With my third baby due to arrive in November, around Thanksgiving, I was already thinking about making a blanket for my family. Especially with early morning and midnight feedings in my future, a new blanket sounded like a wonderful idea. Looking around my living room I thought, “a forest or olive green would be a good color”.

That’s when I thought of Mimi’s green blanket.

My Great-Grandmother, who we all called Mimi, was a maker by necessity. As a young person during the Great Depression, she learned to make whatever she couldn’t afford. This manifested itself in lots of handmade items that have become almost like family heirlooms.

Here are just a few of the things she made. We have a treasury of items in our family. My Nana is great at keeping track of all her mother’s things, and knows the story behind each item. Her knowledge, and clear love for her mother, is indispensable.

 

 

Growing up, we had “the green blanket” that Mimi crocheted. It’s made of a solid, olive green yarn in a mesh pattern. As kids we used it as the “camouflage” part of our forts.

Inspired by Mimi’s work, and my own nostalgia, I made this:

(Affiliate links included below)

I used Premier Yarns Everyday Soft worsted weight yarn in the colors labeled “Kiwi” and “Caramel”. Here’s a link for a discount off your purchase at Jo-Ann’s Fabrics: 20% Off Your Total Purchase PLUS $4.99 Shipping! I love Jo-Ann’s, and it’s were I get pretty much all of my yarn and supplies.
I used Melissa Leapman’s Indispensable Stitch Collection for Crocheters as a source for the pattern of the body of the blanket.

This book is fantastic for anyone who crochets! I highly recommend it! I used it a lot this past year for the many, many, many baby blankets I made for friends.

 

 

The border for this blanket is something very simple I come up with as I was making it.

Row 1-3 – Chain one, single crochet in each stitch all the way around the blanket, slip stitch into first single crochet.
Row 4 – Single crochet, chain 2 all the way around the blanket, end with a single crochet, then slip stitch into first single crochet to end row.
Row 5 – Slip stitch to first chain 2 space, single crochet in every chain 2 space all the way around. End with a slip stitch in the first single crochet. Finish off and weave in ends!

See? Very simple. 🙂

 

 

It’s already got a seal of approval from my kids! They like sticking their fingers through the mesh, and Eve told me it was “green so soft”. ❤

 

Crafting, as with all of life,
Soli Deo Gloria ❤