Where there's a will…

Although dealing with doctors can sometimes be frustrating, here's a case to restore all faith in the medical profession.

This little guy…  well, let's just say he has started life here on Earth on his own terms.  The latest installment of those "terms" was to arrive a bit early… 9 weeks early!  He weighed about 3.5 lbs.  He is the newest member of our family - my husband's cousin's grandson.  I think that makes him our third cousin!

I'm always happy to have a baby on the horizon so I can make a blanket.  I had this one all timed out to be finished in July.  Oops!  The little guy arrived in May, so I got into high gear and finished it up.  This is Lucy's Neat Ripple pattern from Attic 24.  I used a Martha Stewart Crafts yarn.  It says "extra soft wool blend", with the blend being 65% acrylic and 35% wool.  I loved working with it, and the result was very soft and cuddly.  It washed and dried beautifully.

After spending 6 weeks under the watchful eye of his nurses and doctors and parents in the hospital, he is now home and growing and thriving.  His Mom and Dad sent this cute picture of him enjoying his stroller and his new blankie.

Last I heard, he is closing in on 11 pounds.  All is good.  I'm thankful to live in a time and place where stories like this can have a happy ending.

Cute little baby hat

Well, it seems that almost all of my same-age friends are becoming grandmothers.  And I (always on the lookout for some excuse to push away from my desk), have made a sweet little hat for a friend's first grandbaby.

I always thought that crocheting something round would be "advanced", but trust me - this was easy.  In fact, I made this hat while watching the Jayhawks lose that basketball game last Saturday.  (Not a pleasant association I must say.)

The hat seems kind of tiny...  but so are newborn babies... so I think it will fit.  It's a bit stretchy too.

I used a cotton sport weight yarn by Saucy.  The brim is rolled up in the photo, but it can also be worn down to make it a little sun hat.  The hooked mat underneath is a pattern designed by Anita White.  I used scraps of many different colors to make the pennies.

Now, back to work until the next distraction comes along.

Have a great day!

First Baby Blanket is finished!

Here is the baby blanket I just finished for my sis-in-law's new grandson in Mexico.  I was inspired by the wonderful photos and instructions on the attic24 blog I have mentioned before.

 The blanket is made with Lion Brand Cotton-Ease yarn.  I think it will be perfect for cool summer nights up in the mountains in Mexico!

This photo is a little dark.  I used the lime green as the last round for each square, then used it again to join the squares together. 

 After joining all the squares, I put four rounds (four different colors) around the entire outside, then finished off with the lime green.

 Sylvester really likes it - he is a bit lime green himself!

Well Sylvester is not really supposed to be standing up in his chair - but here he is giving the blanket his seal of approval!  Say Adios Sylvester - the blanket is going to Mexico!

The next blanket is going to be very similar, but with a wool yarn (because the baby lives in Norway).  Right now there are colorful little squares piled up all over the place - nothing sewn together yet.  Maybe it will be finished in about a week???

Have a great day!

Baby Blanket Fun

Not long ago I discovered a wonderful blog written by a young woman in England.  I think I found it when searching for a ripple pattern for crochet.  I loved the color and creativity in her work, the photos, and her writing - pretty much everything about her blog!  I find myself checking it out every morning to see if there is anything new - it is a such a cheerful way to start to the day!  The "British" influence is fun to hear - great words and expressions.  If you want to check it out:  www.attic24.typepad.com

If you do check out her blog, you'll see her love of clear, bright colors.  They're everywhere!

So, what does all that have to do with Baby Blanket Fun???  It just so happens that my sister-in-law has a brand new grandbaby in Mexico (a little boy), and another one the way in Norway (a little girl).  I'm making little granny square blankets for both babies - both inspired by attic24.  I have not found a cotton or cotton blend yarn with the wide variety of colors I see at attic24.  I think she uses mostly wool yarn. 

Here is the blanket going to Mexico (still in progress).  It is made with Lion Brand Cotton-Ease yarn.  The smaller squares will each have one more round of the light green (like the larger squares), then all 20 squares will be joined using the light green color to whip them together.  After joining the squares, I will probably put several rows of border around the blanket's outer edge using some of the other colors.

The Norway blanket will be made with wool yarn (since it is cold in Norway!).  I'll post that one when it is a little further along. 

These are lots of fun to do!  And of course there are endless variations on the granny square.  The one I'm using is super simple.

That cute basket holding the yarn was purchased last Saturday at the Lenexa Hook-in.   The basket booth always has great baskets at affordable prices.  Lots of my rug hooking friends have the large basket with canvas handles to store and carry their rug hooking projects.

Have a great day!