The play mat is out…
… which can only mean one thing: I have a finished item to block:
a bit wrinkly
You may have been wondering why you haven’t seen the optical illusion blanket until now…
a mitred square
Well, first it took ages to join the squares together invisibly, including running out of blue wool and having to search my stash for some that was close enough not to show. Joining the squares involved putting together one edge that was a single colour against another edge comprising different lengths of the two other colours. The pattern suggested crocheting the join using the colour that formed to one long edge. I tried this, but it meant that the join was visible, because this colour was on the square that had a nice even edge, whilst the adjacent edge in two colours was made up of the side of the stitches, which are much more difficult to join neatly and invisibly. This problem of joining two edges that don’t have stitches oriented the same way is because each square is mitred, working outwards from one corner, making ever-bigger squares. Anyway, the neatest way turned out to be to use two colours to join every pair of edges – resulting in many, many, many ends to weave in.
Once all the squares were in one piece I added a border of a few rounds using yarn that I already had in my stash, thus limiting my colour choice. Finally, I was able to embark on weaving in all those ends. I went at it evening after evening, only finally finishing yesterday… just in time for the wet weather to arrive and scupper my plans to block this blanket outdoors. So, the mat is laid out in the limery; I pinned the blanket out under the watchful gaze of Daisy – who thoroughly approves of this creation (she doesn’t realise it’s destined to go to Reading with Mr Snail).
The Snail of Happiness 
Going Batty in Wales
/ April 26, 2019What patience you have! And you must love Me Snail very much to do it all for him. Still
He will be home soon making you and Daisy very happy.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ April 26, 2019not as soon as we had hoped – his contract is likely to be extended
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Ann Pole
/ April 26, 2019I admire your patience.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ April 26, 2019I’m nothing if not bloody-minded!
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Southern Prairie Girl
/ April 26, 2019That is very pretty and looks well done!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ April 26, 2019I was getting rather fed up with it by the end, but I’m happy with it now.
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Wild Daffodil
/ April 26, 2019Wow! Amazing!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ April 26, 2019A very interesting make – I wanted to do something different and this certainly fitted the bill.
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Patricia Collins
/ April 26, 2019Daisy is clearly a dog of good taste and excellent judgement.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ April 26, 2019she would certainly agree with you!
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AJ
/ April 27, 2019Wow what an amazing looking knit!
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katechiconi
/ April 27, 2019It’s a great design, and you chose good colours to make it in. It looks very neat and professional, too! Lucky Mr Snail, he should feel totally loved and cossetted with that wrapped around him 🙂 Miss Daisy has a wonderful toffee-blond coat, I’m quite jealous!
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The Belmont Rooster
/ April 27, 2019WOW! That seems very difficult. I think Daisy went cross-eyed looking at it. I am sending this one to my sister.
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Nice Piece of Work
/ April 27, 2019Wow! You are like Crochet Escher! 🙂
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tialys
/ April 27, 2019I’m glad I zoomed in on the last photo of the entire quilt as I thought you’d gone a bit ‘off piste’ with your border – then I realised it was the edges of the playmat 🙄
Of course Daisy knows it’s destined for Mr. Snail. That’s why she’s getting her doggy smells on it so it reminds him of her when he’s away. I expect you’ve done the same haven’t you?
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The Snail of Happiness
/ April 28, 2019sshh… don’t tell him it’s going to be “stinky spaniel” scented! To remind him of me, it has long blond hairs incorporated…like everything I make.
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MrsCraft
/ April 27, 2019It was worth all the hard work though! It looks super 😊
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