Knit Wit

My Mama taught me to crochet when I was younger. She tried to teach me to knit too, but I'm just not dexterous enough to handle two needles. She always has a yarn project going, socks, baby blankets, baby dresses, etc. It's fun for her and there's always someone somewhere about to have a baby so she always has a hand made with love gift ready to go.

 

Back in the day I made myself a granny square afghan that followed me from track and cross country meets (I think...I vaguely remember that blanket on the bus...) and from dorm room to apartment after apartment in my high school and college days. It wore out eventually, as did my skills with a crochet hook.

 

Recently the ladies at church announced a project to make/collect lap quilts for the elderly folk in a local assisted living center. I decided this would be a good opportunity to try out my dormant skills with hook and yarn. The granny squares were pretty easy. So easy in fact, that I got bored with doing the same thing over and over. I took a break and made a hat. It's cute, I think. But it's slightly too small for me. Instead of adding more rows, I just decided to hang on to it and make another one and I'll give them to Nicco's twins for their birthday.

Making that little hat used up just enough of the gray yarn that I had to carefully plan and lay out a pattern with my squares. I had it all set up, row by row, but accidentally misplaced a gray square. Normally, it wouldn't be a big deal. But I didn't notice my mistake until I was well into the next row and I had tucked away the string and stitched around it in such a manner that I couldn't find it to pull it out and correct my mistake. So, I have a hodge-podge blanket instead of a symmetrical one. As I was going along I also realized that I connected some of the seams backwards. That's not a very easily noticeable mistake, but it's there. I also ran out of blue yarn so I had to buy another skein. I accidentally bought the wrong brand, which was a slightly darker shade.

 

So my reintroduction to the world of crochet was this mistake laden granny square lap quilt, which after some internal debate I have decided to donate anyway. The mistakes just prove that it was made by hand, right?

My Nicco liked my hat and wanted one of his own so I told him he could choose some yarn when we went to get more blue yarn. I showed him some cool colors, but he was drawn to the multi-colored skeins. I encouraged him to choose a camo design, but he insisted on the bright colors. "I get what I want, and I want this!" he insisted. As my little sister said, if there is any time in his life that he can pull off a rainbow hat, this is it. And, to my boy who likes what he likes without caring what others may say or think, shine on I say. Be you.

While at the yarn store, I decided to pick up a little something to make a little something for a pregnant friend of mine. I did not know at the time that she would be having a girl, so I chose a creamy white and light blue (but not baby boy blue) for a blanket. I saw a neato pattern with these bobble stitches and decided that would be a fun stitch to try out. And I was right. And I only had to start over three times, I think. Not bad,



Here it is, all finished with a pretty ribbon woven around the edge and tied up in a feminine little bow for a little girl. And, once again, the mistakes just prove it was hand made with love. It is one of a kind. 

I think I might follow in my Mama's footsteps and always (or often) have a project going on. It's fun and somewhat addicting. And my cat appreciates the leftovers.

P.S. After the cat ran around the house with her ball of yarn, Nicco noticed that it made a pattern that looked like a man walking. He insisted on taking a picture. Now it's a memory forever.