Blankets

I love crocheting blankets. I think they are the most fun to crochet and work up so much faster than knitting them. And one more bonus ... crochet uses up more yarn than knitting does. If you have seen my "stash" then you know I need to use up some yarn! But that doesn't seem to stop me from purchasing more when there is a good deal to be had :)

This first blanket is from the pattern Easy Ripple Afghan by SusanB. I chained 98 to produce a blanket that is 29" x 32". I love the pink, green and white together. So much so that I bought yarn from JoAnns that is the same colourway and made this next blanket from it.

The yarn is JoAnns Sensations Little Treat and is really nice and soft. The yarn does all the colour changing so no extra tails to weave in at the end. The pattern is Lovely Lattice Baby Blanket by Diana Richie. It is available from the Heavenly Angels In Need forum.

Finally, the last blanket I've finished in the past month or so is Blanket for Baby made with JoAnns Sensations Little Treat yarn as well. This time in blue, green and white. This is the third time I've made this pattern so it must be good. I usually don't make anything more than once because I get bored. I think I chained about 100 for a finished blanket of 22" x 25".

All three of these blankets will go to NILMDTS photographers to use in their angel sessions.

Currently on the needles is the Wool Eater Blanket made with many leftover balls of 100% wool yarn. I'm sending this one to Pine Ridge Hospital Maternity Ward in SD when it's done. Picture next time.

Enjoy the rest of May and I hope that the weather where you are is much better than it is here in the PNW. So rainy and grey but good knitting/crocheting weather!

Knitting Tuesday

On Tuesdays I go to a knitting group at a local yarn shop. We knit hats and scarves for Operation School Bell through the Assistance League. After knitting for an hour and a half or so we go for lunch. Since I'm a stay at home mom it's nice to be able to get out and meet with other women of like craftiness to chat about life. Currently I'm working on a scarf.

Last week I gave in a bought the baby knitting book 60 Quick Baby Knits from the LYS. It has such adorable patterns for newborn up to 24 month size though I think some of the items would fit much larger toddlers. Of course I put all the other projects I was working on aside and had to knit the sweater pattern on the cover. And also this cute hat.

Of course I then proceeded to cast on for another baby sweater with some fair isle on the bottom of it. Both the sweater and hat pictured are going to Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.

On the quilting front I'm working on a quilt by McKenna Ryan called Faith, Hope, and Love. It is so pretty. One day it will be finished!

2 years is a long time ...

I'm amazed at how many people are still coming to this site even though I haven't posted in over 2 years. How time flies by. Of course I'm still doing all kinds of crafts and have relearned how to crochet. I was taught by my mom when I was probably 12 or 13 and didn't do much of it. I still have the scarf and hat I made as my first project. My mom kept them for me:)

I really haven't been doing much quilting lately. Since I'm not doing our charity quilt group at church I just haven't had much motivation to do much. Mom's quilt guild has an annual quilting retreat in February and I went again this year. Pieced and sandwiched a large queen size quilt. And here it sits in my pile of "to do" projects waiting to be quilted.

The most exciting news (for me anyway) is that 3 of my quilts were accepted into a small art show. They will be hanging there for 2 months. This is a first for me to have quilts in an actual art show.

The dragonfly quilt is hand appliqued and a pattern from Pacific Rim Quilt Company.

In the Fall Leaves Quilt I did machine embroidery on hand dyed fabric and then cut the leaves out, machine appliqueing them onto the background. The piecing is done with Japanese fabrics, most from old kimonos.

And the last quilt is pieced from Japanese fabrics I bought on our trip to Japan in 2008.

Maybe I won't wait another 2 years to post again!