Playing Outside - An Afghan for Project Linus

When I was an infant, I was very ill.  We lived in a small town, I had an older sister who needed looking after and my parents didn't have a lot of money.  Between the ages of 6 months and 1 year, I spent most of my time in the hospital.  This was in the time when parents couldn't stay in the hospital with their children. My parents had no choice but to take me to urban hospitals a distance away and leave me, always expecting to learn that I had died.

Happily, I was much too stubborn for that and here am I, many years later, perfectly fine. The cause of my illness was never fully determined; possibly a virus, or possibly reaction to the DPT shot to which there were cases of severe reactions, even deaths, at the time.

While I, obviously, don't remember any of this, it is a subject about which my parents still can't speak easily.  Where am I going with this?  Although I don't have children, I feel for parents with children who are very ill and must spend long periods in hospitals.  When I began crocheting again, I wanted to make things for others.  Ergo; Playing Outside for Project Linus.

The Project Linus Mission: Project Linus is comprised of hundreds of local chapters and thousands of volunteers across the United States. Each volunteer and local chapter all work together to help us achieve our mission which is to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer "blanketeers."

Playing Outside:  Was made to provide warmth and comfort and to remind the child of all the wonderful colours found when playing outdoors.  It was done in the hope they will soon be well and running in the grass.

The Pattern:  Can me made in a variety of sizes and colors.  This is just to give a starting point.

My afghan is eight color blocks long by seven color blocks wide.
Finished size is 54" wide x 59 1/4" long

8 mm (L) Hook

FC 26 plus 2 reg CH. (Right side)
Row 1:  (wrong side)SC in 2nd FC from hook than [alternate SC, DC] to end connecting with SC in last FC of previous row (you should have 11 sets of clusters).  CH 2, turn.  Always rotate clockwise from right to left.
Row 2:  (right side) Skip final SC in previous row, SC to end, SC in CH2 from prevous row, CH2 turn.
Row 3:  (wrong side) Skip top of SC in previous row, [SC, DC} ending with SC in CH 2 from previous row, CH2, turn.
Repeat rows 2 and 3 until you have 12 patterened rows (or however many you wish for each of your blocks).  End with a row of SC, join new color, CH 2, turn and start patterned row with new color.
Join strips with SC, border afghan with a row of SC and a row of SS.

By using alternating rows of the pattern and SC, one side of the afghan is flat (less inclined to catch hospital tubes, etc.) and one side patterned for feel.

You will find more photographs of the finished afghan and details as to the yarn I used on Ravelry.

Reading to World Cup to Crochet

My normal average monthly reading ranges from 10-20 books per month. But then came the World Cup. Normally, I don't follow any sports, but World Cup always makes me a fan. That doesn't mean I know the rules, except vaguely, but I love the idea of it being a game at anyone--not me--could play, from the sandlot to the stadium, and that it truly is "the world's game." Even though the US is out of the competition--don't get me started on the referee's calls--I still follow it and choose my favorite teams game-by-game.

The downside of all this four-year fandom is that my reading has taken a serious hit. I've read fewer books than normal this month--okay, so many I did get ten books read--and nothing really made me think "Wow, what a great book." I haven't even written up my normal reviews yet.

The upside is that because I was influences by Grandmothers who believed that "idle hands and an idle mind are the Devil's playground," I have rediscovered crochet. Crochet was my craft of choice from the time I was 16 until I discovered needlepoint when I was in my early 30s. Due to neck/back and eye issues, I've not been able to do needlepoint for awhile now. But I've not pickup up my crochet hooks, bought some yarn and have gone to town.

I started easy with double-thickness potholders and made two pair for myself, am nearly finished with two pair for one friend and than will do two pair each for another friend and the mother of her boyfriend. Because joy of craft sometimes overtake rational budgetary concerns, I'm also making an 8' vertically-stripped scarf from baby alpaca yarn.

Once World Cup is over, I hope my reading will return to more normal levels, but I think crochet may fight for it's place as well.