Harlequin Baby Boy Security Blankie--"My 1st Wubby"

I know, I know, I'm kinda absent on here lately.....summer is just so busy on a farm, even a mini-farm...

So I'm just going to quickly show you my most recent custom order for a Baby Boy's Security Blankie--"My 1st Wubby".

The client asked for a baby blue color and the almond color, then asked for suggestions for a third color.   And since I absolutely love baby blue paired with chocolate brown, that is of course what I was hoping she'd go for....and walaaaa...she did! (I realize my amazing photography skills make the chocolate color look black, but it really is a deep, dark chocolate....still working on improving those amazing photography skills)

I kinda had a picture in my mind of how I wanted the design to look, but it ended up so much better than what I had envisioned....I think the border has a bit of a "harlequin" look to it....what do you think?

I again chose to use the organic cotton yarn I've been using on all my baby security blankies, sooooo very soft and cuddly...I'm still lovin' it....

And on a different subject...

My daughter is getting awfully close to her August 15th due date (I told her she has "popped" and "dropped" this past week)....and we managed to talk her hubby into some pics of his hands on her belly, too too cute....I'll be sharing a couple this week.  Her BFF suggested framing them to hang on the walls of the nursery and I LOVE that idea.   "Grammie" may just have to do that :))

What's on my hook....Beach Cottage Chic

My puter woes continue, it has taken me almost 2 hours just to upload the following 2 pics!!! I really don't think it's my new puter, so that leaves my internet service (satellite), could be the weather, have I mentioned how badly I want dsl????

So finally, here are the pics....it's a work in progress, developing into a large lap afghan and I am in loveeeeee with the colors and how it's turning out. I wanted to design a light-weight blanket that would be right at home in a beach house/cottage, and I really think I've nailed it.

I'm crocheting it using a light-weight organic cotton yarn in colors you would find on the beach; aqua, driftwood, stone and clouds. I think making large horizontal stripes is giving it a very contempory look (I'll be sure to post pics of the finished blanket when it's ready). I can already picture it layed over the arm of a wicker chair in someone's beach cottage...or over the back of a cream color plush couch in an elegant beach house. Maybe even just dropped on a chaise lounge on a deck over looking the ocean, could be a lake....

The best attributes of making it out of cotton is that it will be machine washable AND the softness that only get softer with age. Don't you just love the softness of an old, used quilt? I sure do, the more you use it and wash it, the softer it will get, but you get that softness much sooner with a yarn as opposed to fabric.

I'm using the same pattern for this one as I used on my Nature's Gradation Lap Afghan/Blanket only bigger. AND on my new one, I am using two different colors together between the solid stipes to make the transitions between the stipes a bit softer. Let me know what you think so far....also this post has been linked to a few parties...go check them out!

What's on my needles...

In my newest series, What's on my needles..., or "hook" as the case may be...this is my 2nd post. In the 1st post I talked about a round lap blanket I'm working on, which had to be put on hold for this one. (Not quite finished in this pic)

Nikki, of militarywifestampinspot.blogspot.com and BondGirlCreations26 etsy shop contacted me about a custom order. The idea for this lap blanket had been in the back of my mind, so when she mentioned that she wanted neutral colors in the brown family, I knew this one would be perfect. She also mentioned that she liked my Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Baby Blanket, she remarked "I love how cozy it looks".

Since I made that pattern up as I went, and didn't write it down (bad me), I had to go back and look at it, write it out, then try to adjust for the size difference. As I am NOT one to EVER use a "guage swatch" (very very important when size is an issue in knitting...so BAD ME), this was more difficult than I imagined.

For the colors for her custom blanket, I knew I wanted it to graduate from the darkest to the lightest. I planned to do this by using two stands of yarn of the same color together for the first stripe, then for the next stripe, 1 strand of that color and 1 strand of what would be the next lighter color. The 3rd stripe would be two stands of that lighter color. (example: 2 strands of "charcoal"--1st stripe

1 strand of "charcoal, 1 strand of "dark chocolate" --2nd stripe

2 strands of "dark chocolate" --3rd stripe), this would have made the graduation less noticeable, more gradual.

I chose an organic cotton yarn for the ease of care AND so that she could use it year round. I was half way finished when I realized it wasn't going to be long enough AND it was way too heavy...ugh. NOT what I had in mind! Sooooo, I spent 2 days, yes 2 whole days, taking it apart...the reason it took so long was that I had to rewrap each ball of yarn as I went (10 BALLS)!!!!!! Having to use more yarn to make it longer was not only going to mess up my color design, but it was going to make it toooooo costly for what Nikki & I had agreed on. And did I mention the "heaviness"? Who wants a lap blanket the weighs you done and is like a ton of bricks to carry?!

Replanning my design, I realized that the only way to use 2 strands of yarn together to get my original look is to use a much lighter weight yarn (and I'm sure I will in the future) as I have Nikki's permission to make more of them to sell, and I'm also going to sell the pattern on etsy (as I wrote the pattern down as I went this time and plan to do so from now on).

I am extremely happy with the end result (which is now laying flat to dry after washing it)...I hope to have it ready for finished pics and listing on etsy for Nikki within the next couple of days. I'll be sure to post a finished pic.