Finally!
It's hard to tell from the photo, but the colors are
a minty green, white and light gray
a minty green, white and light gray
(the edge and long stitches are in gray)
This Hexagon Baby Blanket ended up being a happier project to work on than the one I started out doing a month or so ago. I'm so glad I switched. It's a very easy pattern that went fairly speedily when I applied myself to it. I will probably make this pattern again some day.
I don't know if I mentioned this before, but I recently found a place that was a ready recipient of my baby and child-size blankets. I've made a number of them over the years with no recipients in mind - just because I love making blankets. That said, I was starting to feel a bit burdened about having so many around.
Well, I finally decided to get serious about finding a place to donate them, and after calling several places that didn't have need of them I began to think my blanket days might just be drawing to a close. And then I was talking with a friend from Michigan who'd recently begun serving on the board of a Foster Closet, and she suggested that idea as a possible donation site. That hadn't occurred to me! Within a few minutes of searching on the internet I was able to find several foster closets within a 30-miles radius. But digging deeper I found a fairly new one just up the road from me. I e-mailed them, and within minutes they responded with a hearty "Yes! We'd love to have your blankets!"
So just like that - I'm back in the blanket making business! I'm glad, too, because blankets are a great way to burn through stash. I'm happy making them, and hopefully children in trauma and experiencing terrible upheaval in their lives are in some small way comforted by a fresh new soft blanket of their own.
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On a different note... last week I became the temporary holder of I-can't-even-count-how-many vintage cross stitch magazines. Here's just a sampling (seriously, I don't even want to count how many there are):
Eventually, they will be on their way to a fund-raising event, but being the transporter of them I get to enjoy the eye candy for now, and have picked out a few patterns I think I might like to make.
And wouldn't you know... just this week Sandra of farmgirlsam, and Jenn of Jenn's Crafty World, mentioned in her latest Flosstube video Stitch Maynia (a cross stitch challenge during the month of May). All kinds of cross-stitchers are posting about this right now, but these two ladies in particular have inspired me as they include cross stitch into their various projects.
So... While I'm not officially participating in Stitch Maynia, I am hoping to start some small cross stitch projects. We'll see how far this interest really goes - and frankly, we'll see if I actually cross stitch anything. But starting May 1st, I'm going to be following along - mostly just watching other Mayniacs as they start new projects, and hopefully gathering inspiration from them.
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Since it's the last Sunday in April, here's a picture of ten dishcloths I knitted up this month:
I've been in a pastel sort of mood...
And now, I have a confession to make... I had to make a trip to Hobby Lobby to get some more gray yarn to finish the blanket above, and when I saw on their weekly flyer that crochet thread was on sale, I told myself I could buy a few balls of it. And I did. I bought 6 balls of pretty colored thread. And one skein of yarn for the blanket. I know none of that matters to anyone but me, but it has set me back a bit in reaching my goal. That said, overall I'm still ahead of the game so I'm not hanging my head too low. 😉
To see what other YOPers are up to
visit our group on Ravelry!
2019 Yarn Stash-Down progress: 39.4/100 skeins
That’s great you’ve found a home for your blankets, They are lovely. Good luck with your cross stitch, I took about 20 years to finish one and it’s framed on the wall.
ReplyDeleteMany years ago I enjoyed cross stitch. Then my eyes got old and I found it wasn't so easy anymore (mostly looking back and forth between a pattern and a project. But looking through these magazines has me wanting to give it another try. Whatever I do, it will be small. Hopefully finishable within a month or so... :^/ We'll see.
DeleteThat blanket is so sweet. How nice to find a place that will appreciate your beautiful work. Look at all those cross stitch books. My goodness. You have hit paydirt there. I love watching y'all doing cross stitch. As for crochet thread......I think that counts the same as sock yarn. It doesn't count! So you are still ok. BTW.....out HL has ALL their yarn on for 30% off. I have a feeling there may be some yarn coming to my house for a visit lol.
ReplyDeleteReceiving the magazines felt like paydirt when I was loading them into my car, but having them here reminds me that I seriously need to declutter my craft supplies. Looking through someone else's hoard of magazines is perspective changing. Seriously... I'm almost ready to just donate all my yarn. Of course, then I wouldn't be able to make blankets...
DeleteWow - you finished that blanket so quickly! It's a really pretty one too and I like the fact that it's not the typical square or rectangular version. Glad too that you were able to find a place close by to accept your pretties and put them to good use.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it seemed fast to you, Mary Anne. I didn't even pick it up all week, but on Saturday whipped out the last few rounds and border. I don't know why I drug my feet on it toward the end.
DeleteSo happy to hear your blankets have a forever home. Those magazines will give our many hours of enjoyment over many cups of tea! Your blanket is beautiful. A very unique shape - I love it.
ReplyDeleteThank you Mary-Anne! :)
DeleteI love your finished blanket Becki and I'm so glad you found a home for all the wonderful blankets and that children will get the delight of having one at a time in their lives when they need it most and that you get to keep on making them! I hope you share your cross stitch adventures here weekly too because I love seeing Sams and would love to see yours too. I can and do cross stitch, I just need more hours in the day and the pull to be strong enough to haul out my cross stitch but for now I'll enjoy it through both you ladies.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ruth. I'll share any cross stitching I manage to do. We'll see! ;^)
DeleteI love your hexagon finish! Oh boy, what a lucky person he/she will be to score that blanket for his/her baby. There is a star shaped one on Ravelry for knitting that I've always wanted to make. I like how you crochet items because you love to and that they don't have to be for you. I need to make some more dishcloths; I like using them to wipe up the water on the bathroom counters.
ReplyDeleteIt's very freeing to just crochet what I love and figure out the recipient(s) later. It makes the crocheting part truly a relaxing past time. By the time I've worked through my cotton stash I'll have enough cloths to outfit not only kitchen, but all of our bathrooms, too. Hopefully, though, I'll find some recipients for some of those, too.
DeleteIt was meant to be after finding the recipients only a few miles away! Your finish is lovely and I really think your gray yarn, that you have added to several of your projects in the past too, really sets off the colors better than white. Sometimes I think white is too stark but the gray is perfect! I have a few old magazines and cross stitch books but I found that they mostly contain those huge old projects that were full coverage that I really don't have time for. Thus the reason I like the 'smalls' and the newer patterns that seem more practical for my lifestyle and age right now. I mean really..would I live long enough to finish them? But who knows...never say never. Your dish cloths are so pretty for Spring. Good luck with your cross stitch...I am anxious to see what you make! And yes, we are Mayniacs! LOL!
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way about where the blankets were meant to go. The magazine I'm looking through have a good mixture of large and small. While I know smalls are the way to go for me (at the moment, anyway) I have pulled aside three or four gorgeous wildlife pictures that I think might be lovely for some men in my life. Then again, I'm not sure I have the stick-to-it-iveness to finish one, let alone four of those! We'll see where this little spark leads. For now I've pulled out my pillowcases I started embroidering - I don't remember when. I'm considering them warm up for the cross stitch. :)
DeleteI love the mint blanket and pretty spring dishcloths! So great you found a place for your makes. I have stopped hooking for a while until I find a place for my things to go. I certainly don't need it all, but I love to make stuff.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think you should put a few cross stitches in with all those great magazines in your possession at the moment! You might just get as addicted as the rest of us...lol!
I missed your birthday: warm belated wishes to you for the coming years - it looks like you had a wonderful day! A call from the bank?! Never heard of that before - hope you bought a lotto ticket!
Happy days,
Jenn
Your blanket is beautiful, and how brilliant that they now all have a home to go to. I look forward to seeing your cross stitch, I love seeing Sam's emerge.
ReplyDelete