52/52

"A portrait of my girls, once a week, every week, in 2016."

Christmas morning: out of bed very early and bursting with excitement

Joining in with Jodi for the 52 Week Project.

Things that are Making Me Happy

With my 'things to do list' all checked off, and the big day just around the corner, I thought I would make a 'happy list', a list of things that are making me happy right now as the holidays begin...

• Twinkling lights on the Christmas tree
• Persimmons
• Two excited girls who are just as excited to give gifts as receive them
• Family gatherings coming up
• Listening to country music hits from the 1990s with Steve
• A week off work coming soon
• Hot tea
• A good night sleep
• A sense of calm and relaxation that I have never felt at Christmas before
• Knowing I've done enough
• Flannel pajamas  
• Cookies
• That no one is sick for the holidays
• Soup simmering on the stove
• Quiet evenings at home 
• Christmas music in reasonable doses
• Snow
• Candles

Merry Christmas, friends. I wish you all a wonderful holiday full of peace, joy, and happiness.

A Butterfly for Oma

Over the years I have made many things for my Oma for Christmas; nothing big or fancy, just little handmade tokens of love, which I know she really enjoys, appreciates, and treasures.

This year I made her a butterfly. She loves butterflies.

(This was actually my second attempt, the first being quite unsuccessful, possibly because I was distracted by watching The Crown.)

It's a little thing, I know, but she'll love it, she'll find someplace to put it in her home, and making something for my Oma is a long standing tradition; she still has the picture I drew her when I was in kindergarten on the basement fridge door.....

51/52

"A portrait of my girls, once a week, every week, in 2016."

Claire: homework time - spelling and math

Bridget: always reading, always

Joining in with Jodi for the 52 Week Project.

Christmas Happies...

Christmas ornaments hanging on the tree make me so happy.

Color Block Blanket Ta-dah

Inspired by the yarn in my yarn basket and how well it matched with the quilt on my bed, I began my color block blanket journey back in July.

When I started my blanket I was deep in stash-busting mode, but after crocheting several blocks of color using only yarn from my stash, my blanket was quite oddly shaped - wider than it was long - so I needed to purchase some additional yarn. Isn't this how it always goes? You start off trying to use only what is in your stash for a project but then halfway through realize that more yarn is needed. In truth though, after making this blanket, my yarn cupboard is a little less stuffed, so all in all, even though a yarn store trip was necessary, I am calling this a stash-busting success.

Are you ready to see my blanket laid out in all its glory? Well then, may I present to you my beautiful color block blanket:

This blanket is such a beautiful burst of color and is perfectly at home in my little crochet corner.

Now, in making this blanket, I learned an important lesson about yarn that I feel is my duty to pass on to my fellow crocheters: Bernat Handicrafter Cotton is not the same thickness in all colors. I crocheted eighteen rows of purple, orange, teal, and yellow and the width of all the color blocks is not the same. I did not actually come to this realization until I was working with the navy blue - which is much thinner than the other yarn colors - and by then it was too late to go back and fix the the other color blocks. If you just look at the blanket and don't actually measure the width of the blocks, it is not too obvious, but still, this was not what I was going for. I wonder if this is the case with other yarn types, is it the dying process that changes the thickness of the yarn? Anyone know?

Also, does anyone else keep all their yarn labels until the project is finished and then throw them out?

Lessons and imperfections aside, I am very happy with my blanket. Making this blanket was a very happy journey and one perfectly suited to sitting on the couch after a long day, watching a program on television, and crocheting away. And I do love the large blocks of color and the fact that there were only a few ends to darn in, unlike my Cozy Stripe Blanket which had millions.

50/52

"A portrait of my girls, once a week, every week, in 2016."

Every afternoon at 3:20, these sweeties come through the back door and shout "Mom, we're home!!!"

Joining in with Jodi for the 52 Week Project.