Two kinds of news

This week has been filled with extended family news - some lovely and some sobering.

Our nephew and his wife are having a baby and I decided to try my hand at making a corner-to-corner baby blanket, using a mixture of neutral colours, though I do have some thoughts regarding the gender of the expectant little bundle (because of a dream I had several weeks ago, prior to even knowing of the pregnancy!)
You may be able to spot my subtle "tells" if you look closely (of course I could be wrong but my dream was quite specific and occurred, as I said, before any knowledge of the existence of the precious new life).

I crocheted with double strands of 3, 4 & 6 ply throughout, using mostly Portacraft yarn, and a 5.25 mm hook.
Surprisingly, it only took me two days; corner-to-corner is an amazingly quick pattern to work up;

And here it is...

The colours were chosen at random and I changed colour when I felt like it, hence it's a hodge-podge of stripes. White or cream were always one of the yarn colours and provided a base for the other colours to show through while muting them to a softness that, I think, is essential when making baby items. Baby bits not only need to be soft, they need to look soft.
Of all the colours, my favourite combo when crocheting was the white and Gelato Coffee mix (seen in the bottom right corner and further up the blanket). I loved how the two went together. (Gelato is part of the Portacraft range.)

My "label", very tightly sewn on as a safety precaution.

I love the pattern produced by a C2C stitch; it's unique, and very lovely.

I love photos that show the layers of blankets, hence my including this one!



The other extended family news was, as I said, sobering. One of the extended family has been diagnosed with cancer. I faced that ugly dragon a few years ago (and I'm still here, against all the odds - thank you, Jesus) so this was rather upsetting for us all, bringing back memories of what is ahead for our in-laws.
Feeling rather helpless, I turned to something I know how to do -crochet - and made them a beanie. When I lost my hair I wore a footy beanie and was very glad of it (you've no idea, unless you've been bald, how cold you get when you have no crowning glory to keep your head warm)!
I didn't crochet back then, or I would have probably made myself a truckload of beanies, so, now that I do crochet, I've started someone else's truckload with this one:

Basic, simple, soft, warm (with a removable flower for prettiness, if so desired).

My youngest bairn, also a crocheter, is planning to make a beanie, too. So, the truck is filling up fast!
Prayers for our relative (and their family) would be appreciated.
Hold your loved ones tight; none of us knows what tomorrow will bring.

Shalom :)

Colours of the moor

I recently finished another lap blanket using colours inspired by a blog post from Lucy of Attic 24, showcasing her Moorland Blanket and the beautiful colours chosen (see here).

I decided on the trinity stitch for my blanket (also called bramble, blackberry, raspberry and cluster stitch) and finished it in just over a week. I love this stitch; it's perfect for blankets as it feels quite thick and lush and, once you get the hang of the repeat, it's so easy to work up that you almost feel you could drift away while working on the blanket!

I used mostly Portacraft 8 ply yarn, matching the colours as closely as possible to the Attic 24 equivalents, but did manage to include some Stylecraft Special D.K., thanks to a wonderful new craft shop that's recently opened in my town.

Et voilà 

The lighting is not the best (looks a bit yellowish) but I love the colours of this blanket; they are scrumptious!

A close-up of the border: several rows of linen stitch (a.k.a. moss stitch) finished with a row of small scallops. The colours were chosen from the blanket palette.

Folded and ready for use; another one to add to my Blanket Basket Collection :)





On a different note, one of our grandbabies celebrated a birthday this week so, amongst other gifts, I made them a basket of "food".

A carrot, a banana, broccoli (more like broccolini, considering the size), a gigantic pear (just the way the pattern worked out), a lettuce, tomato and cheese sandwich and a small carton of milk.
The milk was my own pattern and, while it doesn't look anywhere near as neat as others online, I think it's cute!




I'm trying out some new stitches, practising by making dishcloths and washcloths, and they are looking quite pretty. Stay tuned... 😊

A blanket for a season...

Late last year I "stumbled" across a blog post that featured a truly stunning blanket (see here)
(I say "stumbled" in quotation marks because I don't think it was coincidental. I was meant to find that post at that time.)

I pored over the post, admiring the beauty of the work, to the point where I decided to try my hand at making my own version of the blog lady's Isle of Skye blanket.

I studied the photos on her blog until I felt I had the pattern in my head (helped along by a comment left in the comments' section about spacing) and then I set to work planning my colour scheme and gathering the appropriate yarn.

I decided to use as much scrap yarn as possible and keep to a blue/brown/cream theme, much like the original blanket, but with bolder hues of blues and browns rather than pastel shades.
I scoured op. shops for colours and the correct ply-thickness (8 ply - similar to D.K. in the U.K. or light worsted in the U.S.) and found a bounty of yarns, both wool and acrylic (I didn't mind a mixture).
Some yarns were no bigger than a golf ball but, if I loved the colour, they were included.
Each square in my blanket was only four rows in total so even the smallest balls of yarn seemed to be enough for at least one patch (I only remember one or two where I had to join another yarn before a square was finished.)

I used a 5mm hook, the join-as-you-go method, a border of linen stitch, and completed the project in 10 days - and I loved every minute of it; it was a balm to my soul and carried me through a challenging and difficult period of time.
I called it my "Night Season" blanket and I am deeply attached to it; when I look at it I am not reminded of the situation at that time but of the joy and comfort and deep peace I experienced whilst fashioning each and every stitch. The peace that passes all understanding, as the Bible calls it, encompassed me as I worked on what I later realised was a blessing and a gift from the Giver of all good gifts.

So, here it is, imperfect and not a patch on the original that inspired it, but much loved, nonetheless - my Night Season blanket:

I thought about taking the washing off the line before taking photos but it was only 7am and the dew was still on it!

A close-up of the border and my "button label". I did a linen stitch border but realised afterward that I should have gone up a size in the hook as it is a tight border stitch (lesson learned).

Artfully draped over our chaise longue like it was made for that spot :)

I made it big enough for a lap blanket (unlike the original, which was much larger).

Folded...

 ... or crumpled, the colours just draw me in and hold my gaze.



Did I say how much I love it? (joking!)

It's not going to be a show pony, though, it's going to be put to work, keeping people warm -family and visitors alike!
Life's too short to put away the good things, the lovely things, the expensive things; get them out and use them. Splash beauty everywhere, it's well worth the effort :)