Meet the blanket

Isaac has a blanket. It is the blanket from his pram and early on he forged an unbreakable bond with it. He doesn't sleep very well without it which has pros & cons. He'll sleep pretty much anywhere with it. Without it, we're basically screwed. As the whole Premium Economy section of our flight to Newark found out recently when the air hostess took it away to stow for landing (because a blanket is, like, so dangerous and heavy and pointy sharp!!) and he screamed. For 45 minutes. Traumatised, distraught, nothing-Mummy-can-do-about-it-right-now-until-the-plane-lands-and-the-captain-turns-off-the-seatbelt-sign screams. Thanks lady! 

Recently he's started to go upstairs to pull it out of his cot and drag it around the house with him. He looooooooooves this blanket and is remeniscent of Charles Schulz's Peanuts character Linus (who was secretly always my favourite character in the comic/cartoons). I wonder if he'll be like Linus or if the blanket is just for show? Anyhoo, he's perfectly happy being a pretender to the Linus throne so who am I to complain!

Isaac's excited face

Ladies & gentlemen, boys & girls. I'm delighted to have captured on camera Isaac's very-excited-about-something-usually-food-related face. This face is a source of many giggles and guffaws at meals times for our family. He knows how to play it and that it'll get us going. When this face comes out we know we're onto a winner.

Without further ado: The Face.

Art of Crochet squares 33 - 40

Square 33.

Using dc (US) the pattern makes a V stitch. All fairly uninsipring, but more interesting than others.

Square 34.

It took me aaaaaaaaaaaaages to fingure out that I had to turn this square on its side to make it look like the magazine picture. D'oh! I quite like how this looks like knitted rib. I don't like how it's sideways though.

Square 35. 

A pretty funky mother granny.

Square 36.

Second checkerboard square. No brainer.

Square 37.

Second target granny. I like the double blue. I think some of the holes are a bit big, but I'm sure it'll even out when sewed together with other squares. *fingers crossed*

Square 38.

I've totally made this wrong. I can SEE the bottom row isn't right. Gah. T.B.F. (To Be Frogged).

Square 39.

Third coloured bobble square. I like how this one feels less girlie because there isn't any PINK! Looks a little small though.

Square 40.

Second attempt at the mock cable square. Less harrowing this time around as already sussed pattern. It's actually quite easy when you get the hang of it, but I had to consciously work what I thought was an extra stitch on the return dc (US) row to ensure always having 26 st.












A.O.C. posts will be more evenly spaced from now on as I'm all caught up :-D Hurrah! I might actually finish Isaac's sweater while it'll still fit him...

Art of Crochet squares 25 - 32

Square 25.

I think this one is pretty fun! I reminds me a little of a carnival. No idea why. Maybe it's the colours and the little strips? Something to do with ticker tape?Anyhoo, with the Trebles (US) it was a doddle to make and I managed to do it ending with minimal weaving in :-D

Square 26.

I finally chose my sub for square 26. I used the Solid Square pattern from 200 Crochet Blocks. I like how it retains the simplicity of the original square without incorporating the ghastly embroidery. Super quick & easy to work up. Did it whilst watching How To Train Your Dragon - an excellent animated children's tale with some really lovely characters and CGI.

v1.0                                                                v2.0

Square 27.
This was another embroidery square. I um-ed and ah-ed about what to use for a sub and came up with v1.0. I wrote down my pattern & everything. Then I cam to make it again using different colours and my brain went a bit wobbly (like trifle) so I decided against it in favour of Chocolate Box from 200 Crochet Blocks.

Square 28.

*yawn*

Square 29.

This square looks lovely. I really like the basket weave effect. It was, however, a massive P.I.A. to make. I must've frogged & restarted about six times. I kid ye not. Eventually I wrote the pattern out in terms of rows so that I could tick each one off and know exactly where I was. I think this is the kind of pattern that you work in one go, if only to save your sanity!

Square 30.

Same pattern as square 27. The square that made my trifle brain pick a different sub. This time (on the final round) I only worked in 3 ch spaces & didn't work a sc (US) into each sc between 3 ch sp. Made it less "frilly" and more even/flat. Win!

Square 31.

I LOVE this square. It's so purty. And it reminds me of a swimming gala. WTF? Yes. Anyhoo. It's nice and quick, simple and obvious working. 

Square 32.

This square is renowned for being difficult to work. I was feeling cross with it for being such a pain and then I remembered some discussion about it on the Ravelry forum a while back (I'm behind the others subscription wise) so I went and had a peek at what advice was on offer. It's amazing how many times I can correct my work, just by READING THE FREAKING PATTERN. Can't see the wood for the trees sometimes y'know. So now it's done and that's THAT!

Walking walking everywhere!

That's right folks, Isaac is officially walking! 

On his own. 

I'm so pleased! 

He's a sneaky snap I took of him at the park a few weekends ago. This particular walking episode lasted approximately 25 seconds and ended with him face-planting the slide. Earlier that day he also kissed the concrete and cut his little nose. So understandably, he prefers to walk at home more than out and about just now. He's practising where he knows it's safe before he unleashes his awesome new skill on the general public properly!

It's obvious that he wants to play on the climbing frames, but isn't quite sure what with the other children running around; it must be quite daunting really. He's quite a sensible and sensitive chap in many respects, this being one of them.