Adventure Into the World of the "Crochet Along"

Thanks to all those who left kind and encouraging comments regarding my first posts...I feel so inspired!

It's been mighty cold this January!  I've enjoyed a little time sitting by a crackling fire warming my toes while working on some crochet projects.  Crocheting is my favorite past time.  I'm a worrier and stresser and nothing relaxes me more than picking up a crochet project while watching TV or a movie.  

Over the past year, I have made blankets for just about everyone I think...and just a couple for myself.  It has been so much fun!  I definitely go into withdrawal when I've finished a blanket.  So, I was thinking a few days ago that my bedroom could use a pretty throw.  But what to do that is completely different than the blankets I've already made?  I've done many throws constructed of repeating rows and I've done many throws constructed of repeating motifs...what else is there?  Well, I've seen some beautiful blankets done in "mixed stitches" and "mixed motifs" combined in a sort of "sampler" blanket... hmm, this is something I haven't done before.  Voila!  A new kind of project to get started on!

On the web site ravelry.com you can find many talented crocheters who have done these kinds of projects.  What I didn't know until a few days ago, was that you can join a group called BAM CAL 2015, Block-A-Month Crochet-A-Long.  I discovered that everyone in this group works on the same crochet block chosen for the month. Each month of the year they will work on a new and different block so that by the end of the year, they will have twelve different blocks to put together in any way they chose...a "sampler". There is also an extra "filler block" every month giving them a total of twenty-four possible blocks to use if they like.  The blocks are twelve inches square and twelve-12" blocks put together would make a nice baby blanket or 20 or 24 blocks would make a nice size throw.  The group shares their progress via posts to threads...everyone uses different color schemes and does theirs each a little differently, putting their own special touches on their squares.  The end result is some very unique blankets.  

I am so excited to be a part of this group this year! Here is an opportunity to create a project uniquely my own using different stitches throughout!  There are over 1000 members on BAM CAL 2015 so there is plenty of sharing and plenty of help for anyone who needs it. As soon as I discovered this group, I joined.  And within minutes I was thinking up a color scheme for a blanket to go in my bedroom.  Here are the colors I'm using:

The red is really a little bit of a Coral color...though it is hard to tell in the picture.  The brown and pink are Vanna's Choice solids "Taupe" and "Pink Rose".  The green, ivory and red are Loops and Threads Impeccable solids "Fern", "Aran" and "Rouge".  I drew the colors from the fabric of my bed-skirt, curtains and pillows.  

Starting straight away, I worked up the first "January" square. The pattern is "Pizzazz" and you can find it here.  The patterns used for BAM CAL are free!  This is my finished block:

It was a fairly easy square to do.  

Choosing color placement is the hardest part for me! 

 The next square, the January "Filler", was a little more challenging... but oh so beautiful!  It is called "Prince Protea Square" and you can find it here.  This is my block:

 

I used a 5.5 mm (I) hook for both squares.  I will be using this hook on all the squares, adding or subtracting rows from the squares as needed to get them to measure 12 inches.

I can't wait for February's offering!

If you are interested in being part of this crochet-along, it is not to late to join.  Just click on the link I provided above.  You can find out all you need to know there.  Come on and join...it'll be so much fun!