Thursday, March 7, 2013

The Un-pretty Baby Blanket

My friend is expecting her second son in just about 7 weeks or so.  Some things about my friend.

1.  She doesn't like inconveniencing anyone.
2.  She thinks of every imaginable bad thing that can happen.
3.  She feels bad about every bad thing that happens whether she's responsible or not.
4.  She has an impossibly huge heart that encompasses so much and so many.

Because of this I know a few things about what happens when you make things for her:

1.  She is terrified it will get dirty.
2.  She is terrified it will fall apart when it's washed.
3.  If it's too stunning she won't even use it.
4.  If it gets ruined she'll be heart broken.

Knowing all this I could not make her a standard, gorgeous, white, pink and blue baby blanket.  It would have to be different.  Comfortable.  Easy.

I needed her to know it would be ok when the baby pukes on it, poos on it and as a toddler drags it through the dirt on his way to drape it over a picnic table bench for a fun tent.

So without further ado...  the baby blanket:




Thank you, Ransom E. Olds....

Contrary to what we're taught in school as little tots, Henry Ford did not invent the assembly line.   The man who first came up with the concept was Ransom E. Olds, who probably turns over in his grave every time another child learns to credit the concept to Henry Ford.

Be that as it may, God bless Ransom E Olds and his assembly line.  It is by far the quickest way to feel like you're accomplishing anything when crocheting motifs.

Seen here, an example of assembly line operation:



All the yellows are done and I'm working on adding the purple.    For what you may ask?   They will be the centers of 18 more of those lovely, delicious octagons right here:


I need 20 of those octagons total and eventually 12 of those squares.   And they're all going to come together to make one of these:

Afghan made by Mikey from The Crochet Crowd.
Find them on Facebook.  This is March's Mikey's crochet
afghan club.

I'm super excited to get mine done and put together.    The goal date is March 20th.  I've never made anything so quickly except for dishrags.   

If anyone is interested in making this afghan there are tutorials for the whole process on youtube.   Here is the link to the first one.  Mikey's instructions are awesome.