A House - GrannySpiration Challenge

We thought we got lucky at first, but we found out we were wrong when we went back with some flashlights and more time to inspect the house... 

  Those who follow the blog and have read my recent updates know I was one of many who lost their home to Hurricane Irma. This obviously makes it difficult to keep up with things like the GrannySpiration Challenge. It's been fun participating in the challenge and a great opportunity to work with other talented bloggers/crocheters, but I have no idea where my life will be going from here. I don't know if I can continue to commit to this monthly linkup and giveaway, so I'm choosing to give it up to make time to concentrate on where to go next... Meaning both mentally and literally finding a new house. For the month of October, for my last GrannySpiration Challenge, and to commemorate what was once my home, I'm sharing one last simple pattern: A house - My House.

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Don't forget to check out the links after the pattern to visit everyone in the Challenge and see what they've created! And as always, you can visit EyeLoveKnots to enter the giveaway and share your granny-inspired projects at the linkup.
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  I hope you can understand that this pattern is not meant to be a big pity-party for myself... Inspiration for my project came from Sigrid of KatKatKatoen. I remembered a story she shared of both good and hard times, and wanted to recreate her project to lift my spirits. Sigrid has crocheted many bright, happy-looking houses, but in the end I felt like I couldn't make myself something so colorful when my home sits dark, empty, and full of mold.

  This project is quite pitiful compared to her fun and lighthearted houses... But please keep in mind that it is NOT meant to be so sad after all! As I sat staring at a tangle of black scrap yarn (yes, I saved the yarn), the idea suddenly hit me: This can be sort of like a funeral for my home. (I know... How is that not depressing, right?) This is my way of leaving it all behind; to move on to a time and place where I will be able to get back to happy crocheting. For now, this black house full of holes represents what I have left, and I look forward to crocheting one of Sigrid's happy homes when I find one of my own.

  You could crochet this pattern in color for a less-depressing motif to use for a housewarming gift... Wouldn't it be cute attached as a tag to a basket of goodies? I also could see it sewn to a pillow, towel topper, or as part of the gift basket itself - A crocheted basket, of course. 😉 See, I've still got the ideas, just not the energy to make them happen yet. I think it has a lot more potential if created by someone in a better mood than me!

Skill level:
Easy

Materials:
Worsted weight (4) acrylic yarn
I used some scrap of Caron One Pound in Black - Total weight: Less than 0.5 oz/ 14 g
Crochet hook size H/8 - 5 mm
Yarn needle

Gauge:
Not important

Notes:
Chain 2 at beginning of rows does not count as a stitch.

Gauge is not important... You can use a different hook size for a larger or smaller house, but it's also easy to add or subtract rows to change size (see notes in instructions).

Stitches:
(American terms)
Chain
Double crochet
Slip stitch

Instructions:
*The pattern begins with the triangle that creates the roof of the house. See the note after Row 3 if working more/less rows for the size of your house.

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Begin with a magic circle, or chain-3 and join into a loop with a slip stitch.

Row 1:
Chain 2. (3 double crochet, 2 chain, 3 double crochet) in beginning loop.
*If using a magic circle, you may wish to wait before tightening your loop. Stitches will be worked into this space again when creating the wall of the house. (You could go ahead and tighten it a little if you wish to work over your tail - just leave yourself enough space for your hook!)

Row 2:
Chain 2, turn. 3 double crochet in the first stitch.
Chain 1. (3 double crochet, 2 chain, 3 double crochet) in the corner space/point of triangle.
Chain 1, make 3 double crochet in the last stitch.

Row 3:
Chain 2, turn. 3 double crochet in the first stitch.
(1 chain, 3 double crochet) in the next chain-1 space.
(3 double crochet, 2 chain, 3 double crochet) in the corner chain-2 space.
(1 chain, 3 double crochet) in the next chain-1 space.
**2 double crochet in the last space.
Chain 2, slip stitch in the same space.**

If a larger triangle is desired, end Row 3 with 3 double crochet. 
Continue working more rows in the same manner: 3 double crochet in the first stitch; (1 chain, 3 double crochet) in each chain-1 space, (3 double crochet, 2 chain, 3 double crochet) in the point/chain-2 space, and so on...
Work from ** to ** in the last stitch of the final row of your triangle.

Moving on to the "wall" of the house, we'll now work across the bottom of the triangle...


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Row 4:
Chain 2, DO NOT turn.
Make 2 double crochet in the same space as the slip stitch. 
*Do not work into the post-spaces of the stitches across the side. Instead, work into the same spaces that contain the sets of double crochet stitches.
2 double crochet in the next space, 2 double crochet in the beginning loop, 2 double crochet in the next space, and 2 double crochet in the last space.

All following rows:
Chain 2, turn.
1 double crochet in the first stitch, and each stitch across.
(10 double crochet total)

I worked four rows this way before finishing. 
Bind off, weave in ends.

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Happy Crocheting!

Whether on wheels or the ground, in a valley or on a hill
May your house always stand around you, strong and still.
Should nature ever destroy your place to dwell,
Remember this one thing, and remember it well:
Possessions and walls will never fill your heart,
But a smile on your face is the way to stay smart.
A house is just a house, and you make your home...
Memories stay with you wherever you roam.


  Of course it's hard to replace sentimental things like family photos or that memento given to you by a special person, but things are just things in the end. And it can be difficult to go from having your own home to moving back into a room at your dad's house at the age of 33, which I feel is well past the time to become independent from your parents... To be alive and safe - even if you cry yourself to sleep every night because you don't know what else to do right now and you wish you could just go talk to your dog's grave like usual - It's part of being alive. Life will get better someday. Until then, I hope you will continue to share my patterns and tutorials while I'm unable to create more... It's the biggest way you can help to support me at this time. 💗

  It's been a great experience to participate in the GrannySpiration Challenge and a wonderful opportunity to make new friends. This may be the end of the Challenge for me, but there are some wonderful bloggers who will continue to share their lovely patterns and inspiration with the world... Please don't forget to support them, too!







PS - To add insult to injury, I've had an irritating spammer hitting the blog's comment section nonstop while I'm unable to tend to it as I usually would... As a result, I've enabled comment moderation. So if you leave a comment, expect it to disappear! It will not be visible until I have time to approve it.

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