Flashback Friday Crochet baby blankets

So after finishing the thread crochet tablecloth for my mom I got back into yarn!  I got into baby blankets, they are just SO easy and so fast and it's satisfying to have a project you can finish (unlike the thread crochet tablecloth or cross stitched stocking I'm STILL working on for myself!).  I made one for both of my sisters babies, for cousin's kids and for my sister in law's baby.  I also got to make one for my latest two babies.  This one was for P's baby blessing (that's my mom, he's about a month old here)

And this one was for my baby girl!  I just LOVE the ruffles on the outside of this one!  The inner square went really quick, the ruffles took a LOT longer!  But it was done before she was born so yippee!  This is my youngest, S, 1 day old!   I need to lay out these blankets for better pictures.  This just doesn't do it justice (but she's sure cute and chunky, huh?)

knitting update or #80

So I've been working on goal #80, learn to knit and make one full project.  The learning part is coming along but finding the right first project has been rough. I tired a hat, but my circular needles were WAY too long, I think I'll have to get some double sided ones.  Then I fell in LOVE with this scarf, but there weren't free directions and who know how long it will take me to get around to buying the book.  I tried to make it up myself, I got the general gist, but obviously it's not right because it was just too hard to cable the third cross over every time.  And looking at the scarf pictures on blogs all over I could tell it wasn't right.  so I'll save it for another day and I kept looking around, looking around...

I few years ago, actually more like 6 or 8 years ago, I was watching TV and fell in LOVE with this twisted cowl scarf thing I saw on one of the actresses.  I've looked everywhere trying to find a pattern for it.  I've looked up every keyword I could think of all for nothing.  And while looking for instructions for the above scarf idea I came across a Moebius scarf.  A twisted scarf!  It was perfect!  So after looking at dozens of moebius and twisted scarfs I found a pattern I really like.  So my first kniting project is officially started!!!

Learning to Knit

As if I don't have enough going on getting ready for the party this weekend....  But I like to unwind at night catching up on my favorite shows on the internet when everyone else is asleep.  But I feel so useless without something in my hands.  I'm sick of my Christmas Stockings Cross stitch again (more on that later) and have 3 unfinished crochet projects I'm just not motivated by.  SO I thought it would be fun to learn to knit...

This is after the first night, I learned to knit, purl, and even do these cool cables!  I just loved the braided look.  And yes, this is my practice sample.  I'll take it all out when I'm done, but for now it's fun to watch it grow, even though it's ugly with the miss match patterns. 

I decided to go with something a bit trickier just to see if I could follow the directions correctly.  Other than repeating row1 twice (not part of the the pattern) I like it and think it turned out well.  So any suggestions on favorite patterns for my first full (to keep, not unravel) knitting project?

Flashback Friday- First Crochet

This was actually my VERY first crochet project.  We were living in Japan in 2003.  We'd been there for 6 months and I hadn't brought any crafts with me (knowing we wouldn't have much space in our Japanese apartment).  My mother in law was mailing our Christmas gifts to us and I mentioned I wanted to learn to crochet so she sent me some beginner's stuff! This was actually just a few days after Christmas and the first thing I made was this hat!  This is my oldest B. when she was 2 1/2~

They had beautiful yarn in Japan and I ended up making quite a few hats during the next month.  Then I discovered thread crochet...  That's a post for Next Friday!