hello hello! :)

just so you'd know: this blogpost you're about to read is longgggg overdue. i cannot understand why i haven't blogged about this finished project sooner, because it was one of my bigger WIP's and i was super thrilled to finally have it finished.

last year in march, Sandra from the Cherry Heart blog organised a crochet-a-long, a blanket-a-long to be precise. i joined in with my hexagon blanket, a project i started 5 years ago.

 

so here it finally is! i'm super proud of this blanket, i still love the colour combination so much. when i purchased the yarn i had no idea yet of what kind of blanket i wanted to make, i just randomly put some colours together that i liked and started crocheting some different hexagons when i got home. 

 

i ended up with a hexagon shape from a book, i modified the pattern just a little bit to get a more "solid" hexagon and i just started crocheting! it was my to-go project for four years, i took it everywhere: on the train, in the car, in the garden, in front of tv,...

 

when i was finishing the blanket, i realised i also needed half-hexagon shapes to fill up the edges, because i didn't like a zig-zag border. so i made up a pattern for a half hexagon. (by this time i had already run out of coloured yarn so all the half-hexagons are white). i found a pattern for a subtle border online and slightly modified it. i wanted a bigger border but unfortunately i ran out of white yarn...

now that this blanket has been in use for over a year, i can say that i'm still really happy with it!

my boyfriend loves it too and doesn't want any other blanket in our sofa. :) looking back, i only wish i would've made it a bit bigger!

  the yarn i used is Annell Rapido. i'm quite pleased with this yarn, it's softer than most acrylic yarns anyway and it comes in lots of lovely colours. but over the years i became more and more of a yarn snob and i think, if i were to make another blanket, i would choose wool or at least a wool blend.

so, that's all about my hexagon blanket! i wish i could share more details about the pattern, my modifications, the exact colourways and so on, but i was bad at keeping notes... better luck next time. :)

♥

ahh, i finally found some time to take some pictures of my wip's!

it's like my hook was on fire, the hexagon blanket is now more than double the size since this blogpost! i'm not sure about which size i want it to be, so i'm making a square first and then i'll see what size it should be. :)

 

 also: an update on the picnic blanket! 

i finished the first "scarf", and started the second one last week... i'm not loving this color combination so far, but it looked good on the sketch so i'll just continue like this! this is the most relaxing knit EVER, just garter stitch and not even thinking about colors... whoever said knitting is the new yoga is SO right!

i also completed adding my stash on ravelry. i discovered i have enough yarn for 20 pairs of socks... and i rrrrreaally want to cast on a new pair. :) and i matched some of my favorite patterns to yarn i already have! so when i finally finish these blankets, i'll know what to do! :) what is currently on your needles/hooks? big plans for new projects?

oh, i almost forgot: i'm on instagram now too!

 click here and follow me!!

some time ago, when i was buying new yarn for a new knitting project, i didn't even realize that i made 2 crafty new years resolutions in the beginning of the year. my boyfriend kindly reminded me of my resolutions when i was bragging about the new yarn i got and how well it suits my new projects... it got me thinking and i had to share:

resolution #1: 

finish all WIP's before starting ANYTHING new.

this one started out good, really good actually. after i finished Paulie, i finished my pair of monstersocks and started crocheting like crazy on my hexagon blankets. so far so good. but then some friends were expecting babies and how am i supposed to NOT knit baby stuff? on the bright side: i did manage to finish all baby knits without knitting or crocheting anything new in between. except for that tiny house keychain i made last week, but hey, i needed that!

on to resolution #2:

do NOT buy new yarn.

 i checked my stash some months ago and i have so many yarn... it's ridiculous. i can easily knit two years with yarn from my stash only... the problem with my stashed yarn is that i didn't buy it with a particular project in mind. so, when i want to start a new project (like baby stuff), i can't find *exactly* the yarn i'm looking for. and i HAVE to go and get some new yarn. i did decide for myself that IF i buy new yarn, i can only buy it with a specific project in mind and i have to finish the project as soon as possible.

now, to try and remind myself of resolution #1, i'm going to make a list in the side bar with my current WIPS. it might help if i visualize it...  and i'm also sharing some photos of the biggest WIP's i have to finish... i started these hexagon blankets in 2011 (!!) and 2013...

the biggest problem with the first is that i never get around to putting all the hexagons together...

 

i started this crazy hexagon blanket somewhere in 2013, i think. progress on this one is faster (join as you go!!) and it's also crocheted with a bigger hook so that helps too.

 

do you have knitting/crocheting resolutions or rules you stick by? please do share! :)

sometimes, i'm convinced there is no better way to relax than having a nice cup of coffee and crocheting a bit... especially crocheting these hexagons; picking the colors and deciding where to put them in the blanket... :) it really takes my mind of things!

do you find crocheting and knitting just as relaxing? :)

ever wondered what happened to the granny square sampler i started last year? (probably not :)) 

i was so enthousiastic about it, and loving every square... but when i started crocheting all the different squares together, i didn't love the result. too much white and just... weird. and not at all what i had in mind. so i left it untouched... until i decided that would be a waste of the yarn. so i started ripping it out so i can use the yarn for my hexagon blanket. :) no yarn waste in this house!

 

and just look how pretty these these hexagons-to-be are?

 also... i'm near to finishing my pair of two-colored socks. yippeeee!!!

 

PS: the workshop at Maakdag yesterday was great! i had 13 sweet and enthousiastic ladies to teach and they all managed to crochet at least one hexagon by the end of the workshop! mission accomplished, although my teaching methods definitely need some polishing... ;) maybe i should follow a workshop about teaching workshops... does that make sense?

i'm happy to announce i will be giving another crochet workshop at Maakdag!

 we're gonna crochet hexagons and granny squares this time... i started out with some hexagons to get the hang of it myself, but i just couldn't stop... so i'm thinking... a new blanket.. maybe??