Crochet is cheaper than therapy

Since learning to crochet I've found myself turning to the relaxing motion of yarn and hook more and more when I'm stressed. There's just something about simply winding yarn around a hook and ending up with something beautiful at the end of it that really helps me. It seems to clear the turbulent thoughts in my mind at times of unease. Its incredibly therapeutic and far cheaper than therapy. Not that I would go to a therapist if i needed to do so.

The most recent time I've turned to my hooks and yarn for stress relief was September 2012, on August 31st my daughter Aurora was born 5weeks early by emergancy c-section. She had a 4 1/2 weeks stint in NICU / SCBU. To help me cope with the stress of hospital life i crocheted between 'cares' and on the car rides to and from the hospitals. We lived an hour away. Each way. With a toddler at home too. So her brother spent his days at various friends and families houses and I'd spend mine with my partner in the hospital.

During the 4 1/2 weeks there i made several wee bassinet sized woolen blankets and started one large cot sized one for our wee girl. I also made her a wee jumper that she wore pretty much her entire first month home.

The large cot sized blanket i wanted to have ready for when she goes into her big cot when shes bigger. I also wanted it to last as she got bigger, so that she would have this lovely blanket for years to come. I decided on a ripple pattern, I'd just made a wee ripple blanket for her SCBU neighbour and was loving the pattern. Most of the ripples I'd seen online were horrizontal and honestly teeny bit overpowering with so many different colours and stripes, so its vertical ripples for me. I wanted it to be girly without being over the top so that if she turned into a wee tomboy like i was as a child she wouldn't stop enjoying her blanket. You know, not too much pink. A friend of mine had given me a big bag of Moda Vera 100% wool when we were first transfered to Hutt SCBU and a few days later I'd added a few more balls of other colours to the bag. So began one of the biggest projects i'd ever made.

in the beginning

progressing..

 

 

 

 In the second photo above you can see her wee moses basket and the start of her brother blanket too. His is still a major work in progress!

ready for the border

 The large pink strip either side is a lovely yarn my friend brought back from the south island for me, a scrumptious alpaca merino blend. yummy!

Completed!

Finaly the border was made with a wonderful 100% wool skein from Jodulbug Creations. The wonderful lady who runs the place saw a post of mine on the NZKnitwits facebook page and donated a whole skein of yarn for Aurora. Beautifully the yarns colourway is Aurora. So generous. You can buy yarns and other goodies from her facebook page https://www.facebook.com/JodulbugCreations

So two months after Aurora came home i finished the blanket and its huuge! Easily 1m wide and over that long! I love it. Though Auroras not in her cot yet, shes gotten to use it a couple of times during ventures out in the stroller. Even to the doctors for her 3month shots. We got lots of lovely comments about it and her. Its always a pleasure to say that its something i made. :)

And finaly I'll leave you with a wee pic of her little jumper i made in a scrumptious green from Moda Vera.

Live long and prosper! :P