WIP-Wednesday: The In-Way-Over-My-Head-Bedspread

Instead of bothering you with all the raging hormones and the fluffy babyworld I am starting to explore, I thought it would be a good idea to use this place to show you my W.I.P.s. (W.I.P. is short for Work In Progress). Maybe even ask you guys if you know ways to get each of those little buggers out of the WIPbasket and into the “Ooooooh-look-what-I’ve-made-I-am-so-proud-file.” Don’t you just love that moment…?

Due to a short attentionspan and a very large interest in hobbies and crafts whatsoever my WIPbasket is very, very, stuffed. In fact, I am talking about a basket, but I am really not that organised to keep all the stuff in a neat basket, if there even are baskets that large! They are all over the place. In the attic, in the closet, stuffed in bags under my bed, and so on and so forth. Though I am not one for New Year’s resolutions, I decided it would be a good thing to start on working away those wips, or even declare some as UFOs (UnFinished Objects) and take them apart (or throw them out).

I am starting today with my Way over your head-Crochet Beginnings Bedcover.

Why did I start this: Better yet, what was I thinking…. Well I blame it all on Lucy of Attic24. This avid little crochetfairy changed my life when I started reading her blog. I used to think about crochet as the handywork little old grey ladies were doing in the elderlyhomes. Creating lovely (but not my style) doilies and such. In comes Lucy, with her large, bold, bright coloured hookywork! I fell in love instantly and decided: I want to make me a lovely blanket for our bed. Where most people start of with a scrubbypad, a potholder or even a pillowcase, I wanted to make a total bedcover out of grannysquares in all kinds of designs and colours. Did I mention our bed is 180x200 cms (70 x 80 inch)…?

The kick off: I ordered some yarn through Ebay (fabulous bamboulene 50% bamboo, 50% wool), got overly excited when the box got delivered and started hooking. Night after night, the squares kept piling up! After each square was finished off I squeaked at Mr. Dull, so he would come look and admire my progress. I joined the squares while hooking the last row of the square and finished the ends by putting them into the next row. This way finishing off would take less time.

Progress: I have made two large blocks which both consists of 9 smaller squares, both edged with a single colour. Each block measures 55 x 55 cms.

Why did this end up in the WIPbasket?: Uuuhm, I still love this project, but I feel a bit overwhelmed with all the work that it still needs (not mentioning the costs). I am not absolutely sure about the colours, I am wondering if I should blend in some hot pink, steel blue, black and white (cream). And maybe I’ll have to rip the red and orange borders and give it a black or darkbrown or white border, to balance it out. But, I dunno…

Costs: The box of yarn cost me € 50, but I haven’t used it all for this blanket. I think I’ll have to order another € 100 worth of yarn. But € 150 is not that much for a bedspread that large.

How am I going to get this out of the Wipbasket?: First, I could just order the yarn and finish it up the way it was intended. But I think I need some directions on colours and ideas, some fresh inspiration. Second: I could make a large pillowcase with the finished blocks, maybe line it with a red cotton and put it on our bed. Third: I could frog it, but I would end up with short pieces of yarn, so that’s not an economical decision ! So tell me, do you guys have any suggestions?