Flowers and Butterflies for Christmas

When I started this blog, I told myself that I should write at least once a week. Obviously, that didn't happen. I was busy with work, with holiday activities, and with trying to finish the items in the picture.

These were not gifts for anybody in my family, not directly. My SIL had asked me, when I visited in October, if I could help her make a blanket for a good friend of hers as a gift for the family's new baby. This really meant that I would do the crocheting and she would buy the yarn. While I don't usually undertake commissions, for my darling SIL I would do this. So we went to the local AC Moore to pick out yarn (and some additional Hallowe'en decorations) and when I got home I checked patterns and emailed links to some I thought would be good options. My SIL wanted something that looks like flowers, and for this one I had six different patterns of the three accent colours.

The blanket has 35 squares that I sewed instead of following the pattern for joining, so that it would be smoother. I added as much of a border as I could, ending up with a couple feet left of the green. The sweater is for the older sister, who is about two-and-a-half now. She loves butterflies and I was thrilled to find buttons in the shape of butterflies that just match the accent colours! I attached extra buttons to one of the wrappers, to give the mother washing instructions and just in case buttons got lost.

My SIL did not expect to have the extra item, was thrilled. Touched. I think that she thought the set a terrific Christmas present. And, I said, it explained why she didn't get the expected sweater herself (I'd asked her about the colour and style, to be sure it would be wanted) but a beautiful candle holder from an artisan a friend had told me about. My SIL loves candles and this one was especially pretty, a glowing bit of sycamore.

Her birthday is in September. I think she'll get the cardigan then.