Cake Obsession

Not the kind that sits on your hips......... the one that changes colour magically as it glides across your hook!!

My obsession began in 2016 when I first saw the Caron Cakes.    The craze had not quite caught on here in SA at the time and the Caron Cakes were pretty insanely priced (R520 for a 200g ball of Acrylic Yarn is just CRAZY!!).

Early in May this year I had a little accident and fractured the index finger on my right hand.  It took ages to heal, and when it finally did my finger was rather twisted.  This has really messed with my crojo - intricate overlay stitches and working in tails is torture.  To add insult to injury I have been struggling to get my tension right!  Good old granny squares and double crochet stripes have been my go to for exercising my finger and getting my daily crochet fix.

I was totally over the moon when Stylecraft introduced the Special Candy Swirl DK.  There are 8 gorgeous 150g balls to choose from.  1 x 150g cake is perfect for the granny square of the Gorgeous Granny Bag.   For the handles, flowers and bag top you could either use a second cake of Candy Swirl or use one or two solid Stylecraft Special colours to make the handles (which is what I did).

The unusual combination of the "Apple Sours" was just the right colour fix for one of my colour obsessed friends.

"Blueberry Gum" was the right choice for a Gorgeous Granny Bag for a less whacky friend.

"Gorgeous Granny" is more structured and slightly less casual than the popular "Fat Bottom Granny".   The lining is made separately and is worked into the bag without having to sew through the crochet fabric.   The handles are neat and sturdy and the collar keeps the contents of your bag safe and secure.

The lovely generous size of the bag makes it a great gift for friends who (like me) carry their life around with them in their handbags!    The pattern requires just under 300g of yarn and a small piece of fabric for the lining, making it a very economical "wow" gift.

This is my favourite take-a-long project as one yarn cake and a bamboo hook for the granny square base fit nicely into the "Gorgeous Granny" - perfect for plane, train, bus or car journeys.   On my recent trip to Johannesburg to visit my daughters I tried out a few locally stocked yarns and have made quite a lot of granny squares which will eventually become bags.   Although the Candy Swirl is still my favourite, Elle "Alula" and "Colour Crush" compare very favourably and as a bonus are very reasonably priced. 

THE PATTERN FOR MY GORGEOUS GRANNY BAG CAN BE FOUND IN MY RAVELRY STORE

It is now 15h00 here on the Hibiscus Coast and I have not yet picked up hook and yarn......... starting to go into withdrawal........ must go and get my daily fix.

Happy hooking lovelies!    Hope to see you again soon!