Earth Square

Well, this has been a long time coming, hasn't it?  I keep picking up projects between my squares, so this blanket is taking much longer than it should.

Anyway, the earth square didn't take quite as long as the other squares.  It was partially because I've been getting really fast with this type of crochet and partially because this pattern was the most simple of all the squares.  It was pretty basic and mostly went off without a hitch, but I do have a few notes for it.

Firstly, I got this new book, Crochet Master Class, which I absolutely love and would recommend to anyone who wants to learn more about different styles of crochet.  It has a section on tapestry crochet, which is the style used to make these squares.  I thought I had mastered tapestry crochet by now, but this book gave me a valuable tip.  When changing colors, keep the twist of the yarns close to the stitch and crochet around it, which keeps the two yarns from tangling.  At first I was afraid this would affect the look of the changing colors, but it doesn't.  It really helped me, not having to stop every few minutes to untwist the yarn.

The middle of the square, as with the fire square, is more tight than the top and bottom.  Just like the fire square, I expect this problem to go away once the squares are connected and the stitches are pulled a little tighter over time.

I had a lot of trouble with the brown yarn I used.  I had it in my stash already, but it didn't have a label.  I was pretty sure it was Red Heart Soft, but I wasn't completely sure.  I took it to Michael's to try and match the color, but they didn't have any brown Red Heart Soft yarn.  I ordered some of the color Chocolate.  It arrived in this '80's-looking packaging and looked extremely close to the same shade I'd been crocheting with.  I'm still not entirely convinced it's the same yarn, but it looks fine, for now.  I just hope one day I don't wash it and the change in the two yarns becomes apparent.

Moral of the story, always save the label.

That's about all I got for this one.  Only one square left!  I'm over the hump!