The lovely Valerie of Agrarian Artisan posed the question;
Granny Squares – Do you love them or not?
Hummmmmm. I’ve read the other blogs thus far (See bottom of post for links to previous posts on the blog tour). I’m tempted to agree generally with what has been said. When I first started to crochet it was because I had seen Amigurumi dolls and that inspired me to learn. Amigurumi is not the easiest item to learn crochet from but somehow I managed it. They were not fast projects though, with each tiny doll taking weeks to complete. At that point I was completely unaware of the vast amounts of patterns and variation available to me in my new craft.
When I first noticed granny squares, and most importantly the fact that I could easily make them, I was overjoyed. I immediately started on a massive scrap yarn granny square blanket. I loved working on it and it grew in no time. I loved the way I could use any colour in a wonderful crazy rainbow working out from the middle. It felt like colour therapy.
I became obsessed. I bought 200 Crochet Blocks and I was away. I joined swaps, and when there were not enough swaps going on I started my own. Then just to fill in time in between swaps and blankets of my own I started making granny square blocks for Knit a Square. I became Kerry the granny square lady. It all culminated in making a granny square blanket for my mum’s 60th birthday.
Please excuse the poor photography of 4 years ago!
I burned myself out. It was bound to happen. I wanted something more interesting. A challenge. I began my obsession with shawls and scarves. I think it was the natural progression. I’d found much better, and certainly more expensive yarn. I wanted to make much more intricate things than simple old granny squares.
I think granny squares were a marvellous learning tool for me. They allowed me to make large projects in no time, which gave me the confidence to branch out. If I could make these huge colourful blankets, then why not a scarf? For me granny squares are a little like Marmite. You love them or you hate them. I really dislike granny square blankets in cheap acrylic in clashing colours (basically all my first attempts), but if done right with great yarn and colour combinations they can be beautiful. I think the key is using the simple structure to really show off your yarn/colour choices.
Previous stops on the Granny Square Blog Tour;
Amanda of The Natural Dye Studio
For future blogs please check this ravelry post;
Oddments 
Hi,
I’ve just discovered this blog tour today and I’m finding it really interesting. I had no idea the humble granny square was causing such controversy! I too have an issue with clashing colours (in life generally, but also in grannies) to the extent that I was part way through making a totally random giant granny square when I had to abandon it for one in just five coordinating colours. I didn’t frog the ugly one though – put it in the reading corner in my classroom, where my children were much less finicky!
I’m glad you are finding it interesting! My brightly coloured granny square blanket also still survives… as a cat blanket. She is not as fussed as I am about clashing colours 🙂