little monkeys

I have a friend who has been very, very generous to me. She is a close friend, and she always seems to come up with the perfect present for various occasions - our wedding, Eamon's birth, various birthdays of mine and now, Eamon's. I am less generous, mostly because she is the type of person who seems to have everything, and she also is very clear that (usually, anyway) she doesn't want a gift. Plus (I'll say it) money is a bit tight around here.

Last week, my friend had a baby. And, well, that's as good an excuse as any to knit something amazing for my friend.

A blanket seemed like the most useful gift, something that could be wrapped around the baby in the stroller or car seat, something that would be useful for a few years. I made a blanket for Eamon when I was pregnant (which sadly was lost) and I found the small 2'x2' size more useful than I had imagined. I poked around looking at various patterns, and finally settled on the Sleepy Monkey Blanket (twist collective link). It is an incredible pattern, one that requires a lot of patience and looks impressive. I felt like making something a little more modern would be fun, and something my friend's husband would also appreciate.

I cast on in March, using Berroco Vintage, an amazing superwash wool/acrylic blend. My mother made a sweater for Eamon with it, and it has weathered the washing and wear very well. It also comes in wonderful colors.

The color panels went rather quickly, perhaps because they were fun and varied. They were finished and washed in May, and I presented them at my friend's baby shower as a preview as to what was coming. She and her husband seemed excited about the blanket. There was talk of hanging it on the wall.

I made it my mission to finish the blanket while we were in Maine in June. Unfortunately, the border of this blanket is a little more tiresome to knit. Someone on Ravelry said it was "fiddly," and she was right. It is fiddly. I think if I ever knit this blanket again, I would make the border simpler and a lot more user friendly. I did manage to finish it though, while watching episodes of the amazing Danish miniseries Forbydelsen (yes! knitting with subtitles!).

I washed it and it was sent off.

I do feel rather proud of this blanket. I finished it on time. I like how it looks and I think the colors work well together. It is probably a little warm for a baby, but maybe it would be useful for tummy time or on a chilly fall day in the stroller.

Knitting!

Oh my. I thought that by now I was going to be blogging more, but now that Eamon is walking I seem to have even less time. Sigh.

In January I started working for my cousin part time, and I once again have a commute. Having a commute was one reason I started knitting in earnest to begin with, and now I have that time again. Not a lot, but it is something. And I am knitting.

I recently participated in a Mother's Day swap with a group of other mothers on Ravelry. We were to make one accessory type thing for our partner, and also include something yarny and yummy. I was waylaid in starting - to be honest, I got really obsessed with a baby blanket that I am making for a friend, and then I got very busy with a project I was doing in Philadelphia.

I ended up making my partner a scarf. It is lacy and thin; she had said that she liked skinny scarves so this was an excuse to make one.

Pattern: Susan Scarf by Kristen Hanley
Yarn: Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine, 1 skein

Amazingly, and maybe this is because I now have a child, I never managed to memorize this pattern, even though it was pretty simple. I like how it looks though.

And here's hoping that I get on here and blog more.

Eamon's wardrobe

Last winter, when I was pregnant and wondering what I could make for my little baby, I made some legwarmers. I think I had sworn not to knit anything for a newborn, sinceI had been told that it wouldn't get much wear. Which was mostly true, though he did wear the alpaca chullo I made him (and never photographed well).

The legwarmers are another story.

Hm. Let me step back for a minute.

I realize some of you might wonder about a boy wearing legwarmers. One doesn't usually think "boy" when discussing legwarmers. Which is fine. Not all boys need to wear them. Personally, I like to dress Eamon in clothes that are a little less gender specific, though since girls seem to always wear pink these days, I don't think he gets mistaken for a girl very often.

But he wears tights. Regularly. We have at least 5 pairs of tights, and dress him in them as often as possible. I like them because they don't ride up and expose his calf (often a problem, since he has long legs). They also don't require socks, which tend to slide down and fall off. And they look cute. Another bonus is that they layer well under legwarmers and/or snow pants when we go out. (note to American clothing designers: please make more baby boy or gender neutral tights! The ones we have are either from H&M or from my friend who lives in Germany.)
So last winter- pre-tights love - i made a pair of leg warmers for Eamon. I used some left over purple Queensland Collection Kathmandu DK and made a simple ribbed tube. This year, with all of the snow and such, they have been pretty handy. Eamon wears them (over his tights' of course!) when i have him in the baby carrier, or in the stroller without his snow pants. They are warm, they are soft. Hopefully they will be worn next year too, as i imagine he will mostly grow up and not so much out.

return of knitting mojo

I have been knitting seriously since about 2002, when I finished grad school and my mother mailed me her extra knitting needles. I was living near Downtown Yarns and I passed the store window at least once a week on my way here and there. I needed a hat, so I made one. And then I made another. And I started making them for all of my friends and relatives. And then I discovered patterns, and knitting books. And Knitty.com. And then there were knitting blogs and more patterns, and there just seemed to be inspiration everywhere. And then there was Ravelry and I just went crazy knitting and knitting and knitting.

And then I got pregnant. Which was a great thing. It was something we really wanted, and I had anticipated making tons of baby things, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I was tired, grumpy, anxious. I made a blanket and some hats, but the whole thing was really half-hearted. I really had to force myself to make those things.

The lack of creative interest continued to some extent after Eamon was born. I sort of figured I had grown out of knitting, that the baby was taking my energy and that I had just entered a new chapter of my life, but BEHOLD! That is not true! It is back! Suddenly I can't stop making things, or think about making things. I'm having fun again with my hands.

I had a meeting recently with a theater director, a woman I met about a year ago who has a baby 5 months older than Eamon. She and I are working on a project together, and I mentioned my lack of creative mojo. Or rather, I mentioned that I was feeling much more motivated to create than I had in a long time. And she said that she had a theory that this was related to hormones, and to babies starting solids and therefore nursing less. And since my body is less about providing for the baby, it is allowing me to start thinking about things that are non-baby. If that makes any sense.

All of this brings me to a few things I knitted in August, as the mojo was returning.

First of all: the Norweigan Sweet Baby Cap by Gro.

A very popular pattern on Ravelry and something I have been wanting to make for a very long time. I finally started it when we were in Maine in late July. I am determined to use just stash yarn (still) and so I used some Knit Picks Palette that I've had lying around. The lavender is Koigu.

This was a great pattern. Unfortunately I made it too small and it doesn't fit Eamon. I can't remember what I did, but I will try to make it again in a larger gauge yarn.

Second: Stay on Baby Booties by Knitgirl's Mother.

Another great pattern, easy and quick. I used some more of the Palette since I thought it would be nice if these matched. Again, they were too small for Eamon. He thought it was great fun to try them on though, and after I took them off he put one of them back near his foot. I think he was trying to put it back on, but he doesn't know how.

I ended up giving both of these to a friend at her baby shower. I'm sure she can use them this winter, and hopefully she doesn't have issues with wool and babies.

In any case, I hope to have more to share with you all again soon. The main issue is getting onto the computer and finding the mental space to blog, hopefully more than once a month. Stay tuned.

knitting for future falls

September is here, and hopefully soon the weather will begin to cool. The northeast US had a very warm summer, the hottest on record, and it was not so fun to be stuck inside with a baby. We took him for walks here and there, but for the most part we kept him indoors.

For the longest time I thought I'd knit up a ton of baby things once I got pregnant, but in reality I didn't have much energy or wish to knit. There were so many other things to wrap my head around. I made him a blanket, some hats, a pair of mittens, and a sweater. (Yes, now I feel like I have a lot to catch up with! What will he wear this winter??)

I knit this sweater last summer, thinking of cool summer nights (ha!) and the fall, when the baby would need something light to keep the chill off.

I finished knitting it in late December and I remember being in awe that the tiny baby inside me would fit into such a huge sweater someday.

Well, it fits now. He's big, a lot bigger than he was, but he's still a baby.

I took these pictures about a month ago, when we were in Maine, and it was cool enough for a sweater. Now the temperatures are up again, but I think it will be worn at least a few more times this fall. Let's hope it cools off again soon.

Pattern: Sheep Yoke Cardigan, designed by Jennifer Little (Ravel it!)
Yarn: An assortment of cotton Knit Picks yarn from my stash
Started: July 28, 2009
Finished: December 28, 2009

flower child

The knitting has slowed around here, but it hasn't quite stopped.After Eamon was born, I managed to cast on and knit this little hat, made entirely of scrap or stash yarn. I ran out of the dark orange yarn, and luckily had some pale orange yarn that I could use for the inside brim instead.The pattern is a formula, and you plug in a circumference and make the hat accordingly. I was a little afraid that Eamon's head would grow more quickly than I would knit, but it fits him perfectly. I'm very pleased, even if Eamon does look like a flower when he wears it. Pattern: Sunshine and Lollipops, by Alison Reeve
Yarn: Berocco Pure Pima (pale orange and blue) and Classic Elite Yarns Provence (dark orange)

gratitude

Rachel is one of my oldest and closest friends, and she has been extremely generous to me through the years. In January, she hosted my baby shower, and to thank her I suggested that I make her a beret. She chose the Snapdragon pattern by Ysolda Teague, and some yummy orange alpaca that I found at La Casita, a newish yarn shop in the Carroll Gardens section of Brooklyn.I started the beret in early February, and raced to finish it before the baby came. I lost that race, but amazingly was able to finish it when Eamon was a few weeks old. (I was so sleep deprived that I actually don't remember finishing it, but I don't think there were any glaring errors...)It then took me nearly two months to block it.Oh well, the weather is warmer and poor Rachel will have to wait till next fall to wear it! In the meantime she will have to settle for posing for pictures with Eamon...

counting down...

Today at my prenatal yoga class I was the most pregnant person there. I think I was at least a month farther along than anyone else, it was that crazy. It made me feel, well, very pregnant.

If you are wondering what my shirt says, it says "No Longer Empty."
It was a gift from my cousin.

We have a long list of things to do before Smudge comes, though none of those things are that urgent. We have a car seat. And a place for him to sleep. And diapers. That's all set. We do need to cook some food that we can eat later, and we should finish packing the bag for the hospital. But that's really icing on the cake.

One thing on my list has been to finish knitting projects that have been languishing. If you look at my Ravelry project page, you'll see a few things that are 95% done. They're lacking buttons or just need to be cast off. Funny how I can spend 100+ hours knitting a shawl and then not have the patience to cast it off. (Even worse is that it's 2/3 cast off; I just need to do the last 300 or so stitches.)

I did finish one of those projects recently, though: my Vinterblomster Mittens. You may remember that I started these - and knit a mitten and a half - in November and December 2008. I then ran out of yarn, was graciously donated more from Hilary, and finished everything but a thumb in January 2009. And then they sat in my knitting basket, longing for a thumb. The problem was that the afterthought thumb in the pattern was placed too low for my hand. I corrected this in the second mitten, but had already finished the first mitten. It required surgery.A few weeks ago I pulled it out and cut a spot for my new thumb, attached my yarn and knit. And I finished the thumb within a few days, all on my commute on the subway.I love them! The inside is super soft, lined with Koigu floats. They're pretty warm too, though not warm enough for the 19 degree temperatures we've had this weekend. Maybe I can wear them next week.

warm baby knits

Have I mentioned that my midwife is a knitter too?

"Of course she's a knitter!" Christopher told me, " she's a midwife!" This is the same logic that has me convinced that everyone who is pregnant is also a knitter. Which makes no sense.

Anyway, at one of my appointments a few weeks ago, my midwife asked me what I had knit for Smudge. (She doesn't know that he's called Smudge though. She called him "the baby.") The woman ahead of me had just left with her newborn, and the baby had been bundled in hand knits made and sent from its Irish grandmother.

I felt sad that I hadn't made anything very warm for Smudge. Part of me thinks it's silly to make something for a newborn, when he's bound to outgrow it pretty quickly. But there's also something about a hand knit that connotes love and thought for the child, and I would like Smudge to have the warmth that my wool can give him.

Right about the same time, Mary Jane asked me to test knit her Cabled Chullo, suggesting that I make it in a lighter yarn so Smudge could wear it. I agreed happily, and pulled out some Sublime Angora Merino from my stash and started knitting. Perfect!

(hopefully Smudge will look good in mouse brown)

And when that was done, I had some left over yarn, and made a pair of newborn mitts for him too. The mitts aren't quite the same size, but they will keep him warm. When Christopher saw these, he asked me why I thought his son would be lacking opposable thumbs.

I used a pattern by Louisa Harding, from Natural Knits for Babies and Moms, and I added little cables to each so they'd match the hat. I may still add some sort of string or i-cord to connect them, but I'm not sure yet. Smudge may be warm yet!

Counting down the weeks! Less than 6 weeks until my due date! Yikes!!

thanksgivinging

We got back yesterday from a few low key days in Philadelphia, where we visited our families and celebrated the holiday.

Thanksgiving itself was at my parents', and we had a mellow dinner with them and 3 house guest-friends. I keep wondering why it was more relaxed than usual. Maybe I was too exhausted to care about entertaining, or cooking? or maybe spending a holiday with people who carry no baggage is easier? I don't know. In any case, it was very pleasant and easy. More like a house party than a holiday.

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In knitting news, I have two things to share! (can you believe it??)

One: a scarf that I started for my father last spring. This was originally intended for Father's Day, but I shifted gears (and went on a knitting break during my first trimester) so my dad got the scarf for his birthday instead.The pattern is the Braided Cable Scarf, by Miriam L. Felton. It's very simple and easy to remember once you do a few repeats. Yarn is Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride worsted in Sable, 2 skeins.

Two: Coraline!! Done. Not the greatest photos, but I'm super happy with it. In order to make it work for my pregnant belly, I made the body a size larger than I normally would, but left the sleeves alone. Somehow it all worked out stitch count-wise, don't ask me how. I also added a button band, since I know that I'll want to button this up.
My mother picked up the buttons at a great button store in Philadelphia and I sewed 3 of them on while I was there. Somehow Mom managed to understand the exact color without having a yarn swatch to match. I guess that's the benefit of having a mother who is also an artist.

me: it's the color of a very dark red delicious apple.
her: like shade XXX in the Benjamin Moore book?
(We both own Benjamin Moore paint swatch books, so maybe we cheated a little. But she was right on with the shade.)I've only sewn on 3 buttons on so far, and I'm in no rush to sew on the other ones. True to my midwife's predictions (and she and I actually discussed this in reference to my Coraline, which I was knitting while waiting for my glucose test a few weeks back) my body temperature is going up and I have no wish to button the sweater over my belly. I guess this is the benefit of being in one's third trimester during the cold months!

oh yes! Details: pattern: Coraline, by Ysolda Teague. yarn: Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light, in redwood mix.

two more hats!

It looks like Smudge will at least have a warm head next winter! I've made two more hats, both in the 6-9 month size. Hats seem to be a perfect project because they are good for using up odd ends of yarn, which I've sworn to do this year. On the other hand, this pledge prevents me from making anything very large (like a sweater or little pants). I think I might also want to get some superwash wool if I were to make pants.

Somehow I've got to find a balance...

First up, another of Woolly Wormhead's Wee Woolly Toppers, this time Tubey.
I used up the rest of my purple Berroco Comfort, which is a bonus. Unfortunately, I also ran out of it. I think it's supposed to be another inch or two high, but it looks to me like it will fit. Anyway, great (and super simple) pattern. Quick too.

Next hat: Erika Knight's Pixie Hat, from her book Knitting for Two. I made one of these last winter for another baby, and thought it was adorable. This one is less amazing, I think because of my yarn choices.
Again, I was using up ends of yarns, this time some light blue Baby Cashmerino and a tiny ball of leftover Luxe Silk from Woodstock Wool Company (great store, if you ever go to Woodstock, NY). This hat was meant to be a gift, but once I realized it would require a bit of care I decided that the recipient wouldn't want it.

I also think it's dull. Maybe some stitching would help? Or a pom pom? I'm a bit flummoxed.

Next up? I don't know. I feel like I have a bunch of projects that need just minor finishing (and that I should do). I also think that maybe Smudge should have a good wool sweater for next winter. Or at least some baby mittens. Or booties. Or something to set him apart from the non-wool clad babies.

first hat

I have recently received quite a lot of baby clothes, hand me downs from my sister-in-law and an old friend who both have very little boys. It's been fun to sort through the itty little shirts and socks and imagine Smudge wearing them. What an abstract concept!! It's so hard to imagine that I will actually have a baby that fits into a little sleeper. whew!

I've been trying to find gaps in what I've received, and so far I haven't been methodical enough to figure out what we do have and what we need, but I have decided that we need a newborn winter hat. Even if Smudge wears it for only a day, he will wear it. I'm thinking it might work well for his trip home, and is shocked by his first cold winter temperatures on the way to the car.After much agony over which pattern to choose, Christopher took things in hand and decided that Smudge needs the whole collection of Wee Woolly Toppers from Woolly Wormhead. I hadn't really imagined spending money for the patterns when there are so many great free patterns, but I think he was right. They are all adorable hats, and I can make them in different sizes, and they also would make great gifts. I also like some of the hats are knit in aran weight yarn, while others are in DK. Lots of variety. Anyway.

I made the Buzzbee with some leftover Berocco Comfort from the blanket I made for my nephew last summer. I love this yarn. Love love love it (even though it's synthetic) It washes so well, and it comes in fabulous colors. I have a lot of it, so Smudge will be getting quite a few garments in Comfort. Pattern: Buzzbee, by Woolly Wormhead
Yarn: Berocco Comfort
Needles: #7
Started: October 17
Finished October 18

nothing to show

except my belly. I think I can say that I now officially look pregnant. I've been offered seats on the subway now twice, and while fabric shopping yesterday the saleswoman was very excited about my bump. Funny how things like that can affect total strangers.

We also learned this week that Smudge is a boy!

This news was somehow shocking and overwhelming to us, but I think learning that it was a girl might have had the same effect. Becoming parents at all is really rather insane. Why would anyone in their right mind want to do such a thing?

I've been frantically working on a Coraline cardigan, which I started on September 11. I am making the body a little larger to accommodate my belly, and I intend to also add a button band so I can actually close it against the cold. It's knit up from the bottom to the arm pits, then sleeves to armpits and then the whole thing is joined to do a smocking yoke.

I'm just at the point where it should all get joined, and I am waiting for a good moment to sit down and make sure the right stitches go to the right places. I don't trust myself to do that on the subway, where the rest of the sweater has been knit so far. So stay tuned for that, and hopefully some photos too.

Something for Smudge

You may have noticed that I haven't knit much, or that I haven't really bothered sharing what I've knit recently. (There is both a coat and a sweater that need modeling, but I'm not sure the coat will fit me anymore.)

I really lost my knitting mojo during the first trimester, both because I was tired and also because I was afraid of jinxing the pregnancy. I kept asking Christopher if it was alright that I was queuing baby sweaters, or if it was alright if I cast something on yet. He wasn't really sure why I didn't just knit, but I'm glad that I waited.

In August, when we were in Maine, I cast on for a baby blanket. Much agony was involved in deciding on this blanket, and this yarn. It turns out that we are receiving many baby blankets as gifts and as hand me downs - my mother has a few from when I was a baby, Christopher has his, we've been gifted one already (which I will blog about later) and promised yet another. Plus Christopher's sister is giving us all of their old receiving blankets and what not.

What was missing from this list (though perhaps there's something in my mother's collection) is a wool baby blanket. Smudge is due in February, and I hope to be at least somewhat mobile with the baby, even when it's tiny. We don't own a car, so that means that Smudge will need some bundling, and I think a small wool blanket would be useful.

Which brings me to a pretty impractical yarn choice, one I think that Elizabeth Zimmerman would be proud of. I chose some Icelandic fingering weight yarn that I bought last year at Rhinebeck. It's itchy, it sheds, it's not machine washable.I told Mary Jane about my crazy wool baby blanket when I was in Maine. She assured me that you can let spit up dry and just pick it off! I like her attitude! (And I appreciate her enabling!)

Even worse, I chose a lace pattern, which will require blocking if it needs to be washed. But I thought the yarn and pattern would work well together, and when I bought the yarn I thought it would be a good wooly blanket. (I had another skein of white, which would have been great in stripes or colorwork, but I became obsessed with this pattern and only one color would work.) I knit it mostly on the subway, and I was surprised how quickly it went. Last night I cast off, soaked it and blocked it (with Christopher's help). It measures about 27" square, which is a little on the small side, but I think it will be useful.Pattern: Alpaca Baby Shawl by Marie Grace Smith
Yarn: Tongue River Farm Sock Yarn
Needles: #5, various lengths

The pattern was very easy to memorize, and since it's knit from the center out, there is almost nothing to weave in. I just knit till I was nearly out of yarn, then did a few rows of garter stitch and cast off. The yarn really bloomed and softened when I washed it, which I had hoped for.

I hope that Smudge likes it!

(I can't wait to start something else! There's so much to be made!)

enough moping

I think it's important to remember that we had a good time in Italy, before we realized that we would have to leave early.

Proof:This is my friend Carlotta. I met her back when she was a senior in high school, and I was a college student studying in Florence. I lived with Carlotta's aunt and uncle (her zii- I love how in Italian you can just group aunts and uncles together into one word.) She and I took 19th century ballroom dancing classes together back then, which was really fun.

As you can see, Carlotta is pregnant. Her baby boy is due sometime in June. The exact date seems to be debated, at least by her. I think officially it's due around the middle of June, but Carlotta is sure that she will go into labor when the moon is full. I asked her to explain this logic but just could not grasp the moon-due date theory.

A month or two before we went to Italy, I consulted Carlotta about what she would like for her baby, if I were to knit something, and she said she'd like a little cotton cardigan for the summer, something the baby could wear every day. She gave me a lot of color choices: caffé macchiato, sage or sky blue. Or of course she also liked red and orange. It was a little hard for me to narrow it down until I found a big ball of orange cotton in my stash, and felt like it would work perfectly.Of course I didn't have enough orange for the whole sweater, so I had to buy a contrasting color for the cuffs, buttonband and collar. I really stressed over what would match, and only found a paler orange when I went to Stitch Therapy.
I think it works well, in any case. And Carlotta was estatic when I gave it to her. I should have gotten a photo of her holding it over her belly, which she did more than once. It's so nice to make something for someone who really appreciates and treasures it. I can't wait to see a photo of the baby in his new sweater, or his golf. (yes, that's really what they call cardigans in Italy.) I guess in this case it's a golfino, since it's a little cardigan. (What a great language!)Pattern: Offset Wraplan by Sara Morris (Ravelry link)
Yarn: Classic Elite Yarns Provence and Berroco Pure Pima
Needles: #6 US
Buttons: from a great button store I found with my mom in Philadelphia

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I should give an eye update, since many of you wrote such kind notes. The long and the short of it is that the doctor wants to wait and see. There is some sort of bleeding in the back of my eye, almost like a bruise, and it can clear itself up apparently, though it might take a few months. Of course, it may also get worse. It's all about watching it.

Working on the computer is problematic, as is reading, though I am going to try going back to work tomorrow. I just need a sense of normalcy and routine. The doctor thought that my brain will probably adjust to having this smudge on my vision and compensate for it somehow. We shall see.

mitts for mom

A few months ago, when my mom was visiting, she put on the Fetching Mitts that I'd made her for Christmas back in 2007. They were ragged, pilly, stretched out. She didn't seem to care - she mostly wears them while she's painting in her studio - but I was embarrassed by how they'd worn. Honestly I thought that Mission Falls 1824 was better than that. It should have held up better in nearly two years of wear. Seriously.

So when I was deciding what to make mom for Mother's Day, a new set of mitts were the obvious choice. I have sworn to use stash yarn this year (unless absolutely necessary), and was happy to find two skeins of Elsbeth Lavold Classic AL in my collection. It was perfect for the Rib-and-Cable Mitts (Ravelry Link) pattern from Interweave Knits from Spring 2006. I used some left over Brown Sheep Handpaint Originals from my stash for the borders, and when that ran out I subbed in some brick-colored Donegal tweed, also left over from an old project. (amazingly the colors blend together well, and you can't really tell unless you look closely).Mom seemed really surprised and pleased by the mitts. I really hope they wear better than the Fetchings did. Hopefully the Classic AL is a better yarn...

Notes! I made the hand about an inch longer than specified, since I like to keep my knuckles warm. Hopefully mom does too!

blankets for Afghans

I've mentioned before that I sometimes knit things for Afghans for Afghans. Their latest drive, which started early this year, is for baby items. I usually send a mass email with the appeal to my knitting group, and then collect a few hats and mittens. This time when I sent the information, Tony (the group organizer) smartly thought we should make and sew together blanket squares.

Tony keeps giving me credit for organizing this, but in reality he wrote up a bunch of blanket square patterns and has taught group members how to make them, plus he collected the squares and has kept them at his apartment. It only seemed fair that I host a piecing party, the first of which was on Saturday.
It turned out that Tony had to go to a party with his girlfriend that day, so he brought the squares over before everyone arrived.
The squares were of varying sizes, so we lay out one blanket of small squares and anther of large ones and had a tall stack of mixed sized squares left over.
Our piecing group was small (just 3 of us!), but we had fun chatting and sewing everything together. When Lizz and Lisa left, there was one blanket that still needed a final center seam; the second blanket was only partially sewn.

On Sunday morning I finished the seam and sewed in all of the ends, completing our first blanket. Voila!I really love the combination of squares, and the number of different styles it incorporates. I am also really taken with the crocheted ones. I wish I knew how to crochet!

The second blanket is now in strips (I couldn't resist it). It's really tempting to finish it too, but I'm being encouraged to wait so it's more of a group effort. Now to have another piecing party...