I am posting today because I am hoping to get up tomorrow and, after a quick round of Christmas shopping (online of course--I am not entirely sure how I existed before I discovered the internet) with my hubby, dive right into finishing up this baby blanket project. Crochet all day! (With some laundry and meals thrown in.)
Here's a status report.
Right now I have the two green blankets completely done except for the baby "name tags." You can see them below:
I would like to note that right now they are just folded up (rather clumsily) awaiting finishing and washing. They will be presented in a much more pretty fashion when they are given to the recipient. As of last night I have all of the squares for the third blanket completed, as well:
They just need to be assembled and bordered.
Then I can do the "name tags" I mentioned earlier. I think I am going to make small blue rectangles in single crochet and embroider the names on each, then sew the "tags" to the center of the solid square in the bottom right corner of each blanket. I think it will look alright, but we shall have to see, won't we?
As you might have guessed from the title of my post, this project has started to become something of a chore. While I am more than happy to be making these for my friend, I think three is just too many to do at one time for someone. So, lesson learned for me, I guess. She's already "planning" the next round of blankets she wants me to do for her, as well as some purses, but I may just have to say no on those, at least for a while. I have too many other projects of my own I would really like to work on, and as I crochet for enjoyment and relaxation, I am not looking forward to doing anything else on commission for a bit.
Sadly, I think it if had stopped at one blanket, or even two, it would be a different story. Sigh.
Anyhoo, that's not really the most frustrating thing about this project. That would be the yarn. I have been using Red Heart Soft Baby Steps. While I like the yarn itself, I am not going to recommend it. Unless you are the kind of person who unwinds every skein before you start a project, in which case, you probably won't have any issues.
I would say literally 2/3 of the skeins I have used have resulted in some huge tangle halfway through a square that has bogged me down and ticked me off to no end. I gave my poor cat a heart attack last night when I screamed in frustration at the latest snag. And you would think I would have learned to just unwind each skein before I start using it, right? That would be a negative. I have a stubborn streak a mile wide, and a sense of impatience led on by the time crunch of three blankets on a deadline, that apparenlty won't let me do something so sensible (and probably time-saving in the end). So yeah. This yarn is driving me batty. On the plus side, pretty much almost done with it. So, yay.
I think part of it is that I very rarely have these issues with Red Heart, and so I keep thinking, oh it's just this skein. But no, it's really not. Though my adopted sis and fellow crocheter, K, pointed out she had a similar problem with Red Heart Soft in the past. So it could just be this particular brand of yarn I guess.
Also, this is making me very much look forward to the ball winder I have been promised for Christmas. Can't wait.
But I am determined to get these blankets finished up by Monday evening so they can be delivered on Tuesday and then I can start on my next project, the blanket I am making as a Christmas present. It is going to basically be just a big granny square, so I am hopeful that it should be quick and easy and the opposite of frustrating.
Then at the start of the year I am actually going to get started on those sweaters, I swear.
Well, until next time, I wish you all well!
Peace,
C
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