The Beast

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My brother, Frank, wanted a blanket for the couch... big enough for a serious nap. He does already have this throw I made in Camouflage Colors, but it isn't quite up to snuff for a winter snooze on the couch. (Frank likes to call that camouflage piece "Little Cami.") So, I started working on an upgrade for him, and whew! This took me a while. A little throw just isn't gonna do it this time. The new piece had to be long enough to cover his toes, and pull over his head. Also, needed to be wide enough to drape over a whole Army guy, but only just wide enough for the couch. Plus, of course, it had to look good in the living room... darn, no sparkle, no ruffles. I knew what I needed to do: granny squares made manly. This is a Manny Squares blanket. 


I know my way around big projects. I've made a few here and there. 😎 Like, say, oh, maybe something kinda like Ruffle Monster or Granny Square Greatness. 🤩 But I knew this napping-on-the-couch piece had to be just a bit different... a style befitting an old Army guy, and comfy cozy enough to be snooze friendly. So originally on this adventure, I had a concept for a large square blanket, of 3x3 granny squares. I did end up making all nine squares, extra large. Each square starts with a bulky weight yarn in camouflage, sc for 20 rows. That was then doubly framed with two medium weight yarns, first tan (sc four rows) then brown (dc four rows). The variation is colors, weights, and textures created a fantastic look and feel to each piece, I knew it was going to be awesome all pieced together. But when I set it all out for a test arrangement (with Frank in napping position on the couch) I immediately saw my error. Of course it needs to be a long rectangle, not a square blanket. No problem. I connected eight of the squares in a 4x2 arrangement, and I have the one square left over for a pillow. (Working on that piece right now! Stay tuned.)

Aw, look!! Little Cami is so cute there with The Beast. 


This is all the proper gear an old Army guy needs for serious napping.




It's hard to get a sense of scale on each square. I posed it here with one of Dad's old Forest Service name tags. Not sure if that makes it easier, or harder, to understand how big each square is... When I started connecting squares, I had some puckering issues. I know why. Imperfect corners. Careless counting stitches. Actually, I have to admit, I stopped counting stitches somewhere back there on the first or second square. It was all so big, and just getting bigger. In the expansion, no amount of puckering even matters... in fact, it seems to add to the comfy coziness of the whole beast all put together. 


Giant Granny Squares + Army Colors = Crochet Fun

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