Sunday, January 24, 2021

All Little Buddy...............


 Here is a post totally dedicated to one special little boy I know.  Here he is yesterday after making his bed all by himself.  This is a new task for him.  This time he did it in just over 3 minutes, a world record!  He is quite proud of himself.




I hate to say this to all you teachers out there but I really don't like at home school projects.  I always groan when I see that we have to do one.  This is for the 100 th day of school which is on February 5th.  We had to make a shirt with 100 things on it.  It is for a math grade so this is not something we can't do.  Off to the craft store I went yesterday to look around for something to make it with.  I had the shirt already so I bought fabric glue, little puff balls and iron on numbers.  Little B and I went right to work, I hate to have anything hanging over my head.  What if we are sick next weekend?  What if I have a bad headache, it is best to get things done right away.  Little B counted out piles of puffs while I tried to measure out dots in increments of 10 with reasonable accuracy.  I placed the glue on the dots as he followed up with puff placement.  It is done and he will have fun wearing it on the 5th.





Little Buddy's blanket is done!  Hooray.  I had a crochet hook in my hand all day of the Inauguration and all day yesterday.  I just wanted it finished!  Made with 10 skeins of Cloudborn Pima Cotton in the color Granny Smith, totaling 2,300 yards.  I used a size H hook.  This is an adaptation of the Traveling Afghan Square #3 by Wilma Westenberg.  I added a chain 3 in every corner to make the square more square.  I did not make puff stitches, rather used 3dctog, or 3 double crochet together for you non crocheters.  Puff stitches take up a huge amount of yarn and they will catch in dog paws that are constantly walking around on one little boy's bed. I made 10 rounds rather than the 8 in the pattern and I joined the squares as I went along on the V-stitch row.  I was looking for a denser pattern, see dog paws above, one that was durable and warm and not too frilly.  I love the look and Little Buddy seemed pleased.  He told me that the blanket was perfect for his bed and would be nice to snuggle in when he played his iPad because sometimes you just need something on you. I could not agree more. 

So there is my first project of the year completed.  My goals this year for creating are simple.  Make what I want.  Do not worry about yarn purchases, buy what I need with no regrets.  Only count yarn used, not yarn coming in.  Try to knit something because the name of this blog is Mereknits after all, but no pressure.  Playing with yarn in any form is enough.  

Stay safe my friends.

27 comments:

Nance said...

Such a lovely blanket, and perfect for the activities your son described.

When is the last time you knitted a project? You've become a real crochet devotee.

Melanie said...

Good morning! How proud you must be of Little Buddy making his bed - and I hope he is, too! I hear you on the school projects. It brings me back to those days and how much I disliked doing those things, too. LB's blanket is so beautiful! Hope you have a good weekend.

Wanderingcatstudio said...

The afghan looks lovely. I'm sure Little B will get lots of use out of it!

Dee said...

His blanket is beautiful and even more special since MOM made it. Congrats on the beautiful and snuggly finish.

Jo said...

That is one cheeky face, proud of himself for making his bed, and I'm sure you are too. Well done Little Buddy! The blanket is beautiful and will be perfect for snuggly iPad sessions.

linda said...

Well done to LB for making his bed so quickly, I just love that cute little face. The shirt looks cool too home school projects can't be easy I feel for you but that was inspired. I love the blanket and Little Buddy loves it too you can tell. I hate doing puff stitch not only does it take a lot of yarn but it's time consuming too I like the way you have adapted it, it looks neat and very cosy. I say play with yarn and make anything you fancy as long as you enjoy it. Have a great week. xx

Araignee said...

Buddy's a real champ!!!
Here's a teacher secret.....we hate home projects just as much but are required to do them. It would break my heart to see the pitiful projects less fortunate kids would come up with-no fault of their own. I hate to think how Covid has made this divide so much worse. I hated them as a parent too. 3 kids times 3 teachers times 3 projects equals too much after a hard day of teaching.

Christina said...

In my house, we all hate school projects. Worst of all are those that are meant to be done over several weeks... Little Buddy's t-shirt looks fab, such a great idea, well done for getting this out of the way. Making beds is a useful skill that only one of my children has mastered. Well done Little Buddy! The new blanket looks lovely, a perfect match for the bedding. Have a lovely week x

Crafty in the Med said...

Just love Little Buddy's school project Tee....he will look smashing on the day! I totally agree with you Mere I am of the same thought....get the unpleasant chores done first and out of the way...that is my motto and it has always worked for me. His blanket is gorgeous and just right for those chilly moments sitting at his desk too. You certainly finished it in record time. Good for LB making his own bed! keep well Amanda x

busybusybeejay said...

I love the blanket and it goes perfectly with the duvet cover.
What next?

kathy b said...

Hooray! Lil Buddy beats me on the bed making time for sure! I LOVE his blanket. It s perfection. And his momma made it for him! HE's a patient one Meredith. Zach, even in high school, Thought I could just whip up a hat in no time for him. "is it done yet? Are you working on my hat tonight?" He would never have the patience to wait for a blanket.

IM sad. Pack just lost. I think. I love AARON. I so wanted a SUperbowl game with the Packers!

You just knit or crochet whatever you wish. Im with you. No pressure please for anything. I was certain you'd do an elevator 100. But the pom poms are genius and you are DONE! Let me do a project with him sometime. I'd love it !

Teresa Kasner said...

What a totally fun and inventive project you made! Who wouldn't want to wear a pompom shirt? Bravo on the blanket finish! It looks so cozy on his bed and I have a feeling he will want to wrap himself in it every day. I'm with you on what you share on your blog. I am unapologetic on mine.. I share whatever pops into my head.. LOL! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

Caffeine Girl said...

Congratulations to LB on his bed-making skills. And his new blanket looks perfect on his bed!

I can't believe that you had to come up the idea and supplies for that 100-days project. In our district, we have kits that families can pick up for projects. What about families who don't have the time or money to develop a project. I'm scolding that teacher in my head! That said, it must be tough to do elementary school online. Children are so tactile.

Let's vaccinate school staff and get back to work! I hope you've been vaccinated. Wisconsin has vaccinated its OT's, PT's, and speech therapists. It's a start!

Kim in Oregon said...

The tshirt is so often, good for you both for such a creative project! And the blanket is gorgeous.

Gracie Saylor said...

LB is doing a great job at bed making! [Now nearly 70 yrs old, every morning I have been artfully flinging back the covers on my bed and letting the bedding air all day until I am ready to climb in to sleep again.] I admire the blanket you made and dream of following your good example someday. Bravo for your teamwork T as well! Hope you and yours have a good week!

Betsy said...

Hi Meredith! I'm so proud of LB. He did an exceptional job on that bed and your blanket looks perfect on it. That photo of him with the blanket looks so happy and thrilled with it. You are such a good Mommy. Brilliant adaptation of the puff stitch. I think I like the crochet 3dctog instead.
The shirt is perfect and he'll be the envy of all the other kids. How did you think of that? I'm terrible at things like that. No imagination at all. Tell me what to do, give me directions and I can follow them.
I understand the headaches. I had one of my migraines where I lost my sight on Wednesday morning, then after an hour or so of blindness, the sight comes back but then the headache arrives. Today was my first day back to normal. I crocheted most of the day since it was snowing off and on. It was a wonderfully cozy day in the RV.
I hope you have a wonderful week Mere.
Blessings and hugs,
Betsy

Tammy@T's Daily Treasures said...

The blanket is lovely and, of course, looks great at the food of that perfectly made bed. :) Well done, Little B. I create and craft for the hell of it and never, ever have any plans for anything I make. I finally visited a craft store in more than a year and bought the cotton I like to use for my hearts because I had run out. Also recently came into a bunch of cotton yarn that a friend gave me when she moved to Germany; and I actually already made something with it.

When I was teaching KG we always had a lot of fun with the 100 Days of school. Was always interesting to see what 100 things the kids would bring in. :)

Have a good week.

Vera said...

Little buddy is adorable!!! And what a great blanket finish. Also, I think I'd like a shirt like that to wear - lol.

Anonymous said...

I love it that Little Buddy is so happy and proud of his accomplishment and proud of his new blanket! he already has the gift of appreciation in his heart. that's HUGE.
and now of course...
I hope you take a picture of him in his T-shirt!
anything with glue always drove me crazy. but it's really so cute.
and I love that little guy's grin. XO

Delighted Hands said...

Just look at him smile! I think the shirt is a great idea and sooner is always better than later! The blanket is love....

Clicky Needles said...

Love the blanket and it looks perfect on LBs bed.
CN x

KSD said...

I'm SO glad to hear another parent bemoan 100th day of school projects! After the first year or two, the novelty wore off completely here. Yours is a terrific idea, though.

The blanket is absolutely amazing. Amazing.

Jeanie said...

I think you both deserve big kudos -- Little Buddy for doing such a great job on his bed and shirt and you for that fabulous blanket! It's gorgeous, Mere. I love both the color (looks terrific on the bed) and really beautiful. Love the very square corners. I know what you mean about projects. I never liked them then and probably not now, but the shirt is pretty cute and it works!

Karen said...

My kids' schools never got into the 100 day thing. I'm not sure I understand the point of it and to have to do a project for it would seem like busy work. You came up with a great idea. The blanket is beautiful.

Between Me and You said...

Love Project T-shirt and what a good boy making his bed in record time. Love the blankets so much, especially the green. Great to see your new President and his VP taking matters in hand already, especially concerning the virus. Have a good week, Meredith and Little Buddy Boy.xxx

TheAwakenedSoul said...

Buddy is so cute. I love what he said about that beautiful blanket...his words are so profound.

Suzan said...

Great to see you again!! I quit blogging for awhile, but am now retired and still staying busy!!
Buddy has grown so much!!! WOW!! He seems to be doing great and your knitting is as lovely as before and Bear and Hank!! How adorable.
Take care, stay safe and thank you for dropping by and saying HI!!
Suzan