Things have been pretty exciting around our family lately!

Our newest grandson arrived in a hurry, without any complications, and went home with mom the next day.  Fortunately, she had just packed for the hospital the day before, even though she expected to have to wait a week or more.  Of course, babies are notorious for not paying attention to anyone else’s plans – including our plan to have his blanket all done in time to come home.

So we punted.  I got the last bit done on the main part of the blanket the night he was born, finished off the loose ends and washed it, then dropped it off at the hospital on my way to work the next morning in plenty of time for his homecoming.  It still doesn’t have its border, but I’ll get it back soon to finish it properly.

I think it’s only fair to state that the last-minute status of this blanket is not all on my shoulders; my daughter and I spent quite some time finding just the shade of green she had in mind, then ordering the yarn in both cotton and superwash wool and wash-testing the swatches before the final decision and ordering the yarn.  In the meantime, I searched for just the right pattern.  It needed to be something that would keep me from dozing off while knitting, and I wanted it to be reversible.  I decided that a traditional tumbling blocks pattern done with different stitch textures would fill the bill, but to my surprise, couldn’t find what I was looking for!  So I designed one.  Once I get the blanket completely finished, I’ll write up the pattern and post it here, with a link from Ravelry.

Baby T and his Optical Blocks Baby Blanket

In the meantime, I’m working on his Christmas stocking.  Since it uses 12 colors of yarn, it’s not exactly a take-everywhere project, so I started a pair of socks for him, too.  And then I realized that while I was making a sock to fit his tiny foot, the stocking will be nearly large enough for him to sleep in!  Well, probably not any more, at the rate he’s growing now… I’d better finish the little socks before he outgrows them, too!

Both for the same little guy!

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