Race Track and Games Blanket for Jack - Red, Blue, White, Green, Dark Grey, Light Grey, Black, Buff

Size: 36 inches x 73 inches
Colors: Red, Blue, White, Green, Dark Grey, Light Grey, Black, Buff, Yellow (Red Heart Classic)
Pattern for Race Track: My own
Pattern for Tic-Tac-Toe and Checkers Game Boards and Game Pieces: Fun and Games Bag by Sharon Volkman (page 86) in Annie's Favorite Quick & Easy Projects - ISBN 0-9655269-5-X - Copyright 1999 - Annie's Attic
Hook: H, G, F
Date: October 2005

I wanted to make something for Jack since he's getting a brother or sister in late December or early January. Jack is almost 3 years old and is the son of my husband's second cousin Jackie and her hubby Jason.

I decided to make the Fun and Games Bag and in late July began the Tic-Tac-Toe and Checkers game boards which make up the two sides of the bag.

While making the game boards, it occurred to me that I could connect them to make a rectangle, add half circles on each end to make an oval shape, and crochet a race track around the game boards, complete with spectator stands on one side and a winner's circle area on the other! As a NASCAR fan, this seemed like a perfectly reasonable thing to do! So I did it!

I also made a colorful drawstring sack to carry the game pieces in - and a smaller double-opening drawstring sack so that the red and blue checkers could be stored separately if desired. I thought a 3-year-old would find it fun to open and close and put things in and take things out (over and over...).