Finished: Flower Tote + Doll Set

WIP's? No problem! I'm almost caught up now. Here's how:

Embellishing my little tote bag with flowers from my stash was easier than I thought. I simply used some cotton yarn and my large tapestry needle to stitch them on. Easy peasy. I think it turned out pretty cute, too.

The blanket/doll blanket/doll set I started last week is also finished. After adding to this project several times (clothes, matching hats, etc), I finally got all the pieces together for my niece. And then in a moment of serendipity, realized I could put it all together in the small tote I had just finished. Yay!

Here's another pic of my finished work. Both were such fun projects that I'm thinking of doing them again for another niece.

Work in Progress

Here's what's been keeping me busy lately. I'm new to the granny square, and I love it, but boy does it seem to get slow near the end of a project! I'm still chugging along with this gift for my niece.

PS- inspiration for this blanket came from Crocheting the Day Away. She's got lots of cute projects going on. Pattern is available here.

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!