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.   

The baby and the owl....

Here are two other projects I worked on at the end of 2011.  

One for a new baby of a bloggy friend of mine, Jessica.  Which I was told is loved and getting much use from little Kellan.

And the owl I made for my dear friend, Jess's, daughter - Paige - who turned 1 November 2011.

Resurrection

I am bringing this place back to life. (once I figured out what email address I used and reset the password because lord knows my memory isn't THAT good). I've made it a goal of 2013 to crochet for 4 - 6 hours a week because I love it and it's relaxing. So I'll get back to posting here all the fun hooky stuff I make. So happy to be waking this place back up. As soon as I saw it I remembered how much I loved it when I had it before. Albeit for a super short time. This is where, I need to be. I'm so at peace with a crochet hook and a cozy yarn in hand. I don't know why I stopped. I do have a few things I've made since my last photo that I'll post up. Though, sadly, not as many as I would like. But that will be changing as well. So happy I've made this decision and I hope you will all enjoy visiting here... again.

Change of Plans

The benefit piece I was working on in the prior post is just turning out GHASTLY. I may even take a picture and post it so that others can share in my misery. So I decided to pick the wedding gift back up and make THAT be the benefit piece. It's almost finished. Hopefully I have until Saturday, but I may only have tonight to finish the rounds, do the border, wash and dry it. If I don't hear back from the benefit coordinator, then I'll have to turn it over to her husband tomorrow when I meet him at lunchtime. Oh, I hope I hear back from her. I have another 8 months to get the wedding gift done, so I'm not too worried.

Here's what I have SO close to the end.

UPDATE:   Here it is finished...  albeit a little blurry.

Starburst for Benefit

I had to put my other starburst aside to work on one for a silent auction to benefit a girl I went to high school with. Darcy McCleary for those of you who know me from school I have until the 26th of Feb to get it done but I did this today so I'm hoping I'll get it done a lot sooner.

Here it is, so far:

Other WIPs

Round Ripple - Vanna's Choice Yarn Aggie Mae's Pattern

Multi-color DC V-Stitch (modeled by the lovely Wilma)

Hexaghan (Attic 24's Pattern)