It has been far too long since I have written a post, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been busy. I’ve taken to mostly posting on Instagram (@thehazelnutskein) because it is quick and easy. I apologize to those of you who appreciate a longer post. I hope to post at least once a week from here on out.

In the meantime, let me catch you up on the many crochet happenings around here.

Commissions

My fall was spent doing a few commissions. I love doing projects for other people that give them exactly what they want. Here are a few examples.

• The Elephant Loveys were a commission project for a set of twin girls. My customer didn’t want them to be too girly, so we settled on muted colors. This was a paid pattern on Etsy that can be found here.
• The beautiful white layette set is one I have done for a customer three times. This one was pure white. The Soft and Sweet Layette pattern is an old one, but can be found here.
• The name baby blanket is one I have done before in which I combined two patterns. You can read more about it here in a previous post.

Blankets

As you all know, my favorite thing to crochet is blankets. They make a perfect wedding present and perfect baby gift.

I used the same pattern in two different color ways for two fall weddings. This used the Paragon Afghan kit from Herrschners. It is a pattern that looks difficult, but works up quickly. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have another colorway hanging out in the closet waiting to be made.

I also used some leftover yarn from this project to make a baby blanket for my friend’s new niece who never go to meet her grandfather. I hope it is something she will treasure as she gets older.

There have been more blankets made which I will feature in future posts. At least know that my hands are not idle.

Balance

Balance is something I often struggle to find in my life. There’s a lot going on between homeschooling the kids (one in high school!), life in the ministry, editing projects, and leading the homeschool co-op. Crochet is what keeps me sane. It allows me to relax in the evenings, watch TV (currently on season 8 of Bones), and do what I love.

I have enjoyed a boon of sales on my Split-Square Temperature Blanket at the beginning of the year (I have sold 466 copies since I published it!!), and hope to put a lot more energy into pattern writing in the coming months. I have an idea I’ve been working on, but have not yet perfected. I will share it with you as soon as it is ready.