Thursday, 23 July 2015

Granny Squares

I was at the hairdressers last week and (as you do) read the latest Vogue, the August issue.  It showed a crochet jacket designed by Rosetta Getty, worked in granny squares, which caught my eye because it's not the sort of thing you see in glossy magazines usually.  Vogue only showed a small photo, so I looked for the jacket online later, and found it in Rosetta Getty's Fall 2015 collection.

From Rosetta Getty's Fall 2015 collection

It's described in a review of the collection on Style.com as "a subdued tapestry floral, hippie-ish hand-crocheted knit".  Hand-crocheted is certainly correct, and I'd agree with hippie-ish.  Not sure about subdued, tapestry, floral, or knit, although the jacket does appear to have knitted cuffs, and button bands down the front that may be either knit or crochet - can't tell from the photo.  Anyway, it's very appealing.  I like the way that the black edge to each square, and the black cuffs and front bands, unify the whole design.  The other colours are good, too - rich, and not too many of them.  Granny squares are sometimes seen as a way of using up lots of oddments of wool, and it's hard to make the result look designed.

Are granny squares becoming fashionable?  Apart from the jacket, this week I saw a young woman wearing a sweater in granny squares, in fine yarn, so that the overall effect was quite drapey, and a bit hippie-ish, again.  And a few months ago, a  Knitting & Crochet Guild member asked me for a copy of a 1970s Emu pattern for a waistcoat in granny squares.  I was a bit surprised, but she was evidently more in tune with the times than I am.



So I'm trying to be convinced that granny squares are something that could be worn now without looking like a throwback to the 1970s.  I did make a long sleeveless jacket in granny squares back then.  (Though I don't think they were called granny squares - not by me, anyway.)   It was in camel and cream, and I wore it with a kilt in camel and cream plaid - it was smart in those days to wear everything matching, as I explained here.  And I crocheted a large granny square to make a cushion cover.  

Should I take up my crochet hook again?   I'm wondering....
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9 comments:

  1. Una23 July 2015 at 19:34

    I had a crochet waistcoat just like the Emu pattern in 1973. A friend of the family made it for me and I wore it a lot and received lots of admiring comments. I've heard they are coming back into fashion. I'd say choose a lovely yarn and pick up your hook. I might even make one.

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  2. Anonymous25 July 2015 at 07:49

    There are several boxes of granny square garments and blankets in the KCG collection. Perhaps we should get them out and post some pictures of them?

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  3. Anonymous26 July 2015 at 00:11

    I made a granny square shrug for my daughter. You can see it here. https://suth2.wordpress.com/2012/11/02/a-granny-square-shrug-in-cotton/
    and here https://suth2.wordpress.com/2012/11/13/i-do-get-there-in-the-end/

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    1. Barbara30 July 2015 at 10:38

      Thanks for the links to your posts - the finished shrug looks great.

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  4. Marie29 July 2015 at 15:26

    Ooh, this is interesting! The October meeting for Hudds KCG is scheduled to be Granny squares (Sarah volunteered to lead it) - how on trend are we?!

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    1. Barbara30 July 2015 at 10:35

      I'd forgotten - yes, very on trend. Definitely I should plan a Granny squares jacket.

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  5. Alex6 August 2015 at 21:56

    Paul Smith and House of Holland used Granny Squares in their collections 2011 and 2012,take a look.

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    1. Barbara8 August 2015 at 10:11

      Thanks for the pointer. A search for Paul Smith Granny Squares came up with a lot of images. (Including Cate Blanchett on a red carpet wearing a knee-length dress with one sleeve.) The colours are on the whole a lot more random than in the Rosetta Getty jacket - if I did that and not Paul Smith, it would look as though I'd been using up leftover yarn.

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