Crochet Baby Gifts

My dear friend Anna has been busy crocheting me some lovely gifts for the baby - which I received at my baby shower a few weeks ago...

Just look at that cute elephant!!!

Don't you just love the eyelashes?!  My favourite bit!

For over ten years, when Anna crocheted the cutest baby blanket for her daughter, I have been hankering after one of her beautiful blanket creations... and finally the time came!

I'm a big aqua fan - so she picked my favourite colour!  It's got such lovely soft drape too - gorgeous!

Thank you so much Anna, I'm so grateful!  What a lucky little girl she is, and she's not even here yet!

Filet Heart Crochet Baby Blanket

With 10 days until my due date, I have finished the crochet blanket I've been making for the baby!

I'm so pleased with it!

PATTERNS

I have amalgamated two patterns to make this.

Heart Squares
The pattern for the heart squares is the Christmas Cheer Heart on Ravelry.

Amendments:
I started each square with a chainless foundation row of dc (US)/tr (UK) instead of a chain row and then the first row of dc/tr.

Instead of the white round in the pattern, I have finished each square with a round of sc (US)/dc (UK) in the same colour as the square.

Joining
I used the Continuous Flat-Braid Join by The Patchwork Heart.  I love the effect this join gives!  I could either do the join straight into the squares, or border each square with a round of sc (US)/dc (UK) in the joining colour (white).  I chose to do that as it gave the look I wanted.  Although, unfortunately it meant I needed to sew in 2 extra ends per square - that was 70 ends!!  Worth it in the end, though!

Once the squares were joined, I simply went round the whole blanket with hdc (US)/htr (UK).  I worked two into each loop around the edge.  Then when it came to the joins between squares, I worked dc (US)/tr (UK) as they were slightly lower than the rest of the loops - to bring them up to the same height.  I also worked five stitches into those joining sections - two into each loop and one into the middle over the crossing of the loops.  (This will make more sense if you have crocheted this flat-braid join and have it in front of you!)

I contemplated doing more with the border, but decided I was happy as it was.  I think it's a simple edging that finishes the blanket off nicely.

YARN
The yarn I used is King Cole Cottonsoft DK in the below colours: - you can buy some of this yarn at Love Crafts*.

712 Rose
1600 Buttercup
713 Lilac (I think this is discontinued, but I found it on ebay)
715 Mint
716 Candy (I think this is discontinued but I found it on ebay)
710 White

HOOK
I used a 5mm hook, as that is my standard for DK yarn, as I'm a tight crocheter.

MEASUREMENTS

It measures approximately 83cm x 115cm.


What do you think?  I love it!


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Check out my completed crochet items here.

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Knitted Baby Hat

I'm just popping in to show you my latest make.  Nothing else has been finished lately, hence the lack of posts.

I should have been getting on with the baby blanket, which is coming along nicely.  However, I was hit with a sudden desire to knit a baby hat!  I started and finished it yesterday - although did barely anything else all day, and didn't finish until nearly midnight.  Probably not the best idea this late in the pregnancy - I need my rest!

Years ago (about five years!), I won some Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino in a giveaway run by Susan of Mary Jane's Tearoom.  I'd been saving it for a special occasion - and I figured my own baby was special enough!  I've never used this make of yarn before, and it was SO soft to work with - I'll definitely be using it again.  The little hat feels so lovely and soft.

The pattern I used was this one from Mack and Mabel.  (Thank you for a great pattern!)  I didn't have any circular needles with the right length cable, so attempted DPNs.  However, I seemed to get in such a muddle with them for some unknown reason.  I've used them before, but my brain was not computing yesterday!  I considered the magic loop method, but after wasting so much time on the DPNs, I decided it was not the day to attempt something new.  Conclusion, I knitted it flat and sewed the seam with mattress stitch.  (The pattern includes knitting in the round instructions, and knitting flat, which is handy!)

I'm really pleased with how it came out!  The seaming was a nightmare, though - I lost count of how many times I pulled it back and started again.  It was my first attempt at mattress stitch and it was late in the evening... eventually I cracked it and it looks pretty neat.  (I forgot to take a picture of the back with the seam, and I can't be bothered to heft my massive bump up and do it now, so you'll have to take my word for it!)

If I were to make another one, I think I would try to do it in the round on circular needles with the right cable length.  I think it would be easier that way and there would be no seam to sew.

I think it looks very cute, although I'm not sure whether it will fit the baby or not!  I have no idea what sized head she is going to have.  We'll just have to wait and see!

THE DETAILS

Yarn:  Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino in Baby Pink.

Needles:  3.5mm for the garter edge, 4.5mm for the rest.  This is bigger than the needle size called for, but I have a tight tension and was also knitting the preemie size so wanted it to come out a little bigger, but not as big as the 0 - 3 months size.  (Although, again, I have no idea what size my baby is!!)  And I didn't swatch - naughty!

Pattern:  Preemie size, knit flat instructions from here.

Check out my (very few) completed knitted projects here.


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