The gray is not showing correctly on the photo above, but at least you can see what I made for baby Quinn: one pair of booties, a hat for when she is about 6 months old, and a baby blanket. I am loving them! My collection of crochet books covers all sorts of projects, but I chose to use the patterns in this book I had just gotten for review:
9 Months to Crochet by Maaike van Koert, published in the US by Martingale is great for when you need ideas for gifts for babies. However, the book itself would be a very original and useful gift for expectant mothers! Maaike’s projects are reminiscent of the ones I’ve seen over the years, except for the modern twist she gave to each one. Her choice of stitches and colors is perfect for today’s nurseries and beginner crafters. However, even seasoned crocheters will enjoy them precisely because of her fresh ideas.
Maaike divided the book into three chapters corresponding to the three trimesters of pregnancy: beginner-level items for the first trimester, a bit more challenging ones on the second trimester when expectant mothers are feeling better, and quicker projects for the third trimester as they rush to get everything ready for the big day. Genius idea!!!
Onto my projects: I had never made booties before; luckily for me, the pattern was very easy to follow. Then, I moved on to the hat but could not stop there because I was having so much fun!
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| Photo by Simon Pask for Quantum Books. Used with permission. |
I saw the stripped blanket above and thought: Hmmm…
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| Where is Brent Kane, Martingale‘s photographer, when I need him? He is a master at staging! |
I chose to stick with the gray and yellow palette, adding the rose to customize it for the baby girl.This blanket comes together very fast…
… and its simple edging made it possible for me to listen to a book while I was working. Double relaxation as I did not have to count stitches, just rows. I worked with Bernat Softee Baby yarn in gray (Flannel) and yellow. The rose yarn is a little thicker, but the store was not open at midnight when I needed this color, so I used what I had in my stash.
Although I have been crocheting since I was 6 years old (my maternal grandmother taught me), when I read patterns in English I need to refresh my memory as to which stitch is which. I always rely on quick guides, so I appreciated so much the sections at the end of the book with step-by-step photographs for each stitch.
If I weren’t so late with these gifts already, I would have also made this mobile:
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Baby gifts made and delivered. I received this book just in time, phew!
Speaking of books, I read on Martingale’s blog that they are having their semi-annual warehouse sale with 90+ titles at $5.00 each (What?), from March 13-23 until supplies last. Headed over there now. See ya!
Oh that's such a sweet present – I'm another fan of making knit and crochet baby things, they're just so adorable!