27 July 2012

Crochet baby blankie for new nephew

OK, another storm and another power outage last night ... which jogged my memory about posting the baby blankie for our almost-4-month-old nephew.
Baby blankie in cotton yarn

mostly square, about 4 foot each side
It isn't soft - I used the same cotton yarn I make washcloths and bags out of - but it is sturdy and textured and will be perfect to set down on the floor or ground and give the little guy something to scoot around on as he learns how to propel himself.

For those who would like to hook one up, the pattern is here.

22 July 2012

Crochet sweater vest started

I finished up the baby blankie I've been working on since late March (I thought I posted it ...?  I must have been interrupted) after the first power outages in the storms a little over a week ago or so ... we got rain!  We sure needed it, since even the dandelions and quackgrass in the yard were giving up the ghost.  Not all of the garden survived (the sunflowers were knocked down by storms and didn't recover) but the squash is finally producing fruit, the 'maters survived both storms and hornworm, and the green beans are slowly coming off strike.

Now that the baby blankie is finally off the hook, I've been spending down time between yardwork trying to figure what to make next.  Yesterday's trip to Hobby Lobby yielded a project as 6 skeins of bamboo-wool yarn jumped off the clearance table and into my cart (of course, it cried, "Take me home!").  A thrift store book score from last month yielded the pattern: an 80s-style sweater vest.
Sleeveless shell top - aka 80s sweater vest
As you can see, I got started on it already this morning (after doing up a test square last night in some of my variegated cotton worsted, which will probably end up as a cute little bag).  I only have one skein of the blue, and want to stretch it out, with two of the "grape" purple and three of the red ... so it's seems obvious to me the shell part on the body should be red.

A quick pic of the book, for those whose tastes match mine who may wish to hunt this one up:
Granny Crochet Favorites - Leinhauser & Weiss, c 1989
It has a lot more than just afghans ... along with a dog blanket, bags, placemats, and whatnot there is also a nice pullover long-sleeved sweater pattern in it I plan to try once I get enough yarn all in the same fiber and weight.

Note to self: post the baby blankie pics soon.

02 July 2012

Garden flowers and crazy cat

Just a little pic update - more garden flowers, and the crazy cuddle-kitty who provided quite the chuckle this morning (and held still long enough for a pic!)
Double sunflower bloom

Cuddle-kitty, guarding the dog's bone