Crochet: Aunt Tillie's Flower Garden

Last winter I inherited 70lbs of yarn and fabric from my great-aunt Tillie. 

She was a sewer, crafter, knitter, and collector at heart. She loved bright colors, and all of her yarns are the bright polyester and acrylic of the late seventies and eighties. I wanted to make something special out of these yarns to remember her, her love of color, and her love of crafting in general.

Many of the things she made were practical - clothing, pajamas, sweaters. I wanted to make something that we could use and love daily.

While browsing through the the thousands of patterns and projects on Ravelry, my sister-in-law and I stumbled upon a crocheted bedspread project entitled "Summer Flowers". Elisa, Evoke on Ravelry, designed the blanket using the Summer Garden Granny Square, a free crochet pattern available on the Attic24 blog. I love Elisa's combitation of the popping bright colors and the neutal base. This afgan looks as though it belongs in Helen's English Garden themed nursery... and she will soon be moved from crib to twin bed in anticipation of the arrival of her baby sister, so what better project for Aunt Tillie's yarn than a coverlet for her great-great niece's bed!

So, now I crochet. Hundreds of little flowers that form into squares. Bright golds and greens, blues, purples, and pinks. And tan. Lots of tan.

All these little squares and color changes remind me of how I despise sewing in ends. We may need to host a little sewing up party to finish the job :)