I've been thinking about granny square blankets a lot lately, during my quest to stash bust.
The crochet patchwork square blankets of my childhood were made by my grandmother and her mother before that, and were distinctly 1970s in their color choice: brown, orange, and avocado green predominated. Fashion is absolutely cyclical, and I reckon that color theme is due for a comeback at some point, but it was firmly unfashionable during my teenage years - ultimately known as the years when you decide what is and isn't 'cool.' As a result, until recently, crochet blankets were categorized in my mind as perpetually old-fashioned, like the bustle or a pair of bloomers.
The current renaissance affecting crochet has led to a rethinking of the traditional patterns, and granny squares have been re-imagined by so many creative people, often with a modern twist on the old stand-by.
The crochet patchwork square blankets of my childhood were made by my grandmother and her mother before that, and were distinctly 1970s in their color choice: brown, orange, and avocado green predominated. Fashion is absolutely cyclical, and I reckon that color theme is due for a comeback at some point, but it was firmly unfashionable during my teenage years - ultimately known as the years when you decide what is and isn't 'cool.' As a result, until recently, crochet blankets were categorized in my mind as perpetually old-fashioned, like the bustle or a pair of bloomers.
The current renaissance affecting crochet has led to a rethinking of the traditional patterns, and granny squares have been re-imagined by so many creative people, often with a modern twist on the old stand-by.
White seems to predominate now, often with bright, cheerful colors, and almost fits into that (slightly obnoxious) trend of 'shabby chic.' However, with thousands of hand-made stitches, what could possibly be shabby about a crochet blanket?
I especially like those granny squares that are BOLD - both in color and design. I don't have the skill (or guts) to pull off something so loud, but I love seeing the soft-spoken granny square re-imagined as the in-your-face, not-your-average-granny square, with a bite.
Tying in granny squares with computer pixels seems slightly retro - it reminds me of an Atari game - but somehow looks totally modern as well. And those colors! I seriously suggest that you check out the link to the blanket above, as there are too many amazing blanket creations to show here.
We all should respect and bow down to the greatness of the granny square, which will be recycled and restyled for many generations to come.