New Favorite Person

To all my cousins, nieces and nephews, who I have adored in the past, I am sorry, but I have a new favorite person in cousin A's brand new son I.  Unless of course you can be a five month old baby again who gives me a huge toothless grin every time I even begin to say something.  He is so cute, I could eat him up :) Very glad to have made the three day trip to Syracuse over the holidays recently. All we did was play with him when he was awake and when he was napping we played numerous games of Lexicon and Cards and caught up on some movies.  My girls had a request for a baby brother after this visit!

This simple hooded baby blanket was made for him. I found the pattern on Lion Brand's "Pound Of Love" yarn. This is actually my second one in this pattern. The first one was in yellow that was made for another special baby of a dear friend. That baby is now a smart second grader.

 Stiches Up Close

First Crochet Project

This was my first Crochet work, or at least the first that I have a picture of.  I have a picture because I still have it with me.

Not entirely sure when exactly I learned the basic stitches of crochet and knitting or who taught it.  I remember amma (mother) had knit a sweater for each of us three sisters.  But this one, I remember vividly, I made during the summer of 1986, during my extended stay at ajji's (grandmother's) house in Chikamagalur, by following a piece that she had made during her younger years.  No written instructions or charts.  At that time I did not know that this particular technique is called Filet Crochet.  I ran out of thread before I could finish and had to wait for a long time to find the right match, which I unfortunately never managed to find.  That is why the gauge in the last few rows is different.  An imperfect piece, but a treasure to me because of the memories associated with this . . .

The rainy days of Chikmagalur, the long lazy afternoons, reading out loud the darawahis (fiction) in Sudha and Taranga (weekly magazines in Kannada language) for ajji sitting on the extra bed in her room,  dodamma's (aunt's) gamakas and food served with such cheer and affection.