soooooooo finally I decided it was time to make the blanket.  Since I'm "here and there"this summer I wanted something that could travel easily and I figured this would be the thing.   Now for the color palette. I really loved her use of neutrals for the outside border of each  square so I worked from that idea to start with.
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For all the other colors I looked at the cool blog Color Collective.    Lauren Willhite of Color Collective posts beautiful photos from mags, books,the web and who knows where else and then creates a palette that she pairs with it.   Here are some of my favorites:

Creature Comforts via Color Collective

Jen Gotch via Color Collective

I used these paleettes to create my own combo platter, bought a ton of yarn and starting the crocheting! Will be back to report with some samples of the  squares I've made!! Stay comfortable and cool.  Enjoy the last month of summer. Can't believe it's almost over.     xxo

How many granny squares you ask...

So far I have completed 45 squares.... If I make a qn size cover it would require 900 squares!!! no way! so I think I'll make a throw size. I'm afraid to make that calculation so will wait on that. I've used Klimt's work as inspiration for color and bits of gold in the patterns. The funny thing is I didn't take a pic of one of Klimt's work with all the gold...which has been fun to add to my squares.

I've used Klimt's work as inspiration for color and bits of gold in the patterns. The funny thing is I didn't take a pic of one of Klimt's work with all the gold...which has been fun to add to my squares. I've also included flowers that remind me of my grannies...
The color should be better- esp the photo of the grannies... not loving my new point and shoot that I got as consolation to no DSLR.  I should like it . all the reviews said so!! Its the Lumix LX-3 
I' m always havinig to fiddle  with it.  When its on automatic the pics never look good....It takes fisheye  pictures which was never mentioned but I've seen on blogs that people have been disappointed with that aspect.  I just want one of those point and shoots that magically makes everything look beautiful... maybe I shouldn't do research at all and just get a cheaper camera at at J and R that can take a no fail good pic..... another project I guess. 

Granny Squares on the Brain

Never thought I'd say this but I am dying to start 2 granny square projects.  The first is a beautiful circle in square granny that I saw on the  Rosy Little Things blog by Alicia Paulson. Until last week I had no idea who she was but came across while googling crochet projects.  I LOVE her blog and it inspired me to start this blog.  At any rate I cannot wait for her to publish the how-to of those squares.

Another granny project is a baby blanket I found on the ohdeedoh website (part of www. apartment therapy.com)  It's the modern take on the baby blanket. I LOVE the colors. And who says it has to be for a baby.

Actually there is a 3rd project involving granny squares using Koigu wool yarn.  I have to make that up b/c I have the yarn. I  saw a sample of it at www.knittycity.com on the Upper West side in NYC. The yarn is so beautifully dyed and the colors are so saturated and crisp.   I need to take some pics of what I've made with that yarn...