It’s way easier to manage a group blog on Blogger (or, at least it’s more familiar). So while this is young enough that confusion shouldn’t be rampant, I’ve moved it. Please go to the new Granny-Along blog! Thanks for your patience.

UPDATE: I hang my head. Blogger’s easier for a group blog. Before things could even get started here, I’ve moved it. Please go here to join in on the fun!

I was quoted a couple of years ago as saying I think the granny square should go on hiatus for a while. I had nothing against the granny, per se, but I did think it was being overused in contemporary crochet in a way that was keeping the craft rooted too deeply in the ’70s. I thought a hiatus might force people to explore new things, and then to enjoy the granny afresh when it was allowed back onto the scene.

Recently, I’ve lost myself in the therapeutic, relaxing, repetitive stitching of making a ripple afghan. On my second day of rippling, I knew for certain my next relaxing project would have to be granny squares. Both so I could use up the not-long-enough-to-ripple leftovers of my stash yarn, and also so I could immerse myself in another traditional crochet project. The type of project people have been making for decades and decades and decades. Simple stitches used to create a useful and possibly beautiful item. Alicia helped start the ripple craze with her beautiful afghan, and now she’s motoring through granny squares that are just as stunning. Go have a look.

Now, I don’t know when exactly I’ll have time to make lots of granny squares, what with my slow ripple progress and the rest of my crazy life. But it’s time to start a granny-along anyway. It just feels right. Won’t you join me?

There are no rules other than the granny rule. Stash yarn, new yarn, recycled yarn, repurposed yarn: all good. No time limit. No project constraints. I’m going to aim for an afghan, but bags, vests, hats, mats, pet blankets, trousers, socks, toys: all good. Any granny variation is good (no squares made in rows). I’m going to shoot for straight-up basic granny squares.

Certainly something that’s made the ripple so much fun is the gorgeous photos. Let’s challenge ourselves not only to make something beautiful and useful, but to photograph it beautifully, too. It’s unavoidably inspiring to see gorgeous photos of yarn and stitches. Natural light does wonders. Experimenting with photo styling is way fun.

Leave a comment to this post and I’ll add you to the blog if you want to blog here. You may or may not need a WordPress ID to use it, we’ll see as I start adding people — I just love WP way more than Blogger, you see. If you just want to participate on your own blog, let me know your link and I’ll add you to the sidebar (if you go this route, remember to keep me posted on your progress so I can write about it here and send people over to your blog). For photo hosting I set up a companion granny-along group on Flickr.

Let’s granny-along!

ETA: If you already have a WP account and want to use it to join this blog, you might be able to login using the link on the left-hand of the footer (scroll to the bottom of the page). If that doesn’t work, let me know the email address associated with your account and I’ll add you!