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 :)