My one a day blanket is coming along nicely.
So far I have made more rounds than I've joined because I have been trying to work out how many completely different squares I could make from the 7 colours I've chosen but my brain just isn't up to the maths! Though I have managed to work out that for any group of 3 colours there are 6 possible combinations…
…but that's as far as my brain can compute and so I'll just have to work out the rest as I go along! The plan for happy-thought-thinking is working out well too and blankety thoughts this week have centred on confirmation that Amy has a place at the senior school she and we were hoping for – she's so excited! I've also been lazily mulling over seed planting and daydreaming about summer picnics inspired by a book I got from the library this week. It feels good to have set a little corner of the day aside for hooking and happy thoughts!
Hope there are some happy thoughts happening with you too.
little cotton rabbits 
Very pleased to hear there are happy thoughts with you at the moment – long may they continue.
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Math thought are happy thoughts for me, so here is the answer to your question.
On your picture, your rounds have three rows with three choices of colour. I’m assuming you don’t want to use a colour twice in the same round.
So first row, 3 choices; second row, 2 choices; third row 1 choice. The number of possibilities is then 3 X 2 X 1 = 6 possibilities.
If you have three rows with 7 colour choices you have : first row, 7 choices; second row, 6 choices; third row, 5 choices. The number of possibilities is then 7 X 6 X 5 = 210 possibilities!
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These are just so pretty! I love the colours you’ve chosen, and even though crochet usually makes me go “Ick!”, that’s totally not happening here! Awesome little circles of happy!
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So glad the happy-thought-thinking is working for you!
The colours look great, I see someone has come up with a formula, if that’s correct it’s going to be a big blanket. 🙂
So pleased for Amy and you that she has got her chosen school!
This gorgeous weather certainly makes you think of picnics. 🙂
Vivienne x
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The blanket looks lovely and I really like your colour choice. I am also intrigued about the book you have been reading though as I love musing over picnics too.
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It’s looking very pretty, Julie – I couldn’t do the maths either (well I probably could, but my mind wanders!). I’m so pleased for Amy – and you of course. It’ll be one less thing to worry about – more time for happy thoughts.
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Its going to be gorgeous and happy picnicky thoughts to you too x
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Annick and I are both happy with maths, then. And I’m so happy she explained it. Combinatronics is kind of fun, in a confusing sort of way. But I’d trust your instinct on this one. Funny how art is based on math quite often, but more often than not, completely intuitively.
Whatever the basis of your design, it is fresh and refreshing, as all of your work is. And how lovely the tone and admiration in all of the comments here are. I love it when people speak their affection and don’t just lurk and let others do it. They must not understand how important their own words are.
beautiful as always!
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LOL! Yesterday I was trying to figure out how many paving stones I will need to go around my square foot gardens, which, by the way, thank you for your post and links. Most helpful! No linkabords in the USA though…… so sad. I’m going to make my own. (GASP!) Anyway, I was trying to do the math and the brain as you say wasn’t computing so I got out the graph paper and drew each garden and the stones around and then sat and counted the darned things one by one. 😀 All 344 of them. I’m sure there was a mathematically easier way but I sure couldn’t figure it out!
Beautiful crotchet work. I just love the colors you chose. So pretty.
Happy about your girl too! It’s nice when things work out. Especially when harder things are happening. Nice to get a break every once in awhile. Once less thing to worry about!
Hugs!
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Love the colours you have chosen and can’t wait to see the finished blanket.
Are we going to see crocheted colourful rabbits in the near future! Glad Amy has got the school that you both wanted.
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Your blanket is going to be a true joy whe all those colour combinations come together. This weather we are having is defnitely inducing happy thoughts here too xox Really pleased to hear your daughter has got into her school x I’vegot that stress to look forward to this coming year!
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The blanket is looking good – perhaps it could double up as a picnic throw – but maybe not. If you’re like me you won’t want to get it dirty after all that hard work.
I must say that picnic book looks very tempting. Warm here, too.
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Your happy thought blanket is looking very pretty 🙂
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So pleased that it’s working out for you! And the blanket is coming along nicely too!
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Hi Julie, I’ve been looking in on your lovely blog for a little while now and it is always beautiful and full of inspiration! Your blanket is going to be gorgeous, I’d really like to learn to crochet now! Perhaps I’ll ask my Mum in Law to show me at the weekend. Alison
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I’ve learnt a new word, combinatronics. Whatever the maths and language, make the most of each moment, at the end of the year(?) or however long it takes, it will be like the blanket bought with your Gandy’s money, love in a huggable blanket.
Go Amy! Enjoy the next steps finding out about your new school.
x
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Thrilled for Amy and you that you have the school you want. We found out about Oscar’s school earlier in the month and am still overjoyed
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this is going to be a beautiful blanket, I love your colour choices. xxx
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I think… and it is possible that I’m completely wrong… that with 7 possible colours you should have 7x6x5x4x3x2x1 different combinations…which is 5,044! a lot of squares. They’re looking good though
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Hi Julie
Amazed by Annick and her maths.
Loving the blanket pieces they are gorgeous.
I have that picnic book on my Amazon wishlist amongst many other things (always hoping!), I do love a Picnic and have a yearly family event at our local ‘special park’ Bushey Park near Hampton Court for my birthday each July.
Well done Amy that is great news.
Davina x
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very cool 😉
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Very pretty indeed. Before i had Zac, I started to crochet some circles intending to join them as I went. But I then got bogged down with the colour combinations as I was using nearly 20 different colours and was too frightened to do the maths. I’m glad I didn’t as I’d be making a blanket the size of a main sail! Maybe just random combinations is the way forward for me then at least I don’t feel compelled to crochet every single combination which would probably take me a lifetime!! 🙂
Pen x
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Hello Julie,
I am working on a granny square blanket since the month of October – it is not finished yet. I crochet a row and then sew it to the main piece. My question is: Do you follow a certain rule for weaving the ends in the back? I am not looking forward to that part of the project. When I flip it over all I see millions of loose multi-colored ends of yarns. Any tips ?
Thank you – love your blog – you are on my daily blog read.
maria
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What pretty, bright colors! I can’t wait to see it when it’s finished…
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I recently finished reading “Beach Street Knitting Society” by Gil Martin. Followed it up with the sequel, Needles and Purls. Loved them both. Makes me long for another trip across the pond.
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It’s a pleasure to see such a lovely crochet project. It’s very inspiring; I may have to put down my needles for a little while and pick up a hook!
Congratulations to your daughter, and keep up the good thoughts.
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Beautiful blanket so far, Julie! I love the idea of a Happy Thoughts blanket. I, too, originally thought there would be thousands of color combinations, but I forgot that only 3 colors can appear in each square, so I think Annick’s math is correct – even at 210, there are a lot of possibilities!
Congrats to Amy getting into the school she wants. My daughter is just getting ready for middle school, too. It’s a very exciting time!
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Lovely blanket …all strength to the Happy Thoughts Project! We had our first picnic of the season this week, in glorious sunshine…Yippee! Everything seems happier in the sun! Thrilled that Amy has the school she wants. Jenni x
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GREAT ABOUT AMY,LIKE YOUR BLANKET.
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Your blanket looks beautiful! Can’t wait to see it finished.
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they do look lovely and am tempted to join in!
xxx
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The way I see it, you’ve got two sets of combinations- the colours, and the placements. When you have to choose 3 colours out of 7, there’s 7x6x5=210 choices of combinations, as Annick said.
Then with these 210 combinations of colour, you can place them in different ways. So for each combination, with three colours and three placings, you have 3×2(x1)=6 ways of placing them.
So 210 combinations x 6 ways of placing each colour combination = 1260 squares. Methinks that’ll make a good sized blanket 😛
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Hey, Annik was pretty much right about how many options you have for colours; however, I think that you’ll (only )have 654= 120 options, as you’re saving one of the colours just for the edging. Love the blanket anyway, and I’m sure that it’ll be lovely when it’s finished. I wish I could crochet, but I don’t have the time to learn. Have to stick to knitting for the time being:P
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Your afghan looks just like spring! My sister has recently learned to crochet, and loves your afghan. What size hook are you using and why did you use DK weight vs worsted?
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I love your blog – I wish you had a posts RSS feed, so I would not miss a post! I can’t find one anywhere on your site – only a comments feed. 🙂
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That’s going to be a pretty blanket. Love the colours!
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So pretty. Your spring has sprung and how fab your little one is noticing the changes.
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it’s going to look gorgeous!!
(and well done on the school front, what a relief, eh?)
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Actually, it’s combinatorics. I got it wrong. That’s what I get for using a word I learned twenty years ago and have never used since, LOL. I hope jill doesn’t find herself embarrassed, all my fault!!
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Lots of people have replied to you with the correct answer of 210 different circles you could produce with 7 colours. There are 3 places in which the colour could occur, for the first place you have 7 colour choices… for the second you have 6 colour choices… for the third you now have 5 colour choices. The maths behind this is 7x6x5=210. It looks like you have a few mathsy readers who are all happy to help you out with any maths related questions you might have 🙂 thinking of you x
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