Crochet Granny Square Blanket

Hello there, how are you doing?

I've been working on this crochet blanket for months now, and I'm finding it difficult, but I really want to finish it so I can start my next blanket project which involves more granny squares and using up the huge bag of left over yarn scraps I've accumulated over the years.

It's not the pattern I'm finding difficult as I'm using Attic 24's Granny Square pattern, which is really easy to follow (just like all of her patterns) and using the join as you go method to join my squares. My issue is that normally I'm quite quick at crochet, I've been known to make full size ripple blankets in 3 weeks just doing a few hours every night after work, I really enjoy it, it's quite relaxing but when I started this blanket I discovered I'd damaged my hands (not through extreme crochet activities I might add), at first it was diagnosed as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, now it turns out that I've trapped or damaged nerves in my spine, so I can only crochet for a very short period of time before my hands get too sore and sometimes they're just too sore and swollen to pick up the crochet in the first place, but I'm not going to give up, I just need to re-adjust my attitude and accept that it's going to take a bit longer than I'm used to, which is why I'm posting about it here, because if I tell you guys, then you know, then I have to do it, otherwise you'll know I haven't.

So here is the blanket, I'm using Stylecraft DK, it's my favourite blanket yarn as it washes really well (on a handwash cycle and in a small duvet cover to stop it snagging on the machine) I'm using 6 colours which are Pomegranate, Candyfloss, Raspberry, Clematis, Fondant and Pale Rose (left to right along the top row) I also plan on putting a pale grey scalloped border around the edge. I'm just over halfway through and have about 56 squares to go. It's folded over so I could hang it over ... our new garden fence! I've been waiting (read as nagging Hubs) 2 years for this and I am so happy it's finally built, unlike the furry boy below... 

...who is the entire reason that the hedge had huge Bailey Dog shaped holes in it. He liked to chew big holes in the hedge then dive through it into next doors garden, not good! Especially as I had to dive through the hedge after him, then carry the huge mutt back through the hedge. His Houdini days are over! Yay! I no longer have to patrol the garden when I let him out. I don't think he's speaking to me though.

Claire xx