This isn't your Grandmother's Granny Square

Heck, it's not even square. Let's back track a bit.

So I got this skein of Cascade Magnum from Robyn in a Secret Pal package and I've been trying to figure out what to do with it. It was briefly an Urchin but I don't think it was meant to be. I have been thinking of making a granny square blanket for a while now and with the arrival of the ginormo almost rude crochet hook I got the idea of making giant granny squares with chunky yarn. So last night I grabbed my hook and a favourite granny square pattern and got to hooking.

I was, uh, mostly paying attention, but somewhere during Slapsgiving I the square got away from me. Suddenly in the last round I was at then end before I should have been. I should pay more attention.

Now my little rant about the whole 'This isn't your grandmother's [insert craft/product here].' I know I just used the phrase myself, but my usage was to be a. ironical and b. a jumping off point for this discussion.

As previously mentioned, I don't like the 'trendy' side of knitting. I think such phrases that try to sell knitting/craftyness as something 'new,' 'improved' and 'better than the old days' don't serve the public identity of the past time. It gives the impression that unless you knit/crochet with irony, you're old, moldy, out-of-date and just plain un-feminist. In my books, that's just not cool.

I don't knit because I feel the need to 'reclaim' this dying, unappreciated craft of my female heritage for a new generation. I knit to maintain a connection with my past. To honour my grandmother who taught me to knit, my great-grandmother who continued to make things for my brother and I as children despite having lost her sight. Sure, I knit different things than they did. And I don't dip into my mom's huge acrylic stash these days (partly cause I'm all about the wool and partly cause it's on the other side of the country). But each time I pick up my needles or start something new, I can't help but feel connected to the long line of ladies who made things out of necessity and out of enjoyment.

It's silly to throw away all their tricks, tips, designs just because it's not hip anymore. Sure I'm not going to make myself a granny square vest, but I there's still something compelling about building blocks of crochet to efficiently and portably construct a blanket.

Now if I could just keep my mind focused enough to actually make a square, I'd be set.