I learned to crochet when I was very little. My Nan started me off, as for some reason Mum couldn’t crochet. Nan died when I was 6, so after that, I learned from books.

I haven’t done any crochet for ages, but at the Knitting and Stitching show at Harrogate in November, I was tempted to buy a kit for a throw from Janie Crow.

It was partly the colours, but also the interpretation of the pattern. I made a traditional granny square blanket when I was a kid, but this is more sophisticated. It involves complications like changing the size of the hook, and doubles and half trebles as well as trebles.

Found I was making slow progress. There is a different colour every round, slight changes in the pattern, and the occasional change of hook. Reading the pattern carefully all the time was the problem. So I started doing it in stages, doing each round of the 16 octagons, 9 squares, 12 half triangles, and 4 quarter triangles, to avoid messing about.

I’ve been taking pictures as I went along, so here is a collage of the work as it progressed, and finished in situ. I think it is interesting how the volume of yarn in the basket.

Oh, and because I wasn’t bothered about the finished size, I didn’t check the tension. The octagons are supposed to be 29cm across. Mine are more like 23cm. So I’ve added an extra row down one side.

And I got bored with doing rows of double crochet round the edge, so I finished it with some shells.

Now, rather than adding the leftovers to the stash, I’m going to see if I can make something useful from them. I do like those colours!