Fear is a powerful deterrent. I know that because I have been crocheting for at least six months now, and I have yet to do a proper project that is centred around granny squares. Granny squares are basically square pieces of crocheted fabric where one starts crocheting from the centre and works in rounds to get the finished piece. These squares are often the foundation for bigger pieces – such as a blanket, a patterned sweater etc. It sounds so simple in theory, yet, for the longest time, I stayed away from attempting to crochet a simple granny square. Something about having to sit myself down and crochet a multitude (approximately 115, because everyone told me to start my crocheting journey by making a blanket) of the same pattern so I could build up a length of stitched fabric was extremely daunting to me. It still is. 

However, last week, I was browsing through some Pinterest inspiration pictures and quickly realised that I kept having to give up on stunning crochet projects simply because I was too intimidated by the number of granny squares those projects would need. So I pulled out my cheapest yarn from my bundle and sat down to watch a ten-season-long Netflix show. I made a goal to make a granny square for every three episodes I watched. Thus, by the time I finish the show, I will have enough squares to make whatever I want.

I convinced myself that the worst that could happen was me having to waste yarn that was already stuffing material for my plushie projects. And the best that could happen is I finally end up learning how to crochet a granny square.

I usually binge through shows very quickly. And I was sure I would give up after a while. But I think because I kept my count with the episodes I was burning through and not the sheer number of squares I would have to make, I stopped counting after the fifth or the sixth square. I liked the pace I set for myself, and I was not worried about the number of squares I would have to finish to complete the project. 

Projects with granny squares don’t seem as daunting as they had felt before. I now have found a way to trick my brain into breaking down the project into workable portions, and have learned to make really neat granny squares! 

Happy Friday!

The idea of Feel Good Fridays started because we believe the simple things that bring a smile to our face are some of the best things. Smiling and laughing has been proven to reduce stress in our lives! When we smile or laugh it releases neurotransmitters in our brain called endorphins, which are in charge of making us happy and helping to relieve stress.

Remember to check back for next week’s Feel Good Friday!