Uh, oh!! Looks like my Project 101 just became Project 100.
With no instructions on WHERE inside this puzzle to go, this is what I ended up with for Square 77. And I followed the pattern to the letter!!
I can clearly see the design developing. Half the stitches are where they are supposed to be. Just don’t see how to fix the bottom half.
There is a middle circle in there somewhere. Just have to find it. Back to the drawing board. Rip it!!
I am moving right along. Addicted to making crochet squares. I may just finish with all 101 sooner than I thought.
The squares I bypassed when I first started aren’t that bad. The book gives clear instructions on how to make the special stitches. Such as popcorn, puff, back/front post, double triple crochet, clusters. All of these were new to me.
As to the new stitches, I like clusters best.
If you saw my last post, then you know popcorn stitches are not very high up on my likable list. But I guess, as with anything new, they have to grow on you.
Square 2
Spent an hour trying to get this one right. Here’s THE END LOOK per the book. Looks unfinished to me.
So.. I ripped out the last row and added a row of double crochet. Made some changes to the “corners”. Looks OK now but won’t make this one again. 
One of the few squares not to start with a ring. Nice change of pace and I learned something new. Looks like a game board. I like it, will make again.
Verdict is still out on popcorn stitches. These were my first. I wasn’t happy with the result so I made a second square. It came out a bit better.
I got a bit confused when starting off. At the end of Round 1, it said to “turn” but I ended up with Round 2 stitches facing the wrong way. Ripped them out and restarted. So, if you make this square, watch for that.
This square has a bit of history. The face was made May 2009 when I was just beginning this project. I made it into little girl’s purse instead. Circling back to it now, I used acrylic yarn to finish. Face was made with cotton. I still have the eyes and mouth to do. Cute, but doubt will make again.
Now, I move into TOUGHER TERRITORY. Some of the ones left seem complicated. I will give a shout out if I need help. 
Squares are being made from patterns in the book, 101 Crochet Squares by Jean Leinhauser.
Don’t know about you but I am not loving the Popcorn Crochet Stitch. It reminds me of “the girls”. A pair of ta-ta’s.
I just learned how to make them yesterday. Following the instructions in my crochet book, 101 Crochet Squares by Jean Leinhauser. They are easy to make, I just don’t like how they look. Thinking I might be doing them incorrectly, I checked YouTube for videos. Found 3, all with different ways to end the stitch. All started off the same with 5 dc’s, remove hook, go into the 1st dc to pull the stitch closed. I tried all 3 ways with the same result. They seem to collapse, spread out at the bottom. And they look like they are on the wrong side.
Oh well, what a big disappointment. I waited until I had over 50 squares under my belt before trying it and it’s no big deal after all.
Don’t think I will be using this stitch much after finishing my project, Project 101.
How do you close off the top of a popcorn stitch? Chain stitch or single crochet?
Photos of completed crochet squares from the book 101 Crochet Squares by Jean Leinhauser.
60 done/41 to go. Some of the below are duplicates in different colors.
These latest crochet squares are some of the ones I passed over 6 months ago as being too tough. Long Double Crochet. Puff stitches. Double Triple Crochet.
Well, I can now do them without looking at the book. My learning curve just inched up a bit.
And I have reached a milestone. 51 squares done!! (50 to go)
Square 54
Square 59
Square 63
Square 67 – Trees and Bells
Square 72
Square 82
Square 88
Squares are being made from patterns in the book, 101 Crochet Squares by Jean Leinhauser.
Yarn used for the above squares:
As in yarn…
Some people are wool snobs. Me? Give me acrylic yarn seven days a week and twice on Sunday.
My favorite yarn is Lion Brand, Vanna’s Choice. I like the color choices and the feel of it in my hands and on the hook. And it is consistent throughout the skein. Not thicker in spots, not tied to combine strands in spots, like some of the others. AND it has hardly any added “junk” to it. Some of the yarn out there reminds me of my days of working with jute. Sticks, dirt, grass and pebbles falling out as I worked. Well, it isn’t quite THAT bad but some wool does have pieces sticking out of it, even what looks like pet hair.
The main reason I don’t care for wool is how it sounds when pulled through the stitch. It sounds like finger nails dragging across a blackboard. Gives me a creepy feeling. It also looks flat when finished.
After acrylic, I like cotton yarn. That’s what I learned to crochet with and have a LOT of it. Mostly Sugar and Cream. But I have it stashed away for now since I think of cotton as a “summer” project.
What is your favorite yarn and why?
I am happy to report, I have completed 43 squares from my Project 101. 58 to go!!
Here’s the latest. No color explosion this time. I am all over the color map. Trying to mix things up and use some of my yarn just sitting.
Square 89 – Zig Zag
This looked interesting so thought I would try it. Yuck!! The square is all single crochet. Took forever. And placing the zig zags to zig zag just so also took forever. Even with a guide from the book, I still ended up redoing the zags about as often as the zigs.
Will I make this square again? NOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
Have you tried the new BABY yarn line from Lion Brand, Vanna’s Choice? Very pretty colors. This pink is called Pink Poodle.
Cute, petite. I would make it again.
In fact, I DID make it again.
Square 69
Looking for a quick and easy square to make? This is it. Kinda plain. Kinda dull. But it’s in the book. So had to make it. I added an extra single crochet row around the edges.
Square 17 – Love it!!
Love this flower!! It came out perfect. Will definitely make this square and flower again. There are 3 layers of petals. And pattern uses Back Post Single Crochet stitches. They are easy. Just have to determine which stitch they go around.
Square 32 – Another Uh, Oh Moment
Switched to earthtone colors for this one. Used cream, toffee and espresso dark brown. Espresso almost looks black.
Starts off with this flower.
Round 8. Uh, Oh!! Not again!! I am making a square. Not a CIRCLE!!
Still smarting from the flying saucer, I was hesitant to go past Round 8. BUT.. I rechecked all the steps and was pretty certain I hadn’t missed, messed up or skipped anything. Kept going.
Whew!!
I added an extra round of double crochet stitches before the final single crochet row.
Squares are being made from patterns in the book, 101 Crochet Squares by Jean Leinhauser.
Yarn used for the above squares:
Hook G for all.
Have you ever thought you might be doing something wrong but kept at it anyway. Just being stubborn and hard headed. Just knowing for sure your way was right.
Even though it looked stupid!! Yep, me too. Many times.
Here’s one of them. The Very First Flying Saucer Crochet Square. LOL!!
This is how it all begin…. I decided to make a crochet square in all wool. My first. Looked at the directions for special stitches. Only clusters. OK. No problem.
Rounds 1-2.
Round 3. Looking a bit odd, but ok, don’t second guess…
Round 4. Really starting to look weird, but ok, no second guessing!!
Round 5. LOL!! What time is take off!!
Round 6 I never got to. I figured it would just get bigger and sillier.
Here’s me starting Round 3 over. (And I didn’t find out until I was done, that I STILL DID IT WRONG!!)
NEW Round 4.
New Round 5 & 6, and done!!
BTW, this is Square 53 from the book, 101 Crochet Squares. Used Patons wool. Red, ivory and turquoise. Hook G. Measures 6 3/4″. My 2nd mistake was starting off on the “side” of the shell and not the chain spaces “between” the shells. Oh well. You learn from your mistakes, don’t you!!
If you are looking for me… I am somewhere hiding eating crow.
Five more crochet squares completed from the book, 101 Crochet Squares by Jean Leinhauser. (I have typed her name so many times, I don’t have to check the spelling anymore.)
Square 40 – Wheel
Another favorite of mine. I will make this one again. I only made a few changes. And just for a fuller look for the olive round. I added additional double crochets.
Colors are dusty purple, olive and eggplant (purple). Hook G.
Square 25
You can’t tell from the photo but I had a TIME with this square.
The center part came out perfectly.
But the lavender section would NOT lie flat no matter what I did. I could not get it to look right when following the instructions and completely took it apart several times.
Finally after several hours, I said, “to heck with it” and winged it. I put half double crochets where needed to straighten out the rows. And I added an extra round to even things out. Whew!! It looks like the photo in the book but I won’t be making this square again.
Square 96 – Snowflake
No construction problems with this one at all. Very smooth. All the stitches lined up where they belonged.
Only problem I had was with trying to photograph white yarn. Sorry but my pictures are crappy. Cranberry color is either too dark or white yarn is blurry. This is the best I could get.
Square 100
This square starts off with a pretty flower.
The 1st round after the flower had lots of stitches I had never made before. Triple Crochet Cluster (trc CL), Double Triple Crochet (dtrc) and Double Triple Crochet Cluster (dtrc CL). I know how to make them now. Easy.
I will make the flower again but not the square. The flower pulls on the first round and the square makes up too large.
Square 84
And I saved the WORST one for last. This is the Square From Hell.
What a mess!! It even looks crooked in the book. That should have given me a clue, Sherlock. I almost gave up on this one too but kept going. The first rows are worked in “rounds” and I am sure somewhere in here is where my block twisted up. I put this purple flower on top of the square rather than pull it apart and start over.
Nope. Not gonna do it over. Done and moving on.
So… that’s it for now. When I get to 50 squares, going to take a break and make up something with a few of these squares. Can’t wait. Should be fun.
Meet George…
With no little ones around my house, and no pets, I have adopted a friend’s goat. George. He is the little baby goat I crocheted the sweater for that I told you about last week.
http://thisyearsdozen.wordpress.com/2010/01/19/my-1st-crochet-pet-garment/
Wow!! They don’t stay small for long, do they? He’s only a couple weeks old and the sweater only covers half of him. LOL!! He’ll get to wear it for about a month. Glad it starts to warm up around March.
Look at his “cousin”. Just born a few days ago. He has a perfect brown heart on his back. His name is Cupid. How cute is that? (I picked out the name.)
Well, back to crocheting sweaters. Cupid has a brother. Will make sweaters for both of them.
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