My kids counted more than 100 lightning strikes as we ate dinner tonight. It was the perfect storm to sit and watch. The lightning cascaded down the sky, but the thunder remained distant enough that no one was brought to tears. In the words of my daughter, “It’s like watching white fireworks.” They really enjoyed the show (with questions of safety and preparedness mixed in, of course)!
The Sunflower Baby Blanket by Katie at Creating Time was a sort of perfect storm for me. I saw a picture on Pinterest and it never left me. My life would not be complete until I made this blanket.
A few days later, I clicked on an email for a yarn sale at Herrschners. I browsed their sale yarn and found Herrschners Teddy Bear Yarn. (I got it for $.99 a skein, but it is currently on sale for $1.99.) The skeins are deceptively small, but they go a long way. I purchased two of each color not knowing what I would make with them, but in the back of my mind was the Sunflower Baby Blanket.
It all came together in the perfect storm.
The free pattern was interesting and challenging. I consider myself an advanced crocheter, but the pattern had enough pictures that even a novice crocheter could likely achieve it. There was a definite learning curve. My blanket is full of mistakes that no one other than me will probably ever notice. The end result is gorgeous and eclectic and SOFT.
The Teddy Bear yarn is as soft as it’s namesake. It would be great for any blanket, but especially nice for a baby blanket. The pattern originally called for Caron Cakes, self-striping yarn. The nice thing there is not having ends to weave in. The pattern contains pictures of different yarns being used to make the blanket, including a couple of different Caron Cakes. They all have a personality of their own.
As, I began to post pictures as this blanket, someone commented that it was a work of art. That’s exactly what this pattern is. I found myself inspired by the art of it and hope that I’ll be able to make my own crochet art someday. The details are amazing.
The border I put on my blanket was not the border from the pattern, but one of the pattern testers had used it and I scoured the internet until I figured out which one it was. The border is #93 from Around the Corner Crochet Borders, a book which I providentially already own!
I saved my bright blue skeins of yarn for the border, and I think it has a nice effect.
I love this blanket. I would make it again and again. You should try it, too!