Rainbow Baby Blanket

This one has been a long time coming. I've started the blanket in July, hoping to have it ready during the summer. After all, the whole idea was to make something light and airy so it could be used for the warm days. 

I finished it in December...oh, well...At least we could use it during our Christmas holidays on Gran Canaria. And it is big enough to serve our son during spring and summer 2017, so the work was not in vain. 

I am pretty happy with the end result, although I wouldn't mind switching the colors around a little bit. It is easier to see how the play together, now that I used them. 

The yarn I used was Sandnes Garn Madarin Petit in 15 colors, plus the grey border.

Ohhh, pretty! I'm finishing #octopuses for preemies, then a badass baby sweater and then these pretty cottons from #sandesgarn will turn into rainbow summer blanky for Maks

Et billede slået op af Maria Lind (@mariafurya) den 14. Jun 2016 kl. 11:31 PDT

I very much like the simple pattern. It relatively simple and quick to make and it results in an airy fabric which was what I wanted for a summer blanket. I am also happy about the little "bubbles" which my baby likes to explore.

The yellow stitch is the "bubble" it is made by stitching 3 double crochets leaving the last 2 loops of the last one on the hook. Then you pick up yarn again and loop over all the double crochets 3 times. Finally pull yarn through all the loops you have on the hook. You can probably also try a raspberry or bobble crochet stitch instead.

The blanket is getting closer to completion #crochet #hækling #crocheting #craft #blanket

Et billede slået op af Maria Lind (@mariafurya) den 4. Dec 2016 kl. 4:20 PST

The #summerblanket is finally done! #crochet #crocheting #hæklet #hækling #handmade #blanket #babyblanket #szydełko #szydełkowanie

Et billede slået op af Maria Lind (@mariafurya) den 16. Dec 2016 kl. 1:17 PST

Crochet Badass Baby Vest

The badass baby vest is my newest crochet project. The pattern comes from Garnituren and I am completely in love with it. The pattern is easy to follow and well written (though in Danish) and the finished item is simply so cute.

One of the best things about the vest is that, even with a 3 month old at home, it only took me about a week to make. 

Sweater is almost done. #badassbaby #crochet #handmadewithlove #hækling pattern via @garnituren

A photo posted by Maria Lind (@mariafurya) on Jun 28, 2016 at 8:37am PDT

This is the basic version of the vest. I followed the pattern and did not add any emballishments. However, following Garnituren's suggestions it is very easy to add a pocket, trimmings or buttons.

Also changing the pattern in the back shouldn't be difficult. I was tempted to make an anchor, fitting the color scheme, but it will have to wait till next time.

The website says that this is a size for a 9 months old but my 3 month old son fits pretty well into it. It is maybe a little loose and will serve him for a while but it is not too big to use.

 

I used Sandnes Garn - Tynn Merinoull yarn which has the prescribed weight (50g = 175m) and I am very happy with it. Sandnes makes great quality yarn.

Octopuses for Preemies

Octopuses for Preemies is a project by many different groups and individuals (Denmark - Spruttegruppen, Poland - Ośmiorniczki dla Wcześniaków, Finland) to crochet and knit yarn octopuses and send them to neonatal wards. The trend started in Denmark and the doctors here argue that the little toys help stabilize the prematurely born babies while keeping them company in the incubators.

I first heard about this fantastic idea from Gosia at mynomadhome while I was still pregnant. I couldn't crochet than due to swollen, gigantic, clown hands but the plan was always to make a couple and send them to the nearby hospital.

As it turned out, when Maks was born he was admitted to the stabilizing unit and got an octopus himself. Even though it didn't change how scared we were for his well-being and safety, it still felt nice that he had this little friend to hug and maybe feel a little better thanks to it.

Et billede slået op af Maria Lind (@mariafurya) den 30. Mar 2016 kl. 12:31 PDT

So once things here at home calmed down and I found my "sea-legs" as a new mother, I made these two fellows that are now on their way to become someone's little buddies and hold their hands in tough times.

Et billede slået op af Maria Lind (@mariafurya) den 19. Jun 2016 kl. 11:21 PDT

I used the pattern available at Spruttegruppen's website and if you need an English version, have a look at Gosia's blog.

I encourage all of you to grab your needles and hooks and get to work for the littlest ones. And if you need any help with the patterns or any questions let me know.

Cafe Latte Baby Blanket

No matter how many times I've started on knitted projects (and how many of them I actually finished - a few), crocheting will always my go-to method of working with yarn. 

The project I am working on now is a baby blanket with a thick, dense weave. Because it is so dense, it takes long to complete the project, but I like the texture so much, I am planning more projects with it. It will certainly serve as a sweet, warm cover for some baby. Yeah, I don't actually have a recipient of this blanky in mind, so friends and relatives, get on the topic of babies, will you? I would actually make a big blanket for myself (it really is so cozy) but I don't have enough yarn for that.

I am using light cotton-acrylic yarn that is has a soft feel to it while still being very warm. The color is cream, like a very milky cafe latte. I like it for a baby blanket, even if it's probably not very practical. 

And working on this project taught me a lesson: "never put away a project for 2 years and pick it up as if nothing happened". I wasn't sure if I remembered how to make round ends, but I made two rounds anyway. I realized I made a mistake on the round ending, I ripped two rounds...and then I realized I probably hadn't made a mistake and all the ripping was for nothing.

Anyway, I'll show you the finished piece, when I am done.

Crochet Cuffs

This week I added two crochet cuffs to my Etsy shop. It's been a while since I did anything with the shop so I am happy to be able to add something. Especially that the cuffs were in my "done and to be posted" box for far too long.

I am also very happy to use the new Etsy feature: shop and item stats. When I look at my stats, I come to the conclusion that I need to make and add more doilies, serviettes and place mats. This seems to be the things that people look for in crochet. 

Current Project: Crochet Runner

I haven't been writing on this blog for a very long time but that doesn't mean that I put my craft work on hold. I have a few projects in the works and a few others are in my head. 

The runner you can see below is a bit over half-done and I'm making it for my mom. I am using a pattern from a Polish magazine I bought some years ago. It takes ages to make but I love the natural pattern that comes out. I'll make sure to take a few photos before I ship it off so you can see how it turned out in the end.