Have I Gone Mad?

"Have I gone mad?" -The Mad Hatter

 "You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are." - Alice

If you've been paying any attention, this is the first post that is more than a week after the last. Technically only 8 days, but lets face it, I thrive on technicalities. Since my goal was one or more posts per week, and Thursday is still part of this week (technically), I don't really have to fret. 

What I really need to do is nail down what day of the week I will always post by, but I really like flexibility, so I'm not sure that's ever going to happen. My last few were on Wednesdays, so I'm going to say that that's my goal, but not 100% all the time (I'll probably shoot for Tuesday next week to make up for this week being "late").

ANYway. The reason I didn't post anything yesterday is because I spent a lot of time this past week finishing up the plans, and actually starting my secret project -which of course is secret so I cant give you any details :( -and don't have anything finished to show you.

So instead, I'm going to tell you a little story. About how I went crochet crazy. 

I learned how to crochet my first semester in college when my roommate found an easy pattern for a hat made from 5 granny squares stitched together like an open box. I didn't like all the fuss of 5 pieces, so I tweaked the pattern for my own purposes, and proceeded to make (at least 6 more). 

To the left is just one example. (yes, my hair is in about a zillion little braids under the hat. but hey, it's college. also, i'm a natural blonde. who woulda thunk?)

So after I went mad from hatting, I went looking for something a bit more challenging. I was rushing Kappa Kappa Psi (National Honorary Band Fraternity) and thought it would be the coolest thing ever to give my Big Brother a plush Psyduck (the pokemon) with greek letters on his chest.
Kappa Kappa Psi-duck. Get it? 

Anyway, a quick Google search brought me to the fabulous blog by Wolfdreamer who had written a pattern for Psyduck!! So that definitely happened. 

I also used Wolfdreamer's pattern for a Raichu, and a Mario Mushroom, though I don't have pictures for those. But the point is I was hooked. I started to make up my own patterns (toys and clothing alike) and I haven't looked back. I absolutely love giving people gifts, and it's just so much more fun when they're handmade. Don't you think?

Flower Pillow = Flowers Squared

Normally, i'm against using other people's patterns, but browsing the crochet section of a book store recently, I found a book of patterns intriguing enough to actually purchase. 

200 Crochet Blocks is just that. 200 patterns for squares that are mix & matchable. I've been toying with making an afghan or three, so it's a great book for inspiration and ideas.  

Designing an afghan however, is a much bigger project that one might imagine. So to get a little bit of use out of the book right away, I decided to cover a pillow I already had.

The back is 4 plain granny squares, and I used a flower I found in the book for the squares on front. But true to form, I had to tweak the pattern before i was satisfied, so not even this is anything  you could find in the book. I just refuse to make anything that isn't just the way I want it.