The Persistence Blanket

This week I completely finished the blankie I was knitting for the soon-to-be nephew. My grandma crocheted him a stunning blanket, but I wanted to make him one that my sister wouldn't mind if it got snotty or dirty or fell apart. Those things you get from grandma are the kinds of things you want to last, so I wanted to give her an every-day option.

A little background first---I love to crochet. I find it so much more soothing than knitting, especially something like a blanket, because I don't have to be paranoid about dropping a stitch and figuring that whole business out (foreshadowing, anyone?). I went with a simple v-stitch that I've done a few times before and always had success with. I kept going and going, admiring the look of the yarn and the stitches. I checked until I had a square and then finished off and held it up. I thought "NO way!" and laid it on the table and smoothed it out. Then I listened to the crickets chirp as I stared and stared. I had created a shape that was not a square, but was not anything else, and was certainly not good-looking. I tried and tried to figure out what I did, but to no avail. There was no way I was giving her the blanket THAT way so I ripped and ripped and rewound the yarn. And started over.

I decided to go with a very simple knit pattern. It's actually almost exactly the same as the knit dishcloth pattern I posted, but of course waaaaaaaay larger. There are a few stitch variations I've done to this one previously, but I decided to keep this one very simple so that I could have it finished while the baby was actually still a baby. So here you go:

The colors and the way they fall remind me of sunlight hitting the water in a happy, shimmery way. 

 I'd love to know how many stitches are in this thing. I started with five, and then kept on adding up until 225, and then decreased. I'm not doing the math, but it's got to be near a trillion gazillion stitches.

 I like how the border gives it a little something beyond beyond a giant square, but isn't holey enough for little fingers and toes to get stuck in and stretch out the stitches.

You have no idea how many documentaries and episodes of The Big Bang Theory were watched while I stitched away on this.

I only hit one minor snag. I dropped a stitch and didn't notice it until I was several rows up. I was able to fix it without it being majorly visible (I can find it, but just barely). So I hope that appeases the goddess Minerva. I read somewhere that Minerva is the goddess of stitchery, and that the ancients used to throw in a mistake so as not to make Minerva angry (apparently she was the only one who was allowed to be perfect :)  It reminds me of how the Amish deliberately throw an error into their quilts so they won't be perfect--in their faith system only God can be perfect.

So, nephew-on-the-way, I hope you enjoy this. I hope you snuggle and slobber under it, and drag it behind you, and that it falls apart you use it so much.You'll be too young to know it or care, but there are a few life lessons within these stitches. If things aren't going the way you planned, find a new way. If you hit a snag, fix it the best you can and move on--don't dwell on it (your auntie is still working on this one). And persist until the end. Don't quit because it's tough, or takes longer than you thought to accomplish. Keep in mind the reason you're doing it. Doing something out of love will always keep you going. And in the end, it will be worth it.

I used TLC Yarn in Lovey, three skeins. It was the perfect amount.

Linking up here this week:

Skip to My Lou *** Pinkapotamus *** Ask Anna *** Sew Can Do *** Craftomaniac *** Homemaker on a Dime *** C.R.A.F.T. *** Running With  Glitter *** Sarahndipities *** All Thingz Related *** Creative Itch Boutique *** Funky Polkadot Giraffe *** Chef in Training *** Tip Junkie *** My Girlish Whims *** Sew Much Ado *** Blue Cricket Design *** Free Pretty Things for You *** Tea Rose Home *** Homework *** Pincushion Creations *** Someday Crafts *** Somewhat Simple *** Fireflies and Jellybeans *** Suzy's Artsy Craftsy Sitcom *** Today's Creative Blog *** Between U and Me *** Creation Corner *** The Shabby Nest *** While He Was Napping *** Tatertots and Jello *** Be Different Act Normal *** To Sew With Love *** Sugar Pink Boutique *** Craftionary *** Under the Table and Dreaming