It's all about the yarn

Well it's official I am finished with my first ever baby blanket. I have yet to give it to her but I really need too. Of course I have also gotten requests for knitted baby clothes from another expecting mom. For the first blanket I chose a pretty yarn so that I could do a basic garter stitch. I did practice the purl stitch but found it very difficult to switch between the two. I discovered later I was doing the purl stitch a little differently, I had the same result but made it a lot harder for myself. Thank goodness for google and YouTube I was able to watch the correct method for the purl stitch.

With baby blankets I have found it best to use small needles. For this project I used a size US 6. I had never made anything with such small needles so it took me awhile to feel comfortable with them. One suggestion I have for those venturing out to make their own is take lots of breaks and stretch your wrists. I ended up knitting for so long I had overworked my wrists. I know it wasn't just knitting but also my use of the computer and my job. I ended up buying a wrist brace for my right wrist which helped a lot when I feel my wrist getting sore I put that on and continue knitting.

The beauty of my current job is I am given time to knit so it is not limited to just my non working non sleeping hours. I spent a few hours working on this girly baby blanket. Another hint when starting a project, and let me tell you everyone will tell you, is make sure you buy enough yarn. This project is a good example I only bought two skeins because I told myself that was the size I wanted and now that it is finished I do wish it was a bit bigger. Now don't get me wrong I don't want it to be another ball of yarn bigger so I decided it would be a good size for an infant but one they hit the big 12 months and depending on how much they grow they may outgrow it. The next baby blanket I started on is a little different and is planned to be a good size that a young child can still use. It didn't take me nearly as long as I thought and I tend to be a perfectionist. I have been known to completely redo up to four rows because I had messed up somehow.

If there were a few things i could change about the first baby blanket it would be the size of it but I had to start somewhere and I still like it. Here is a close up of the colors the yarn made stripes a little easier. I am thankful to have the first one finished so that I can start on more!
The next three baby blanket projects I am working on have more detail to them my favorite so far is the chevron blanket. More details on that when I finish it.

The Beginning

"I've been lucky. Opportunities don't often come along. So, when they do, you have to grab them."
-Audrey HepburnThe creation of Cozy Darlings took nearly a year to transpire. It began last Christmas, during that time when you do not have much to do because the presents have been unwrapped and everything has been cleaned up and there aren't anymore festivities for the day......this is usually the time that unless I have something to do I get bored and take a nap. My mom happened to be knitting a lap blanket at the time and I decided I wanted to learn how to knit. She grabbed some spare yarn and needles and showed me what to do.

It didn't take me long before I decided to attempt to knit a striped blanket( I had absolutely no idea what I was doing). It took me a few attempts before I was happy with my method. I had not worked with more than one ball of yarn and wasn't quite sure how to make it look cohesive. I asked my mom and since she taught herself how to knit she was unsure how to do stripes so I winged it. It is not completed yet and I have this uncanny ability of starting projects and never finishing them. While working on this blanket at my husbands work, while I waited for him to get off work I received many compliments on this blanket one from a girl I decided to knit a baby blanket for her baby shower gift.

While knitting the baby blanket and really enjoying it, I mentioned to my mom about how I wanted to give baby blankets as baby shower gifts, and have it be my signature present. The problem with that is it is time consuming and when you don't have much time to make one you wont get it done in time. That was my problem with the one I am working on I learned of the baby shower a couple weeks before and decided on knitting a blanket a week before. It's going to end up being a late gift but at least it will be done before the baby is due. My mom had a great idea for this problem and mentioned I should have some on hand for times when I get invited to baby showers.

" The future belongs to those who believe int he beauty of their dreams."
-Eleanor Roosevelt

The next source of inspiration for Cozy Darlings is the bleak job market. As a college graduate I have found it difficult to find an entry level job with my degree, and it's also close to impossible to find a minimum wage job even as seasonal worker. After receiving yet another email stating there wasn't any positions available for my qualifications I decided it was time to create my own job that I could do in addition to my current occupation. I am very fortunate that I am able to work only 30 hours a week and can pay all of my bills, with a little left over. Not only does that allow me to spend more time on creating my own career and utilizing the skills that I learned in school but also allows me to finance a side business. I am also fortunate to have a supportive family who encourage me to go after my dreams.
All of these have led to my decision to create my own business called Cozy Darlings. Cozy Darlings will sell handmade knitted baby blankets, and once I learn how to do more I will expand to other products. My next goal is to learn how to knit different designs for baby blankets and how to knit baby booties!!