One more baby UFO down...

After finding out my friend's baby was born a little earlier than expected, I've been hustling to finish his little knitted blanket. It was all done in stockinette stitch, with a celery-coloured crochet border. I then threaded more celery yard through the stitches in a 4 lines-space-2 lines-space type of pattern, just for a little interest. I had initially wanted to embroider in some sort of meaningful verse, but it just didn't work out. For good measure, I knitted a little matching hat. Now off to the post office!

To market I will go...

Well, the local farmers' market is closed for the winter season, but I finally finished the large crochet market bag I started last season, so I'll be ready to go in the spring! The bag is a simple circular design, worked in double crochet with increases and decreases to shape it. I made it mostly while chatting with friends, so I didn't bother counting how many rows and stitches -- if I make another, it won't be exactly the same, but who cares -- the end result is better than using plastic or those awful shedding 'fabric' bags from the grocery store.

Here's a pic...


I'm still working on finishing the baby afghan for my friend's new baby, due to arrive any moment, so no more UFOs to distract me until that's completed and mailed off.

Sticks and string

I haven't been posting, but I have been busy crafting in the evenings now that the holidays are over. So, without further delay, here's what I've been doing.

First off, I started knitting again. After not doing it for decades, I re-discovered knitting again this past year, and it's been great. This is a basic beanie and mitten set I made for my five-month-old nephew. I didn't use a pattern, but the pieces are very basic -- not even thumbs in the mittens.



Next up is a hat for my youngest son. It actually started out as a large, flat, swatch, but I didn't like how thick the swatch ended up being for what I originally had in mind, so I stitched it into a hat. Waste not, want not.


Next up were some cute scarves for a bevy of little girls celebrating their birthday at the same party. Three of the girls are sisters (triplets), and two others are friends, so I wanted similar, but not identical, gifts. And, of course, they had to be ruffly, girly, pink and pretty. The pattern was a freebie from Ravelry.



The four older girls were turning four and got the scarves, but I thought a scarf might have been a strangulation risk for the youngest (turning 2), so she got a felt crayon roll instead.



Now I'm working on a quilt and an afghan for two friends expecting babies in the next couple weeks. I'm not a perfect seamstress or knitter, but I still think handmade gifts are nice to give whenever possible. Will try to post some progress pictures this week.