big red

Totally red crochet blanket for Little Sprouts. I know, it's a bit crazy, but I had the wool so I used it. And it will keep a little one toasty warm out and about in the stroller on a cold and windy day.
It's made up of twelve squares that I crocheted together - as I went - following this tutorial. This worked out well - nice flat joins, no ridges - and so much easier than sewing squares together at the end. I also discovered this method for working the first row of the border so that it doesn't end up wavy. (Blocking also helped.) The little edging stitch I got from here.

I'm fairly new to crochet and every time I make something I learn a new technique, thanks to all those generous makers who share their expertise on line.

Work in progress: sock monkeys.

Reading: Hunger : a memoir of (my) body by Roxane Gay. I've just started this one. It's a telling of the author’s life and of her everyday experience as a fat woman.

bundle

I try to make a few things each year to donate to Little Sprouts and I gathered them up today ready for delivery. I've dragged my feet a bit on completing some of these things (I started the crochet blanket in September!) so it feels good to finally hand them over.

• the crochet blanket inspiration and tutorial here at meet me at mikes
• merino baby wrap tutorial on the fabric store blog
• the bound wool blanket inspired by "pure + simple" wool blankets on purl soho
• jumper from Panda book #205 Adorable baby knits. 

I learned something binding that blanket. I thought you always had to bind using bias binding. If you choose rounded corners for your blanket or quilt then you should use a bias binding that will curve around the corners. With square corners you can use straight binding. Who knew? So I tried that out for the first time on the pink blanket and it worked out fine. I mitred the corners. There's a great tutorial here for that. And this is my go-to video on how to join the ends of the binding - which you'll need to do with either bias or straight binding.

I have a few new things to get started on now. What are you making?

Reading: Today will be different by Maria Semple.

four

Today's post has been inspired by Pip Lincolne from meet me at mikes. She does a "One + Four = Life" post every now and then. The idea is that once a week you post four photos to document your life. I don't think this will be a regular thing for me but ...
- purchased today - a yellow striped t-shirt in anticipation of summer
- jasmine - it's in bloom all over the neighbourhood
- Spaces by frankie magazine - for some voyeuristic reading pleasure

And a new project making granny squares that will grow miraculously into a blanket. I don't crochet very often and always need to get out the book to learn all over again how to do it. There's also a very good tutorial over on meet me at mikes. I like the randomness of crochet blankets - just making it up as you go along and not really knowing how the whole will turn out.

Reading: A little life by Hanya Yanagihara
Changing: "just one thing" to help save our planet. Instructions here.