Tuesday, January 21

Crochet Mood Blanket: Week 3 Reflections

Three weeks in, and I am loving this project. As I wrote about before, the social media groups surrounding the Crochet Mood Blanket project are so inspiring! I am loving interacting with other "hookers" around the world, and thanks to all their gorgeous blankets, I am jonesing to make a million more projects. I want to make squares and hexagons and stripes until I'm out of yarn! It's also given me the push to work on my ol' granny hexagon blanket from years past.. Remember that one?!

I am using Loops & Threads Impeccable for my mood blanket. I did not make a chart for colors and moods, but am instead choosing a color that I feel is appropriate each day. I didn't want to make a chart, because I think emotions are complicated and layered and fluid; I don't think a chart would properly map out my days, you know? I just don't think I can categorize a whole day as "angry," "sad," or "happy." I am, however, trying to categorize days as good or bad. I am adding a border to all my squares: white for good days, off-white for less-than-good days. I'm also keeping a journal to write down why I chose each color, though we'll see how long I can keep up with that. I wrote up my own square pattern and you can find the tutorial here

Something that has really surprised me about this project is how enlightening it has been to actively think about and reflect on my mood. Truth be told, I don't think I've given "mood" much thought until now, but if I had been asked, I probably would have said something about how mood is a choice or that mood is determined by the day's events. While I don't disagree with those statements, it has been really interesting to notice how I feel upon waking up, before any "daily events" have weighed on me and before making any "decisions" about my mood. There have been days when I have simply woken up cranky and I have no idea why; days that felt heavy or depressing despite being undeniably similar to many others that felt fine. 

Furthermore, when I wanted to do the "good v. bad" days with different borders, I thought I would have almost all white borders, because I consider myself such an optimist. While I still consider myself an optimist, I have realized that calling a heavy-feeling, so-so, boring kind of day "good" merely because it wasn't awful and because it's nicer to call it good than bad, is silly. I have realized that I don't like to call things "bad," but that doesn't mean they aren't... You know? I've been striving to be more honest about my mood with myself, rather than painting everything rosey because it's nicer. 

Like I said, I am loving this project. It has been both inspiring and self-revealing thus far, and we're only three weeks in! 

Are you participating? What do you think of the project? 

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6 comments:

  1. Hello Monica,
    I love your granny square pattern, and the colors that you are using. Like you I am also using a lot of loops and threads yarn, it's a good sturdy acrylic that washes up very nicely.
    I started my blanket a week into the year and just kinda made official today.
    Yours is looking great.

    Xx anna

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    1. Thank you so much, Anna! I have actually never really washed my crochet work (I have never completed a blanket), so that's good to know! :)

      Congrats on making it official! It's such a fun project, am I right?! ♥♥

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  2. I'm loving it as well and am also really enjoying reflecting on moods. Back in December just before we all started I wrote a post about the fact that I thought my favourite thing about the whole project would probably be becoming more self aware.

    I actually thought I would have more grey days than my blanket currently reflects but I think that at the end of the day when I think back on all of the events and feelings that I have gone through and reach to pick out one or two colours to represent my day I find myself weighing everything and end up reaching for positivity more often than I used to. I guess the blanket is having the opposite effect on me I'm finding my inner optimist! Forcing myself to categorize a day is making me think more about what I'm grateful for in the days which I am loving!

    Keeping the journal is also nice to look back on too and the whole thing overall is having a good effect on me I think.....for now. It is January after all!

    - J

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    1. J, that's great! Yes, becoming more self-aware has been major (and unexpected) for me. It seems that a lot of people are surprised by the number of happy days they have in their blankets so far, which I think is great! Who doesn't love finding the joy? ;)

      ♥♥

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  3. Hi Mon, your squares are looking lovely! I am enjoying this project too.. seeing everyone else getting on with it has definitely made sure i pull my socks up and keep at it! Its nice to have so much inspiration isnt it! Except like you, it has kinda made me want to try other projects too!
    Good luck with it!

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    1. Thank you so much! Yes, I'm enjoying the community more than I had even imagined -- I am consistently impressed by everyone's progress!! Good luck to you as well ♥♥

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Thank you so much for your interest in my post! I'd love to hear your thoughts. :)