Sister's Custom Crochet Blankets

Chloe Monster snug as a bug...

Every since my first daughter was born, I've called her Sister or Sis for short.  It's not that I knew she would have sisters one day, quite the contrary.  None of our children were "planned" as it were.  Nevertheless, she has five sisters now and the nickname fits quite nicely.

I've mentioned in previous posts that our family is returning to the old days in a way by learning basic hand skills that our grandparents used on a daily basis.  Skills like knitting and sewing, making bread from scratch and cooking with alternative heat sources other than the kitchen stove. We've begun to "use it up" and "wear it out", to "make it do, or do without". 

With six daughters, we have rows of boxes in the garage filled with clothing that had become too small for an elder sibling and packed away until it could be worn again by a younger sibling.  We actually have the Halloween costume that Sister won second place with at a McDonald's Halloween costume contest 11 years ago and our youngest, now two years old, has worn it as well.

Close up of her Granny Square stitch.

Sis has taken on crocheting this year and has done quite well.  I feel the need, as any proud father would, to display her talents and thus the reason for this post.  She not only learned to crochet over Christmas break from a visiting relative who stayed with us for five weeks, but has taught her siblings as well or at least attempted to (second oldest daughter gets frustrated VERY easily).  She has made baby blankets for her Cheer coach and a church member down the street.  Both as gifts from the goodness of her heart. 

She has made blankets large enough to cover our kitchen table and others still in-process, final size yet to be determined.  I have to admit, I keep our house pretty cold.  I blame it on living in the Arizona desert but my super-sized belly is more likely to blame.  But at the end of the day when we're all cozied up watching a family movie on our couch, there's nothing more cozy than covering my cold limbs with a warm blanket woven by the hands of my daughter.

These blankets will be around a long, long time.  Wifey still has blankets made by her great-grandmother.  These are the types of basic skills I want my daughters to learn...and hopefully teach their children.

Self sufficiency breeds confidence.

~OJD


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