Saturday, April 4, 2020

Keeping busy

While this virus has us all staying put, one needs a hobby to keep busy with. I wonder if there are any people out there who don't have a hobby but have now started one? We, who already paint, draw, write, sew, knit, embroider, crochet, do woodworking or stained glass have a wonderful creative outlet to keep boredom away. I have friends who don't have a hobby and they apparently are bored with TV already. Too bad. There are all kinds of free things one can do on the internet too. Research the weird and wonderful. Learn about something new. I wondered about toilet paper the other day - because it was so talked about. Who invented it and why is it that no matter who manufactures it, it's all the same size? Who came up with the size and the perforations? 

Anyway, since I do several needlecrafts, I tend to switch from one to another. Just before leaving Canada to come here to England, my daughter told me that the blanket I made two and a half years ago as a stroller blanket for her little son had gotten thin and worn. I was surprised since it was made from James C. Brett's chunky yarn. It was nice and soft and a good size too. I had knit that one and so when I decided to make another one, I thought I would crochet it. I had crocheted a blanket about 8+ years ago for my eldest grandson when I was visiting British Columbia. It has gone through many washings and has held up fairly well. It's now used by a cousin as a stroller blanket and because it is crocheted, it is thicker. 
Anyway, I had a huge ball of yarn in a pretty green colour and so I thought I would use it up because it was a Red Heart yarn that wasn't all that soft. It does become soft with age and washing but I couldn't think of anything else to use it for. I started it before getting on the plane and finished it shortly after arriving here.

This is what I used up the green yarn on. If I had done more crocheting lately, I would have known that it didn't need to be so wide. It's not symmetrical but I like it this way. The stitch is a shell stitch and I thought the navy blue would look nice on a boy's blanket and I liked the white accent too. I have a big ball of white to use up now too.
Little Atticus uses it in his crib so it hasn't made it outside yet. I'm glad he likes it. I think I may make more shell stitch blankets. They are easy (not that fast), look very nice (because of the stitch) and they are warm. If you've not tried it, there are youtube videos out there to show you how.

Happy creating.

2 comments:

  1. Yes, lucky us who have so many hobbies we can continue doing at home! Your crochet work looks beautiful and even. My projects tend to be very wide at the beginning and get narrower and tighter (and better) only after so many rows that it feels a pity to undo all and start again. But as my mother and many other wise women said, if it is worth doing, it is worth doing well. I'm very experienced in unravelling!

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  2. So far we've pretty much been at home for about a month and I haven't even thought of being bored because I have so many things I can be doing. In one sense it's nice to see my stash dwindling from making masks and I've lined up several knitting projects using stash yarn. I can work on my crazy quilt blocks that I'm making for a throw for our bed. I can do landscapes. The choices are limitless. I can't imagine NOT having hobbies. Your pretty green blankie is going to be well loved I know.

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