'Cause I Can't Crochet

Ok, I mentioned recently that I can't crochet. I've tried. I just can't. For the most part I am ok with this. I can live without it. BUT -- I love crocheted afghans. My grandmother made me this lovely one when I was a baby. (notice -- over 30 years old and the pink is still intense -- gotta love that acrylic yarn!) I remember rainy days curled under my mom's green and white striped one (also made by my grandmother) sacking out in front of the television. I had a twin sized pink and white one that was on my bed as a kid as well. Add to this I keep seeing these "ripple" afghans on other people's blogs. Really. Lots of other blogs. There's even an entire blog devoted to a "ripple along". I want to play. But. I CAN'T CROCHET!!!!!! ARRGGHHHH!

So what's a poor quilter who secretly harbors the idea of owning a ripple afghan to do? Hmmm. Die a frustrating and ripple-less death I guess. Hold on a second, not so fast -- enter the Bleeker Street fabrics. These just sang to me. And, I know this probably isn't the designer's intent -- but they reminded me of the 70's. The decade of my childhood. The decade when this fascination with a craft I cannot do developed. Ok -- really pretty fabrics, I really shouldn't buy them. I have other projects I need to do. Add in the Denyse Schmidt quilting book I bought after seeing the lovely quilt projects Samantha over at Diary of a Mad Fabri-holic was making (fun book btw -- some really cute projects, though I don't always love her piecing techniques. Way too many templates for me but you could definitely adapt to some free piecing) and you have a quilter obsessed. I spent breaks from finishing my Holly Jolly Christmas top looking at the Denyse Schmidt book and calculating yardage as well as design/color options. And thinking, that maybe, just maybe my crochet handicap could be overcome. A trip back to the LQS to buy the fabrics with plan in hand and, I may not be able to crochet...

but I CAN cut, piece and put together a quilt top that is totally inspired by my love of crocheted afghans! This one went together really quickly and despite all of the bias edges (um -- every row after it is put together has all outside edges composed of bias *shudder*), having to match seam points, and trying to work with a rather large twin sized top in my tiny working area -- it was FUN! (oh, and another thanks to dh for acting as my human quilt rack so I could get a photo of this one for you this morning) I love the way this one came together and the way the colors work.

And thanks to Judy over at Quilting with Ragdolls, I have a strange thought that maybe I can quilt this one by myself. (I really must be insane for this -- but I'm gonna TRY) Nothing too complicated here, I'm not up for that, but some straight line echo quilting of the zigzags (a la DS's recommendations in her book) will give the look of the individually crocheted lines as well. So, the backing is prepared, I pressed the ripples out of the batting I bought yesterday, and I'm ready to move some furniture so I can baste this puppy up. With any luck, I will be quilting on this one tonight. And unlike some of my other quilts -- this one had a name even before I began. This one -- is 'Cause I Can't Crochet.