In this year of first retirements, I’ve crocheted 4 baby blankets for friends. It’s been a very welcome place of joy in a very strange 9 months. I find that I fall in love with each piece over the course of its making. This week, I’m sharing each of the 7 baby blankets I’ve ever made, here and on Instagram. May it be a place of rest and joy for you, too, in this year we call 2020.
#5 THE OCEAN
- Made: April-May 2020
- Finished B.B. (before baby): Yep! We’re on a roll!
- Relative difficulty & PITA: 2/10. A little tough to find the specific colors I wanted for the ombre.
- Pattern Used: Inspired by Bahama Waves Baby Blanket, but I ended up using a standard chevron pattern. And tassels! The tassels were my idea.
- Yarn Used: Lion Brand Feels Like Butta in White, Dusty Blue, Sage and Teal
THE OCEAN was made for the second baby 2020 conspired to keep me from meeting. Pre-pandemic, I’d planned to spend a few weeks with THE TOUCHY-FEELY’s mom following her birth. I also assumed I’d be able to deliver THE OCEAN in person.
But April, when I started on this blankey, was a month of suspended animation. I was still unpacking from my move when lockdown started. Tasks I’d put off while getting my home in order were now further delayed or on hold indefinitely. Whole weeks went by when I didn’t drive a car or speak to another person face to face. And it seemed clear that “back to normal” was not just around the corner. How was I going to live a normal life in this very not-normal moment? I think we were all asking some version of that question in April.
In a journal entry from this time, I made a list of “some things that are going well” in an attempt to focus on the positive. Here’s a few:
- Seeds are sprouting
- My books are unpacked
- Marsha’s (my cat) newfound “outside personality” on our balcony
The balcony has been a particular gift, overlooking a lake that feeds into the Chesapeake Bay. Being near water is so good, and the only thing better than the balcony is my 10 minute walk to the beach.
Which brings us to THE OCEAN. Now, this mommy-to-be and I had picked out her blanket pattern long before I knew I’d be living by the beach this year. But I do think there was something serendipitous at work. Both mom and I love the water. Baby-to-be and I also share our zodiac sign, Cancer (a water sign). And here I was wading in the ocean a few times a week. Water everywhere. The inspiration pattern I used draws you in with these beautiful jewel tone shades of ocean water. I loved the ombre effect and the wide stripes with a more gentle, wavy chevron. (The pattern is gorgeous, but I ended up simplifying it to a basic double crochet chevron.)
I also decided to add tassels for a little extra flair (and maybe some cool points)? I think it gives the piece an almost tapestry quality, and I’m told its new owner loves to munch on them (can you stand the cuteness???).
Funny enough, this is one blankey that always felt a little unfinished. I think it turned out beautifully, but it just never seemed 100% perfect. Maybe it was that I couldn’t find *exactly* the shades of yarn I pictured in my mind…maybe it was the less than perfect definition of the edges…
But you know what? Mom sent me a picture just this week, and it’s immediately obvious that all it was missing was its baby! And that is a very happy ending.
First Retirements 
Leave a comment