I have been busy

I haven't posted here in a long, long time.  I tend to post more on my main blog (https://fiberplusalgia.blogspot.com/).  This is more stitchy related so I decided to post here.  I have been knitting and crocheting more lately and finished some things.

First, I finished a baby blanket for a friends little baby boy.  This is Baby Blanket Arthur, a pattern I purchased on Ravelry from Le Petit Mouton.  I love this pattern and plan to make it many, many times.  It is an easy pattern that works up quick and doesn't take much thinking.  I used the new Lion Brand Coboo yarn though and while the finished blanket feels really nice the yarn splits so bad it slowed me down.  The yarn is actually so loosely spun that it almost has no twist at all. 

The color in my pictures look more gray but it is a gray blue.  The color is called Denim.  I'll add a better picture of the ball of yarn that shows the color better.    

Since it is thinner and the individual threads are so thin I had to wear my glasses all the time to watch for missed threads.  I had to take out a lot of work to fix places were I missed one thread, usually of the back side from where I was working, and that was frustrating.  When I was blocking it out I found a few I missed too but they are hard to find, I hope.  Maybe I'm just blind.  I almost don't want to work with it again but the blanket feels amazing.  The drape is lovely.  I also love the colors it comes in.  After about half way though I found a groove and didn't have as much trouble.  I guess you just have to learn to work with it and then it isn't so bad.  I am sure I will buy more of it.  This blanket is perfect for summer time when you don't want something too hot. 

You can see in the picture below that my phone camera tends to loose blue tones.  Where you can see the foam mat the blanket is pinned on it looks yellow but it is actually bright green.  

I decided to make a toy whale to go with this blanket.  This is I think my first amigurumi if you don't count the little bone I crocheted for my dog buddy when he was a puppy.  Again, my counter he is on is sage green and it looks more yellow there and he is more blue.  This is a free pattern called M. Richard the Whale by Stacey Trock.  The yarn I used is Cotton Ease by Lion brand which I heard they discontinued.  That makes me sad because I used it so often.  They really shouldn't discontinue something that really is a staple item.  I hope they are going to come out with something good enough to replace it.  

This pattern is very fast to work up and I quickly got to the point where I needed to add the eyes and was stuck waiting for them to arrive in the mail.  I just had to have those eyes though.  I couldn't fit any felt behind them though or they wouldn't snap closed.  

Okay, I do have more to share but I'll end this post for now and later I'll post more of my creations.  

~DJ