Something a Little Different

After finishing some Etsy projects and getting them sent off, I was finally able to put the finishing touches on several projects this weekend!

I had a lot of sewing to do to finish the gift for my father-in-law's request, but after a couple of hours and a few episodes of Property Brothers, I was able to hand it over this weekend. He was very impressed and thinks his coworker will be too. 

It was my first attempt at an afghan in crochet in years, and the last one I finished ended up being large enough to cover a king size bed, but, being inexperienced, it was very trapezoidal, instead of a nice, even rectangle. This one is small enough that I think it will be a good size for an infant to lay on, but not too big to put in a diaper bag to take on trips. I loved learning to make a chevron, and used this video for the pattern: ripple blanket. The little cars were my own design, but based on a photo from a Russian website I had seen on Pinterest.

The afghan itself is made with I Love This Yarn, all from skeins I had at home, and the cars are double thickness from Vanna's Choice I had at home as well. I am trying to use up as much of my yarn as possible this year, without buying more (which has already failed--another day, another story), so this project allowed me to do just that. I did have to buy 1 skein of the light blue, but I ended up using 2/3 of it as well, so I don't feel too bad about that. I love the little pocket in the lower right corner that fits the 3 little cars. I couldn't decide whether to add buttons to the outside, but opted not to, since the little guy may not be able to manipulate them for several years. I hope they like the gift.

I also finished the baby jester hat and got it in the mail this week, after frantically searching for the yarn. My usual yarn shop has stopped carrying it, so I had to order the Lion Brand Jamie yarn from Lion Brand, and was a little fearful it would not arrive in time. I accidentally purchased it in the wrong gender (one of the main reasons I hate buying yarn online), so I now have yarn to make one for our new little one if Blessing turns out to be a girl. I also overbought the boy yarn, so I can make one for another boy, as the odds are for males in our family.

Now, I finally get to work on some bigger projects for my own children. I started several projects as soon as we found out we're expecting, so I am working to finish those up, plus several other ideas I've got in the queue. I also have a little 1-year-old girl's birthday next weekend, so I will whip up a hat for part of her gift too. Any excuse I have to use up the pinks and purples in my yarn stash is welcome at this time, since I don't really have any other use for them... I'll also start working feverishly on the boys' project, and hopefully have some photos to share in the coming weeks.

It's a busy time, but I am feeling pretty confident about being able to get these things done, and hopefully before we start packing for a move this summer or fall. We'll be looking for a home to purchase in the coming months as well, so I might have a new place to store my yarn ;-)

Happy Easter and God bless!

Busy week!

I finally have a little more energy, now that we're in 2nd trimester of pregnancy, and I've got 3 commissioned projects ahead of me! After cleaning the heck out of the house yesterday to hopefully get rid of germs, I had an Etsy order for another NJ beard! I've sold 4 beards/viking hats to East Coasters over the last 3 months! I've been working on an adorable baby boy project for my father-in-law's coworker for a few weeks, which should be done with photos to post soon. And today, I got an order for an infant jester hat!

Along with the cute projects I have for my own new little bundle, I'd say I'll be busy for quite a while! We finally have some antibiotics in tow to help restore our little guys and the weather has been ridiculously mild the last several days, so between spending some much-needed time outdoors and my current projects, I'd say I've got my free time used up. I don't mind, though, because the beards go quickly, the jester hat is knit, which I've been sorely lacking on projects lately, and the baby boy project has been fun to learn something new. I'll post pics of all when they're done!

In the meantime, enjoy the beautiful weather and crochet something springy :-D