If You Feel Tired Lazy You Can Crochet This.

I have a lot of yarn I don't like. Leftovers of yarn I bought to make a project for somebody else, colors that came for free with a tool or that were donated to me, and this is a lot of yarn that will probably lay untouched here forever, if I don't make something about it. So this week I decided to start a project using this yarn. Hi, I'm Estelle, I make videos about crochet, sewing and other crafts, with a focus on sustainability and imperfect creativity. Today I want to start something I can work on without thinking too much, I need a no-brain project in my life. No complicated pattern, no counting stitches every two seconds, no trying to make it perfect, just something repetitive and calm that I can pick up whenever I have a moment. So I decided to crochet a granny square blanket, but not a normal blanket, this one has a rule. I can only use yarn I already own, mostly scrap yarn that I don't necessarily like, some are colors that are too bright, others too dark, different weights and in general they are colors that don't go well together. So instead of planning a color palette or worrying about whether everything matches, I'm just using it as it comes. The only thing I'll try to be mindful of is using the smallest skeins first, because once the blanket gets bigger they probably won't go very far. So I spent about 20 minutes sorting through the yarn, separating the ones I like and that I know I will use for future projects from the ones I wouldn't normally use but still don't want to throw away. Also I found a leftover granny square from when I made a vest for autumn and I will start with this. So this is basically an infinite blanket, I can keep adding rows whenever I want, next week, next month, maybe next year, there's no real end point. And that's exactly why I wanted to start it, because sometimes crafting becomes a bit too intentional, every project has to be aesthetic, every color has to match, every piece has to become content or something wearable or something useful, and I realized I was missing the kind of crafting where you just make something. Okay, it's been two hours and this is all I've made. It doesn't look like much but it doesn't matter in the slightest because I don't have a deadline or a size goal for this project. I can keep growing this blanket for as long as I want, months, even years if I feel like it. I'm actually having so much fun with it, so I'm going to keep crocheting for a couple more hours before I head to a gym class later today. I'm not even watching a show, I'm just enjoying the quiet and not doing very much. After a few weeks of spending way too much time working on the computer, it feels really wonderful. So far I've only been using yarn meant for a 4mm hook, but I'm curious to see if I can mix it with thicker yarn. I have these super bright colors that came with my tufting kit, they are really soft but I like my colors more earthly, so I'd really like to use this up. I'm going to try crocheting them with the same hook because I'm lazy today. This is how it looks after a few stitches. It doesn't look bad but I fear the groups of three double crochets are too wide compared to the other rounds, so I'll try it here to make only two double crochets and it looks the same width as the previous round, so that's what I'm going to do with thicker yarns. This last couple of hours made quite a difference, I can finally see it growing, it's almost the size of a pillow now. So there you have estimated time measurement. Apparently it takes about 4 to 6 hours to crochet one side of a granny square pillow. Oh, I just realized it's almost the perfect size for a little blanket for Momo. He looks so handsome with it! Although this would make a very cute sweater too. But now I really have to leave for my gym class. I'm going to pick up a friend first and then we'll meet an echo there. Having people to exercise with has helped me so much with staying motivated and actually showing up to classes. I've been exercising more regularly lately and I feel so much more energetic and positive compared to these past winter months, which have been very sedentary. If you struggle with anxiety or your mental health, I really recommend trying to prioritize some kind of movement or exercise. I will leave a few of my favorite home workout youtubers in the description in case that's helpful. I've reached the point where every round takes quite a bit of time and quite a lot of yarn, so I will probably need to start mixing colors within the same round. Here I've run out of yarn, so I'm just going to continue with another similar color. I really wasn't expecting these random colors to look so nice together. I thought the result would be acceptable at best, maybe a blanket at keeping the card just in case, but I actually love it. It's been such a lovely surprise. I feel like after this, those perfectly aesthetic Pinterest crochet projects with matching palettes might start to look a little boring to me. And I even managed to use different thickness of wool and you can barely see the difference. If you touch it, you can feel this is more chunky and rigid, but it doesn't make it worse or anything. I'm really loving this project. If you craft long enough, scraps are inevitable. Every project leaves something behind, a half skein, a small ball, a color you bought for one specific thing and never used again. The same thing happens with sewing. And I'm starting to reach a point where I think I've accumulated more scraps than actual new materials. Sometimes the instinct is to buy more for a new project because the scraps don't match or there simply isn't enough of one color to make something, but I don't really have the space at home to keep bringing more materials in. So for a while now I've been trying to use my scrap yarn and fabric. The problem is, working with scraps usually creates even more scraps. So I have a feeling this infinite scrap yarn blanket might last for quite a while. I will probably keep coming back to this blanket from time to time, so if you'd like to see how it grows, you're always welcome to stay and subscribe. These past weeks, whenever I had time, I worked on this blanket. Some days it was just for 10 minutes, other times I sat down for an hour or two before going to bed. To this date, a month has passed since I started this project, and this is where the blanket is now. It's still not very big, at least to be considered a full blanket, but that's kind of the point, this isn't a project with a deadline. It's more like a long-term companion. Something I can return to whenever I don't feel like starting something new or when I just want to crochet without thinking. I will keep you updated on how it grows in my Instagram stories, so make sure you follow me there to see this little puppy grow. Thanks for spending this time with me, I hope it gave you a little crafty inspiration. See you in the next video, adeo!