This has been my most challenging project yet! It turns out that co-designing with a 7 year old boy is not easy!
First of all he asked for SQUARES – not my favourite things to crochet. Secondly he asked for the colours to be PURPLES and GREENS – not an easy colour combination for me to enjoy.
I started this project in July 2016 when he was just 6 and in my mind young children like bright colours so I set to work creating squares that combined purples and greens with other colours (of course, now I realise it is me who likes bright colours!)
I didn’t like the look of this and neither did he. I scoured Pinterest for inspiration.
So next up, a selection of smaller squares, grading the colours
Master R did not like them, he was very polite about it and spent some time explaining his reasons …….. I knew that this idea had to be abandoned …….. so, what to do? ……
In the process I have amassed and huge pile of squares!
They will probably go into a blanket for refugees, I know Mrs Snail is contributing to the 60 million trebles project, so they might go that way.
I was at a loss to know how I was going to come up with something for Master R that he likes and I like well enough to want to make it. His two sisters have blankets they love: Miss E has this one
and for Little Miss M I made this one, which, of course was perfect for all those occasions when you want to be a ghost, or a monster.
Both were made with nice easy relaxing ripple stripes – but Master R is set on having squares.
How could I make the colour combination work – I looked to garden design – there was a lot of purple and green at Chelsea and now this Hampton Court Flower Show garden is a beautiful example. Photo taken from the BBC website.
Then, like a knight in shining armour, galloping over the hill in February, along came the Nuts About Squares Crochet Along (CAL)
Hurray! Something I would enjoy joining in with and a blanket made of squares.
The patterns are quite complex, I would learn new things. Some excitement about the project began to creep in.
Week 1 – Esme’s Winter Cottage by Dedri Uys
Master R’s loves this square. He tells me he loves “the design and the texture” – he knows what he likes!
I’m not so keen on the diamonds so I made this variation – thankfully Master R thinks this design is ok.
Although he doesn’t really like the introduction of the Cream colour, his favourite colour after purple is khaki green – Oh lawks! Can I bear to stick to only dark colours!
He is pushing me way out of my comfort zone here.
Work in Progress! On we go!
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no not a boy thing, my favourite colours are blues, purples and black, I’m not keen on your first photo but love the second, we are all individuals,
does it have to be lots of small squares what about one big square, or a block in the middle of smaller squares inside a large square, also I have seen blankets/throws made of different sized squares joined in an abstruct pattern,
get some square paper and coloured pencils/crayons/feltips and have him colour his blanket, doing different colour combinations is fun, relaxing and saves a lot of time and yarn, Frances
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The squares in the blanket CAL i’m folllowing are all 12″ square. That’s a great idea for Master R to colour a blanket on paper. Thank you Frances.
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Ha ha! Good intentions made very difficult by a little boy who knows his own mind! Purple and khaki sound like my worst nightmare and I would struggle to motivate myself to pick this up to work on each night, so good for you for following it through. I must admit though, that the squares in the CAL might make it interesting enough to keep going. Good luck!
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You understand my pain Sheila!
The patterns are intriguing so they are pulling me through.
The video tutorials are wonderful, I don’t think I would want to attempt these patterns without the tutorials.
Thank you so much for your encouragement.
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I hope you manage to find something that you both like, Daffy. It looks like you are getting there now! 🙂
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Tiz definitely a challenge but I am making good progress. Thank you for cheering me on.
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👍👍👍❤❤
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What an interesting young man he is–he certainly knows his own mind! I am quite sure you’ll figure out a way to make both of you happy!
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Thank you Kerry, I’m sure we will too. Luckily the next one I’m making will be in bright colours. 🙂
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It’s great that he loves what you do and wants his own blanket. Even if it isn’t quite to your taste!
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Yes, I think so too Catherine. It is very satisfying to make things for such an appreciative little chap.
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Gray would make a nice change up….it is the color of Armour, and would go well with purple and khaki green. Maybe he would allow some light and dark gray and a grass green for a little relief here and there? those are all very knightly…..good luck!
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Thank you, some great suggestions – I’ll run the idea of the ‘knightly’ grey past him. I’ll need the luck! 😉
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And my mother used to call me ‘soft’! You have done a great deal of work already. I prefer your version of the new squares. Some khaki green is lighter than others. Maybe you need to take him to the wool shop with you and choose different shades of green and purple.
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Ha!Ha! I am a big softy, yes!!! But I do love the whole process of design (usually!) and seeing things from a 7 year old’s point of view has its fascinations. 😉
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What a project, with two very definite ideas about which colors go together. I love the purple squares and can’t wait to see the finished results.
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Thank you Laurie, I appreciate all the encouragement I can get!
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Those complicated squares are fabulous. No wonder he likes them. Perhaps a gray color instead of the cream color? Sort of gun metal gray. So manly. Good luck. I hope it doesn’t take you too far to the dark side.
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Ha!Ha! That makes me chuckle. 😀
Good idea re the gray Lisa – I’ll put that to him!
I do feel myself slipping …….. towards …… the dark side with this one!!!
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Love the purple and green colour combination and patterns and your patience with a young man who obviously knows what he likes!
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Thank you MM, even though it has been challenging to embrace Master R’s very definite ideas, when all I want is a relaxing bit of crochet, I do get a buzz out of creating something that he has put so much thought into – something we have co-created – a nice feeling – or it will be when it’s finished!
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I think it is brilliant and it shows what a dedicated grandmother you are:-)
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Awh! Thank you MM, what a lovely comment. ❤
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Mm interesting commission. Would he allow a splash of orange? The squares look very complicated. I enjoyed making my squares blanket this year. Your Mum’s home would love lap blankets.
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Definite ‘NO’ to the orange! I remember when my brother was 12 he wanted his bedroom decorated with 3 black walls and one dark red – and a while ago when I made a cushion for Big Bro he wanted it all in black – I think it might be a boy thing!
Brilliant idea about the lap blankets Cathy, I hadn’t thought of that – I made one for my Mum and she won’t be parted from it. She gets very agitated if she can’t see it. She also loves the doll I gave her – it is the size of a one month old baby and quite life-like.
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Master R is quite the character, isn’t he? Those squares are just beautiful, so unusual and full of creative imagination. Perfect motifs for a knight in shining armour.
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He certainly is a character as you say Deb! He was here yesterday and dressed up as a knight, fighting other imaginary knights in the garden – all the soft toys were lined up under the oak tress with sticks for swords.
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Aww I love the graded squares, what a shame he doesn’t!
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Yes, I thought that idea would work. This is the reason why I never do commissions!
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It’s always interesting to work on something to someone else’s taste. I love making squares, so would be in my element in this project. I’m sure you can make purple and khaki work and I’m sure he’ll love the finished blanket… sometimes being led down a different path can be very inspiring.
Oh, by-the-way, my planned trip to London has been cancelled at the end of July, so a meet-up may be possible if you have any free time.
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I’m confident that we will arrive at something Master R likes. Yes, I agree Jan, it is good to push past the resistance into new avenues. I’m learning a lot from the Video Tutorials that go along with the CAL, and I would never have done it without Master R’s request for squares – all good!
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I’ll be in touch via email about meeting up later in the month – it would be lovely to see you again.
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Yay! It will be great if we can make it work, but if not we’ll try later in the year.
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