December's project completed

It took longer than I expected to join all of the squares into a blanket, but, after darning in untold numbers of ends, it is finished.

I have laid it on the guest room bed, and it measures 42 inches by 60 inches.  It weighs 1.2 kilos, so was an excellent stash-buster project.  I expect it will go to Operation Orphan's Keep a Child Warm project in the new year.

These are just some of the ends.....

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

December's project

I've mentioned before that, via Loving Hands, I was given a donation of yarn by a lady who lives near me.  A lot of the yarn was aran weight, with a high wool content.  At Loving Hands, were are having a "blanket challenge" at present, to see how many blankets we can produce before the clocks go forward in March.  I decided to use up a lot of the aran to make a crochet blanket.  I have made 35 squares, and here they are laid out on the living room floor.   Each square is 7 inches across, and I am aiming for a blanket that will be approximately single bed sized.

To bring the blanket together, I am using some cream aran to make the final round on each square, and using join as you go to link everything together.  I have made a start, but I think it will take most of today to finish the joining.

I am using a size 6.00 hook to join, which is 2 sizes larger than the one I used to make the squares.  There is some disparity in the size of the squares, depending on the yarn used, so I am hoping that this will give me a bit of flexibility to smooth out the differences.

Today I am home alone; both sons and daughter-in-law have returned to their own homes and my husband has gone to watch rugby at Twickenham, so I have the ideal opportunity to press on with the blanket.  There is Test Match cricket on the TV (England vs South Africa); it will be a good day!

Ladybird, Ladybird.....

I quite enjoy making ventilator bonnets as small projects in between bigger things.  I usually use 4 ply and knit them in pastel colours or white.  Then yesterday I saw a Facebook post from a NICU nurse asking whether it was possible to make animal or superhero ones.  I've made quite a few animal hats, but I'd never thought about embellishing vent bonnets. I can see that some parents would be happy to see their baby in a cheery, fun hat.   So last night I played around and came up with a first attempt at a ladybird hat for babies in ICUs.

I took inspiration from Repeat Crafter Me's crochet ladybug hat pattern, and made this:

And modelled by my very own childhood doll, Susan, who will turn 60 at Christmas!

I haven't got the eyes quite right, and on future versions I think I will make the spots larger.  But I am so pleased that I saw that Facebook post!