Crochet-Along Week 7

[nankaeia]

Go to a store like Home Depot or Lowes and get packages of the cushion flooring squares to put together to make a surface to block the large single piece. These packages of squares have puzzle piece type edges so they hook together easily and stay hooked together until you decide to take them apart. Usually they individual squares are 24 inches square so you would only need 9 of them to make a 6 foot square.

jaz

I looked everywhere for these mats. The store didn't even know what I was talking about. Had to order them on-line. They are a great idea to block. Never blocked before but a couple octagons need it.

[crochetnut]

I tried blocking clue 6 for the second time and it just won't stay in an octagon shape! I can't steam it due to no equipment to do it with. Don't know what else to do to keep it octagon shape. Will have to hope the joining will keep it octagonal.

[MissMylin]

(But I think I'll stick to knit scarves until my tension evens out.)

Dish clothes are a handy, small way to work on tension and still have something productive to use after. I also like that you can practice different stitches and not be committed to a huge project. Besides .. if you mess up the tension, your dishes won't care!

Thanks for the tip! I'm so slow at knitting compared to crocheting that I'm getting a bit discouraged. A small project will at least make me feel like I accomplished something!

[MissMylin]

Go to a store like Home Depot or Lowes and get packages of the cushion flooring squares to put together to make a surface to block the large single piece. These packages of squares have puzzle piece type edges so they hook together easily and stay hooked together until you decide to take them apart. Usually they individual squares are 24 inches square so you would only need 9 of them to make a 6 foot square.

jaz

I looked everywhere for these mats. The store didn't even know what I was talking about. Had to order them on-line. They are a great idea to block. Never blocked before but a couple octagons need it.

I just bought a pack of foam activity mats for kids. Same puzzle piece construction and I can make it up to 9' square. I'm excited to try my hand at blocking this week!

[donnajea]

I haven't even started yet...thank goodness for this week break to catch up. I lost my grandmother three weeks ago so this has taken a back burner. Now that things have calmed down a little I can finally pick out some yarn that will work with my room decor and get cracking.

so sorry about your grandmother, it is coming up on the one year anniversary of my grandmother's passing. This CAL has brought back a lot of good memories of her. She is the one who taught me to crochet when I was a teenager. I still miss her today.

[bglknitter]

Here in Ontario we have Dollarama Stores and they have mats that interlock and at a dollar each it isn't expensive to make a mat large enough to block several pieces. I use a spray bottle to moisten the pieces that are pinned to the mats. T pins or even long quilting pins work well and then leave it to dry. I also have a 'jig' that my husband made with long finishing nails on the corners. I run fine knitting needles along the borders and hook the ends of the needles over the nails and that perfectly describes the shape needed. In this case I use my steamer to relax the motifs and block them. I haven't tried the steamer on the mats as I fear the steam may be too hot, so use sprayed water instead ... but it takes longer to dry!
bglknitter

[shadesofred]

I haven't tried the steamer on the mats as I fear the steam may be too hot, so use sprayed water instead ... but it takes longer to dry!
bglknitter

I worried about using a steamer directly on the mats as well, so I put a towel over the mats and then used my steamer. Guess I will know tomorrow how that worked out!

[Laina]

Hi guys,

Just thought I'd let everyone know that Bernat yarns are on sale at Joanne's right now at 25% off. So if you are short on yarn, the waverly is $2.99 a skein.

Laina

[Shandeh]

I haven't even started yet...thank goodness for this week break to catch up. I lost my grandmother three weeks ago so this has taken a back burner. Now that things have calmed down a little I can finally pick out some yarn that will work with my room decor and get cracking.

Oh dear! I'm so sorry your grandmother passed away.

[Shandeh]

btw - I just lOve lOve lOve this emoticon It actually makes me sad I know

I love ALL our emoticons! They are awesome!

You do have a quite an impressive set of emoticons here. They're all so... emotional.
I laugh out loud to this one - - It's just so angry, you couldn't possibly take it seriously!

I had SO much fun searching for emoticons when Bernat was first making the forum. At first, there were only 24 little basic faces. I found 25 more, with more expression, and they added them in! I was so excited to be part of "designing" the forum.