The Baby Blanket Brigade

 

At the beginning of this year, when my cousin told me that he and his wife were expecting their first child, I knew right away that I wanted to make something special for the baby.  I gave it some thought and felt that a blanket would be the best thing to make.   The baby was due in May and I thought I had plenty of time.  Next thing I knew, I received a baby shower invitation in the mail and had merely a few weeks to pull together a blanket.  I got to work right away and honestly enjoyed every stitch of making the blanket for my newest cousin, Tyler.  I selected a simple shell crochet blanket because I knew it would look nice and I can do the simple crochet stitch very quickly.  I started the project during the opening ceremony of the Olympics and finished up before the closing ceremonies.  Thus, Tyler’s blankie was dubbed “Olympic Baby Blanket.”

 

Olympic Baby Blanket

 

Mommy and Daddy loved the blanket and I hope Tyler is now enjoying it as well. 

After completing Tyler’s blanket and receiving nice complements from my cousin and his wife, I felt that a handmade blanket was a really nice baby gift.  I decided that I would make a blanket for any future special babies in our circle of family and friends.

Little did I know that shortly after making this decision, every woman I’d ever met would get pregnant.  I should have predicted it, as what else were young couples going to be doing during the Blizzard of 2010?  Yep…6 babies due this fall in our circle of family and friends.

And so the Baby Blanket Brigade begins.  My goal is to knit or crochet 7 baby blankets before October. 

Blanket #1 – Tyler’s Olympic Baby Blanket – Check!

Blanket #2 – Sweet & Simple Baby Blanket for Ricky & Lisa’s baby – In progress.  It is sweet.  It is simple.  BUT it is taking me FOREVER.  Lots of purl stitches, which in my case means the blanket is moving along as quickly as molasses up a tree in the winter.  I’m about 40% finished.  I put this one on hold while I worked on #3 and #4 because of a baby shower invitation received in the mail.

 

Sweet and Simple Baby Blanket

Blankets #3 and #4 – Pink and Orchid Fans and Feathers Baby Blankets for Laura’s twin girls - Check!  Baby shower is this Saturday and I finished up the 2nd blanket yesterday! 

Pink and Orchid Fans and Feathers

 

Blankets #5 and #6 – World Cup Baby Boy Blanket and TBA Baby Girl Blanket for Sharon’s boy/girl twins – In progress.  I started the baby boy’s blanket during the World Cup yesterday.  Here’s a sneak peak.  I’m much farther along after just one evening of crochet.  Blue Eyes says I’m on a roll and he thinks I’ll have both blankets done in 2 weeks so that we can deliver them on our way to the beach at the end of the month.  I’m  not so sure.

 

Blanket #7 – Merely in “draft” or “decision-making” form right now.  This one is for my friend, Stephanie.  Although I know that I want to knit the blanket rather than crochet, I can’t decide what pattern or yarn to use.  I have time, right?

So there you have it…The Baby Blanket Brigade.

What was I thinking?