Wednesday, October 22, 2008

The Project

A month or so ago, I got this bright idea to make my son an afghan. I had walked over to Neighbor Debbie's one morning (probably for a Crafts and Conversation consult) and she was crocheting with a mutual friend of ours, Judy. Wow. They were actually making something. I knew a little bit about crocheting, thanks to my Mom, but I never really learned how to make anything and I can't read a pattern for squat. Add in the fact that I'm left handed while most of the rest of the world is right handed....I just never pursued it.


Both friends assured me I could most definitely make an afghan and they would help me figure it out. Neighbor Debbie and found out quick that if she stood in front of me like a mirror, I could grasp what she was showing me and copy it.


An Idea was born!



Now to figure out what color to use. Duh. The Boy is all about some green, so that was a no-brainer. I wanted a solid neutral boy color to go with it. Enter the color barley. A good brown to go with the green. I wanted it to be dark and comfy and not show dirt so much.


When I went to start it, Neighbor Debbie told me I was going to do two strands at one time to make it fluffy and thick. I am? She was showing me how and picked up a green and brown and demonstrate. Hmmm. Neighbor Greg commented that he really like the two colors mixed together. Well, there ya go.


Many hours later. Many ripped out rows. Many cramped fingers. Many frantic calls for Neighbor Debbie to check and see if I had screwed up. Many times hearing my sweet Kid say, "Is it finished yet? Is this mine, Mama? It's MINE!". All those "manys" and it was done this past weekend.


It took me a little over a month to finish my very first blanket. Oh, man, does it have flaws in it. A hole here that's bigger than it should be. Slightly crooked on one side where I will not show you because it embarrasses me. Best thing about it? The Boy doesn't care. He LOVES his blanket and totes it all over the house. It helps him slide across the tile floor with ease. It keeps him warm at night while he sleeps. That makes it a perfect completed project to me.


Being the seasoned blogger that I am, of course I took some pictures to show my blanket journey.

Who knew these skeins of yarn could make a blanket?



My family got used to seeing this on a regular basis.




This also became the norm. When the blanket got big enough, people (namely The Boy) would gravitate to it and try to cover up with it while I was working. Please note how his big toe found a hole. Lovely.





To finish it off, I did a simple green border and a slightly bigger brown border. Gave it some definition and make it look complete.


It...uh...ended up bigger than we anticipated. He can totally take it to college with him.

That concludes my first crocheting project. It wasn't bad at all. I have some yarn left over and I'm contemplating making him a MUCH smaller blanket to have in the truck when we travel. No need to let it go to waste. Like I said, it's not perfect, but he loves it and that's all that matters.

17 comments:

Shane H. said...

Looks great! I love the yarn and the colors you chose. Your story sounds exactly like mine... the kids trying to curl up under the tiny slivers as I crocheted. I just love to crochet, so relaxing. Great job and here's to one for every family member. :)

Krys72599 said...

And one for every blog reader...
Oh, okay, just for the family members...
GORGEOUS! Love the colors! I was picturing a slightly lighter barley and found yours is MUCH better - I like the darker colors.
2 strands together to make it fluffy? Never knew/heard of that.
Was it difficult?

Miss Hope said...

It wasn't too difficult. The hook was big and the yarn moved smooth. It did tend to cramp the fingers from time to time trying harness two strands at once. It is SO thick and fluffy!!!

Dani said...

Great job Hope! I think I'll stick to my cross stitch for now though ... one (well two if you include scrapbooking) crafty hobby is enough for the moment. I think one of my favorite sayings that I have seen is that no handmade item will be perfect ... I think some cultures and traditions, there are intentional mistakes since only God acheives perfection. Can't wait to see your next project ;)

Missy said...

How sweet!!! I love the colors!! Way to go!!!

OneHungMan said...

Damn Woman...you got skills.

Michelle said...

It's beautiful...at the same time I am laughing so hard...don't really know why or maybe I do...Just when you think you couldn't possibly know any more about someone...poof..there you have it...

Great job Hope...Love it and so proud of you:) The color is perfect for the Litle Kid!

Joe and Samantha said...

Looks VERY warm!

AndreaLeigh said...

Looks great, Hope! Don't worry about the flaws. You can't see them and Vitt loves it. I'm all about being creative with hiding my obvious non-craftiness.

Anonymous said...

Vitt will cherish that forever and it looks great. My mom made me one a few years ago in garnet and black(gamecocks), she made Stacey one in navy blue and white( that palmetto thing)and Spencer one in camo colors(that hunting thing) and we will treasure those forever. Keep it up!!

Anonymous said...

That looks great!! Kudo's for sticking with it! I gave up after many failed attempts at a scarf for Kyleigh. And come on, those are not big! lmao!!

Unknown said...

Oh, Hope! That's such a fabulous blanket! You did a fantastic job, congrats! I like it very much. You can do that much faster than I can! Great job!

Hermes said...

is lovely and anyone would be a fool to not want it. Sugar made one for me that is a treasure because of its imperfections. If it was perfect, it would have come from wal-mart and it just wouldn't be the same.

Denise said...

Bravo! If someone helps me remember how to get started, I can crochet one long continuous chain until I run out of yarn.

Clearly, I don't have your skillz. Way to go!

Monogram Queen said...

Wow I hope he cherishes that for all time. I've got a blanket a friend crocheted for Madison and it's just put away. I need to let her use it when she gets older. (it's pink and white).

Guitar Woman said...

Well, aren't u turning out to just be a little Craft Diva! How dare u start busting out with all these skills I didn't know about! (grin!) U GO, GIRL!! The blanket ROCKS, and it's not about whether it's perfect or not. What makes it special is that it's hand-made, BY HIS LOVING MOTHER, who cared enough to take the time to make something ESPECIALLY just for HIM! When Vitt is grown with kids of his own, he'll probably show them that little hole he used to stick his toe thru and SMILE REAL BIG!! And he'll remember how special it is because he got the FIRST thing you ever crocheted!

Anonymous said...

GREAT JOB, HOPE. It's great that you stuck it out. As far as flaws, everything I have ever crocheted, knitted or sewn has many of them. I try to fix what I can and hope that the rest aren't that noticeable. These flaws make for a more loving gift, as reminder of the love that went into the making.
Love you, mil