Recently in Crochet Donations 2002 Category

Size: (Unknown) (donated in December 2002 to the convalescent home where my grandfather stayed; estimate 35 inches x 45 inches)
Colors: White, Baby Yellow, Baby Light Yellow, Baby Pink, Baby Light Pink, Baby Blue, Baby Light Blue
Pattern: Diagonal Rainbow - Design by Pat Gibbons
Book: Over the Rainbow Baby Afghans - Leaflet number not indicated - Copyright 2001 - Leisure Arts
Date: November 2002

I will probably never do something like this again! Each color change requires 2 yarn ends, one at the start and one at the end. There were so many yarn ends to hide (tuck back into the stitches) that it was daunting. But I did it! I like the pattern - except for the triangles of white in the lower left and upper right corners.

This pattern came from a baby blanket crochet pattern book, which is where a lot of the patterns I use for lap blankets come from. I had so much pink and blue and yellow and white yarn left that it made sense to do something with those colors, even though the target audience for the lap blankets are not babies. I thought a woman might like the color combination.

Size: (Unknown) (donated in December 2002 to the convalescent home where my grandfather stayed; estimate 35 inches x 45 inches)
Colors: Rose, Pink, Light Pink
Pattern: 6 patterns make up this lap blanket: (1-light pink) #51 Star Stitch, (2-light pink) #55 Parallel Post Stitch, (3-pink) #27 Block and Offset Shell Stitch, (4-pink) #62 Basket Weave, (5-rose) #12 Open Ridge Stitch (which I modified to not have a ridge), (6-rose) #32 Aligned Cable Stitch
Book: 63 Easy-To-Crochet Pattern Stitches Combine To Make An Heirloom Afghan - Leaflet 555 - Designs by Darla Sims - Copyright 1987 - Leisure Arts
Date: November 2002

The colors are a little off: they are light pink, medium pink, and a deep rose.

The patterns for this lap blanket are from a book of 63 crochet patterns. If you follow the directions properly to get an accurate gauge, the squares should all be the same size. I had some problems with gauge so one of the squares is loose and stretchy, and other squares were too small so I had to add a single crocheted border of 1-3 rows around those to make them an appropriate size. If I had used the same pattern for each square, each would have been the same size. Ah, well, live and learn.

Size: (Unknown) (donated in December 2002 to the convalescent home where my grandfather stayed; estimate 35 inches x 45 inches)
Colors: Navy, Green, Purple (fuzzy soft yarn - Lion Brand Homespun)
Pattern: (Unknown)
Book: (Unknown)
Date: November 2002

I was so tired of the colors of the yarn I had in my collection. So I went to Michaels Craft Store to see what I could find for inspiration. I saw this really soft, fuzzy yarn in these colors, so different from the colors I had been working with. So, I bought the yarn, which was expensive compared to the prices of regular acrylic yarn. Ah, well, it was nice to work with something different.

The strand of soft yarn is twisted with a strand of thin, narrow cord-like string/yarn, which makes it a little difficult to see where stitches are. The blanket felt so good to cuddle with when it was done!

Size: (1) 36 inches x 45 inches, (2, 3) 36 inches x 54 inches
Colors: Mixed Rose/Pinks, Mixed Blues, Mixed Purples, Mixed Yellows, White, Navy
Pattern: (Unknown) (Mom thinks she may have the pattern somewhere though so I may get that info here someday.) [Update May 2, 2004: I wrote down the pattern by studying the squares and posted it here.]
Book: (Unknown)
Date: Squares started sometime in 1990; completed October 2002; donated in December 2002 to the convalescent home where my grandfather stayed.

The colors are a bit off - that is not red or dark orange in the multicolored blanket; it is supposed to be a deep rose.

In late September 2002, I went through the yarn, crochet books, and crocheted squares for the king-size bedspread blanket I was making in 1991 before my wrists problems started. Because we have 3 cats now (we had only 1 then) and because there were so many more squares to make (that I didn't want to do) to finish the king-size blanket, I decided to make 3 lap blankets with the 68 squares instead.

Each square is 9 inches x 9 inches, so that makes the 20-square blue-and-purple blanket about 36 inches x 45 inches and the 24-square multicolored (blue, rose, yellow and purple) blankets about 36 inches x 54 inches.

Hmmm, can you spot the mistake in the blue-and-purple blanket? Hint: No 2 squares alike should be adjacent to each other, including diagonally.

I started planning the king-size blanket in 1990 or 1991. The colors are great! Each square has 3 coordinated colors with a navy blue border. There are 4 sets of colors, with 3 colors in each set (13 colors total). I bought all the yarn, made a plan for how many squares I'd need, and began making a lot of squares.

I stopped working on the king-size blanket (and cross-stitch crafts) in March 1992 after being diagnosed with repetitive stress in both wrists/arms.

The notes I found with the blanket squares indicate that I made some more squares for the blanket in January 1993. It bothered my wrists so I stopped working on it and put all my craft stuff away again.

In September last year, about 10 years later, I dragged it all out out again. I'd been thinking about it off and on since at least early June but hadn't actually done anything about it.

There were about 50 skeins of unused yarn in a variety of colors, most of was bought for the king-size blanket. A lot of the lap blankets I've created use this left-over yarn.

Crocheting is relaxing and I can listen to TV or talk while doing it. So, I can be doing something more useful while I watch TV and hang out with my hubby in the living room. I've been enjoying crocheting again - I used to enjoy doing a lot before I had to stop. It was a destressor and a creative pursuit. It's even better when there's a purpose for what I'm making - such as the lap blankets for the convalescent home or a gift for a baby.