Time Flies

I attended my goddaughter/niece's high school graduation yesterday... already an adult!  I close my eyes and remember the moment she took her first breath, followed by a big cry.  She was my sister's mini-me!  Her mom, being only 17 at the time, was too fearful of carrying her for fear of dropping her.  I took charge and became the new mom's teacher.  When the nurse walked in, she asked me how many children I had, to which I promptly replied, "None."  And 20 years later, I still don't, but I'm blessed with 13 nieces and nephews.  I've lived with most of them at one time or another and feel as if they're partly mine.  Isn't that crazy?  Well, I can't believe she's 18 and starting junior college next fall.  I graduated 20 years ago this year too.  Wow!  How time has flown by in a flutter.  I wonder if I'll ever be blessed with children of my own.  At this rate, I don't think so.  I'm thankful to have so many surrogate children.  If only my mom were here still...

So I've been working a little more on the baby blanket, and I have to say that now that it's well under way, the pattern is beautiful.  I am using Lion Brand's Pound of Love in two different colors.  Instead of using the recommended I hook, I am using the G hook.  That makes the stitches a little closer together.  Even then it's still pretty wide though I haven't measured the width.  My only change is that instead of continuing the pattern stitch all the way to the end and then fastening off and flipping the blankie so the foundation chain is on top and then adding one row of the pattern stitch, I've worked the pattern stitch to half the height that I want.  I then flipped it over and continued the pattern stitch from the foundation chain.  I will continue the other half in that direction.  It just made more sense and seemed more symmetrical.  I am attaching pictures.  I also am using two colors instead of one.  I really like the look of this blankie.

Blankie progress

Flipped blankie to work opposite direction

Blankie waiting for me

Everyone has a different technique when it comes to changing yarns.  I prefer to add in the new yarn right before I finish the last stitch and continue by weaving in the new yarn, leaving the other yarn's tail hanging for weaving in at the end.  Well, I made a slight change that cleaned up the yarn change.  Someone else may have posted it by now, but I haven't found it.  Here are some pics that I hope are useful:

Last stitch completed all the way

Re-inserting hook into last two loops

New yarn, looped, on hook

1.  Pulling new yarn through;
2.  Old yarn pulled completely out by pulling entire loop.

I also have pictures of my technique for weaving in the new yarn as I complete my stitches.  I think I'll leave that for next post.  It's almost 4 a.m. in good ol' Bellflower.  I should get some rest.  I keep forgetting to sleep.  LOL.  

Hasta pronto, amigas!