After starting in April, right around the Fourth of July, I finished the pin-loom blanket I started for Baby E. It required a few modifications from the original plan (changed size and joining method), but in the end it all worked out, and I am extremely happy with the end result.
Life with two young boys is tumultuous to say the least (while I was writing these first two paragraphs, my oldest son H built 3 different Lego robots and asked me to inspect and ooh! and aah! over each one). I don’t have much free time (or free energy), so one of the first promises I made to myself regarding this blanket was to take things slowly. Far too often with projects, I hold myself to unreasonably high expectations and get overwhelmed when I’m behind my imaginary schedule. So this time around, I didn’t force myself to weave more than 2 squares a day, and when it came time to join, I did so only during work meetings and on weekend jaunts.
As a result, this blanket took about 3 months to finish, but I never once got bored of it or overwhelmed. I took it slowly and enjoyed every stitch. I delighted in watching my pile of pin-loom squares slowly change colors as I worked my way through the yarn cake. I felt pride as my crochet stitches gradually improved with each square I joined.
Christina’s finished baby blanket.
Is the blanket perfect? Oh, goodness no. (For one thing I still haven't wet-finished it.) But I love it anyway. It represents my love for Baby E and my triumphs over my own expectations. The particular join I used created small holes wherever 4 corners met, some of which are larger than others. I’m thinking of checking out my scrap yarn and doing some freehand embroidery of suns and starbursts on the most egregious.
The process was so much fun that I’m already off and running on my next project, a gift for a pregnant friend that I can’t detail yet because it’s based on a project in the upcoming Easy Weaving with Little Looms Holiday 2021. H has also asked me to please make him a rainbow pillow, for which I’ve already purchased the yarn and have planned for next on my little loom. After that? Who knows! What I do know is that I’m not putting down my pin loom any time soon.
Happy Weaving,
Christina