Blankets and Mitts

This week we are all on tenterhooks at Chez Kit and Kaboodle, awaiting the birth of Ian’s 13th grandchild, who we already know is going to be a boy - a long awaited brother for Scarlett, who I've featured a few times on this blog. He was due last Friday but seems in no hurry to leave his safe harbour and enter the world, so all we can do is sit and wait.

Over the last couple of weeks, as has become a tradition in our family, I made a crocheted baby blanket for his Green Winnie the Pooh themed nursery;


which in part was based on this crocheted blanket pattern found over on Ravelry;

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/may-day-baby-blanket

and partly made up as I went along. The edging was crocheted courtesy of a tutorial made easy by the wonderful Alice of the Crochet with Raymond blog;

http://crochethealingandraymond.wordpress.com/2010/09/29/coffee-vs-computer/


More dedicated crocheters than I would perhaps block the blanket to give it a more straight edged appearance, but I quite actually like the 'crinkle' effect different tensions in the two repeated panels give it, so I've decided to be lazy and leave well alone. The blanket itself was crocheted in Stylecraft Special DK, which is acrylic therefore easy to wash - which if Scarlett is anything to go by, is a blessing in disguise!

I'd over-estimated the amount of yarn needed for this blanket - like topsy it just growed and growed without my having to use quite as much as I'd originally planned, so I've found myself another project to do to use some of it up;

http://stitchnationyarn.com/Patterns/lettuce-knit-armwarmers.html

which has enabled me to learn how to do a simple repeat lace pattern - something I've never tried when knitting before. This is as far as I've got but I'm loving watching the pattern grow;


I'm not sure long fingerless mitts are really me, but I will finish these as the pattern specifies and if I like the outcome might make myself a shorter pair to wear.....probably just in time for the summer!