Sometimes, I make things

I’m going to start this post by apologizing to you all (especially my poor co-writer), for my sub-par photography skills. It’s never been a strong suit, I don’t understand what flattering lighting is, I don’t know how to angle things, and I’m atrocious with colour palettes(I’m a strong believer in the colour block). However, with some humility in my back pocket, I promise I’ll learn, if you all can deal with my bad photography skills until I learn something.

Now all that being said, I can make things! I’ve been crocheting for a number of years now. I actually started and learned the Christmas my dad was admitted to hospital Christmas Eve when his appendix blew. I was relatively estranged from my immediate family at that time, but an event like that, coupled with watching my partner’s family grapple with our first Christmas without my brother-in-law was a real wake up call. My first ‘completed’ item was for my mom, a lap blanket I still have to finish tying the ends off.

Now, if I was good at photography, this is where I’d interlace photos of my current project, with pictures of my family, and tell you how I always struggle with my relationship with them, exaggerate some details of my dad’s hospital stay (which, really, does a botched surgery and a sepsis infection for Christmas need more flare), and make some sappy post about channeling my nervous energy for my dad into creativity, buuuuut, not today, and not even when I’m better at photography. I am the first person to scream at my computer while scrolling through recipes or crochet patterns, questioning why I need the story of someone’s life when all I want is to know how long I should boil eggs for.

So let’s get to the point of this whole post. One of my co-worker’s wives is expecting their first child, so of course I hopped to and started a blanket. He said mauve, I found plum.

This wool is divine. It is also not recommended for baby blankets, which leads me to mention that while my technical skills in crochet are pretty expert level, my practical skill, such as choosing cooresponding colours, or choosing appropriate weight and material is probably below novice, if that’s possible. This is a bulky yard recommended for scarves and sweaters. It is also an alpaca blend, which is why it’s softness tricked me. Click the photo above to be brought to the Michael’ website for more information.

Despite not being the appropriate wool, it works up really beautifully.

And despite my photography skills, I promise this blanket is beautiful. I realized pretty quickly that it was a little heavier than ideal for a blanket, especially a blanket for a March baby. Instead of traditionally sizing it as a square, as one normally does for baby blankets, I’m going to make this one a little more rectangular. Hopefully it’ll serve as a nice ‘on the floor’ kind of blanket’ and will join little sweet with tummy time, and picnics.

I have a few more rows, then the border to complete, so I’ll probably post about it again, possibly with photos Anna has taken, as I can already see her face regarding the two photos contained in this post.

This pattern is free, and available HERE through Yarnspirations. My next crochet project is actually going to be the exact same pattern using Caron Cakes Cookie Crumble for my other half, as despite being together six years, and enduring multiple yarn creation gifts (he got a Gollum amigurumi one year, and an anotomically correct heart another year), I have never made him a blanket of his own. I’ll be a little better at taking some progress photos, and maybe even a little how-to on the pattern as I go.