Before and After

I believe I mentioned before that I learned how to crochet twice.  There was the first way, that was kinda right and got by unless I wanted something to actually match a pattern and then there was the correct way.  Since learning how to crochet "right", there are several projects that I have given away that I wish I could take back and correct.  My apologies to my first blanket recipients!

Last summer I decided to make blankets for my friend Shayna's kids.  I completed the small blankets in July but she and I weren't able to get together for me to give them to her.  Thank goodness.  I decided that I wanted to take the original blankets (done the old way) and use them to make new blankets.  

Both blankets are camo, so for Maddie's blanket I kept the pink camo and combined it with purple camo in a large granny square blanket.

This is the before (actually before the before since I was just starting it):

This is the after:

Close-up

Without a flash (to get a good look at the stripes)

As for Grayson's blanket, I took a basic plain camo rectangular blanket and combined it with a darker camo to make a wave blanket.  That one's not finished yet.  I'll include pictures of it when it is.

So at some point (before Shayna's kids are grown), I'll finish the second blanket and get them to her.  Until then, enjoy knowing at least what Maddie's blanket looks like!

More Holiday Gifts

While Sam was in NYC for work in February, I made him take pictures of Carlos and Stacey in their holiday gifts.  Unfortunately, Carlos' hat was too small (he has a really big head) and the hat for Mateo was too small as well.  The scarf and hat fit Stacey perfectly until she washed the scarf and shrank it!  But it's the thought that counts, right???

The scarf was from a pattern in a magazine but the hats were all my own!

Critter Madness

Even though it seems I have been MIA as of late, I've been creating up a storm.  As shown in previous posts, I was starting to get the hang of making amigurumi creatures.  They're easy and quick to make and make such great gifts for kids.  Although if you ask my mom, they make great gifts for her too!

So I've added a few new animals to the collection - an elephant and a penguin.  I did the elephant in both a grey as well as a light blue and am not sure which I like better.  You be the judge.

Late February, our nephew turned 5 and I thought that it would be fun to make him a toy.  Well if anyone knows anything about having young children, especially more than one, then you know that I could not show up without a gift for his little sister as well.  

I made the frog earlier in the week.  Sam and I had given the kids Kermit the Frog at Thanksgiving, so I figured that we could continue the tradition of frogs.  That was until I found the elephant pattern and felt I had to make it.  I started on Saturday morning and by the time we arrived for the birthday party, the little guy was done.

Grey Elephant

I gave Yoni the choice of which he would like and he surprised me by choosing the frog.


Yoni and his legless frog (I like it better this way)
 

That left Yael with the elephant.  I got a real kick of Yoni carrying the frog around by his eyes!

Yaeli and her elephant

When Holli's little one turned 5 the following month, I asked her if she would want a frog, pig or elephant and she chose an elephant too.  I assume that it was delivered to Jessi but don't know for sure since it had to go through Holli first and she absolutely loved it!

Jessi's Blue Elephant

A few weeks ago, Amanda brought me the first pig that I made.  She showed me that his feet were coming undone from his body and asked if I could fix it.  She told Rhylan that the pig had to go to the "doctor".  I thought it might be fun to provide Rhylan with a new "friend" when I returned her pig.  That led to making the penguin and I have to say that it is my absolute favorite so far!  So easy to make and so cute!

Rhylan's Penguin

My next project to finish is the Longhorn that I began for Joe.  Pictures to come!