For the New Baby

My brother and his wife are expecting their first child soon. This new little one will be the first grandchild for my side of the family. I can't wait!

And I can't sit still, so I made the little one a blanket.

It took a few trips to Michael's before I found a pattern I liked. Here was what finally inspired me.

I used Lion Brand Cotton Ease in colors similar to the pattern's colors. My brother and sis-in-law are keeping the baby's sex a secret, so my color choices had to fit for a boy or girl. What I loved about working with this cotton and acrylic blend was how soft and plush the finished blanket felt when it was finished.  Plus, it's totally machine washable and dryable to make momma's life easier. I even crocheted a test swatch to check out how it held up to being washed. It did great.

This was my first time crocheting a granny square. I couldn't quite "get" the stitch at first, but after a few rounds it was super easy.

And it was fun to see the effect of the color changes as the blanket grew.  After figuring out how the granny square worked, I'll admit that I didn't continue following the pattern.  I have such a hard time sticking to directions- I prefer to just get started and see where I end up.

Here's where I ended up.  A soft blanket for the new baby. Sadly, I don't have a great full shot of the finished blanket, but here's most of it.

What things do you do to welcome a new baby?  Any family traditions that you follow?

Blessings!