The four points Blanket

 This is a story about a gift.

It started out going to be a gift for one person.

But it ended being a gift for someone else.

It started like this.

I found a pattern that I absolutely loved. 

Go ahead -- go take a look.

A linen baby blanket.

I've never worked with linen and I wanted easy care.

So I bought some of my favorite acrylic yarn for this and proceeded to follow the instructions.

I started this just before my end of summer beach trip. 

I followed the instructions to the letter and realized quickly that this was going to be no BABY blanket. 

OK, change plans.

I needed a wedding gift. 

Thus - this became Dean and Stephanie's big ol' blanket. 

Easy colors.

Blue, Grey, Cream, and Tan.

Miles and miles of single crochet. -- literally (I worked on it in the car) 

I was really pretty OVER  decreasing rows of single crochet by the time this was finished. 

And then it was finished.

And it is huge.

Like easily double snuggle huge. 

The perfect weight for a great blanket.

(come on you all know that favorite feeling) 

and the yarn felt great. 

But by golly --- the damned thing curls like Shirley Temple's hair?

I wet blocked - nope

I steam blocked - nope

So I tried my own method for stopping curling.

I added a brown border ----

Yup -- fixed it. 

Then I had a huge fight with MaggieGrace (myself) about keeping it. 

Well - Dean and Stephanie won a fight they didn't even know they were having. 

And here's the finished result. 

I took it to the city park for a photo shoot. 

the floor of the gazebo so I could stand on the bench for a full shot.

Last minute statements about the pattern. 

It is beginner simple.

Lot's of SC and SC decreases.

It's made in two halves and then sewn together. 

Blocking may work to fix curled edges on some yarns - but you can always use a border band to fix it too. 

I found it fun to read all the how to increase the size of the blanket questions in the comments. I know they all meant how to with the linen yarn, but I chose another method.

If you want a bigger blanket --- simple ---  use bigger yarn. 

My final say on the pattern. 

I LOVE IT AND I WILL DEFINITELY DO IT AGAIN. 

As soon as I recover from those miles and miles of single crochet. 

It's Nuts but it works.

Wow - I haven't been here in quite some time.

Lot's of reasons that need not be aired publicly here.

I had someone make a comment about how much I accomplish creatively. She wondered how the heck I get so much accomplished. When she said it, I kind of downplayed it a whole lot. But on thinking about it, I thought I would explain how I do get things done.

I spend years "half-ass" doing stuff. I have LOTS of UFO's. I am simplifying my entire life right now and rediscovering those unfinished things had cause a tremendous amount of guilt and stress. 

(I uncovered Molly's unframed cross-stitch birth record. It is finished. Not framed. She is 24) 

Many years ago, I started blogging and that was the beginning of focusing on my creative side. I needed to make progress on things so I would have something to share. I am not, nor will I ever be one of the BIG bloggers, but I have my group of friends and we love and encourage one another here. 

Anyway --- back to how my "system" works.

I almost ALWAYS have multiple projects going. Which sound like craziness, but it really has worked for me. 

I have discovered that crochet and cross-stitch travel well - other stuff does not. 

The other stuff, is not addressed here - I do a few bits on those projects and leave them to dry on the work table. 

Now for the pick up put down explanations.

I have a crochet bag by my sofa - right now it contains a sunset colors inspired infinity scarf project. Yarn from my stash (yay me). I pick it up and put it down. The pattern is a no count required repeat, so I don't even have to make a stitch. This one will soon move to the car (reasons will become evident in a minute)

I leave early on Sunday Morning and spend time alone in the silence with myself and this project. It is a big blanket - stash buster project. Two worsted weight yarns held together. There is a kind of pattern repeat to keep this from getting too busy looking. This will ebb and flow with weather conditions, and will be a long time finishing. As the hot weather creeps in I'll put this in a Huge Zipper Project bag and hang it in the craft closet to pull it out when cold weather gets back. Also a stash project (yay me)

This sweet and soft bit of pastel goodness is a granny square baby blanket. Another stash buster project (the stash is wide and deep - please don't judge) It is my car project. I have it in a plastic tote and I can work on this while riding. Plastic tote allows me to sit this on the ground by the campfire or at ball games, keeping everything dry and clean of debris. (I tried a 31 tote for this and as much as I love that tote for other things, the soft sides just did not work out well.) 

I am close to finishing this one. Abby's final college softball season starts next week, so the long hours in the car and at the ball field begin. I'll finish this one and then move the scarf from the bag at home by the sofa into this project. Because.......

This has started as the detailed - must concentrate - project for by the sofa.

AND 

requiring reading glasses and the best light I can find. 

It is a cross stitch piece for one of our most special babies on the way. 

I'll be posting tips and bits about this as it progresses. If there are overnight stays for ball trips, this is organized in a plastic tote box as well, but it certainly is not a mindless, riding in the car, kind of project. 

A note on those car projects, after the blanket and the scarf are finished, I will go back to the stash (yes, there is still plenty of stash available) and start another something.

The cross stitch project will consume a large portion of my home time creating. But I combine that with prayer time, so this is a good thing. 

Now for some tidbit notes about this.

- I do not sit still well.

- I can be a terrible passenger in the car.

- I cannot read in the car or the sun without getting a headache, but I can crochet. 

- I have multiple crochet hooks in each size. 

- I think I have 50 pair of small scissors too. 

- Keeping things in a convenient to use and move container is key. 

-  When I pack up the big blanket for the summer, I will put an index card in the bag noting the hook size.

- MAKING at the ball field - or by the pool - or in the lobby of a hotel - has always caused people to ask what I am making. I always take the time to answer and I have met so many wonderful people this way. 

- Make sure the travel projects can be construed as mindless and either easy to keep count or effortless to recount after you have put them down and picked them back up.  (like granny square blankets or repeat patterns for cross stitch) 

My craziest softball crocheting story - Softball Princess played travel ball for many years as she grew up. One season I made 88 beanie hats. That means we played at least 88 games that year, because I could make a beanie every full length game. 

her college freshman season, I made 150 quarter sized crochet roses.

If you would like regular project updates and some mundane randomness, you can follow my instagram

I do hope you are all doing well. 

LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL