Simple Enough...or N.O.T.

 Months and months ago, I happened upon the world of crochet edged blankets (fleece and/or flannel). Of course, it was that dastardly Pinterest that took me down this path. (Not really, I LOVE Pinterest.) Anywho...I looked at the cute blankies being produced by others and decided I was going to try my hand at such a creation. Picking up flannel or fleece on sale...no problem...it would be a fun, inexpensive creation.

And then the reality started to hit.

• First, I would need something called a "sharp hook" to poke holes through the flannel to create the border. Done, ordered the sharp hook. 
• Or maybe a skip stitch blade on a rotary cutter would work better? Done, ordered said rotary blade with a couple of different blades. 
• And, oh...I needed to turn back and finish off the edges of the flannel. Now THAT was perplexing me! I'm much too lazy and in need of instant gratification to be hand sewing all those edges. Heck, I wouldn't want to do it on ONE blanket, not alone the many I envisioned creating! Hence, the request to Santa for a relatively inexpensive sewing machine. Santa delivered!

And FOUR MONTHS later, I had f-i-n-a-l-l-y assembled ALL the toys I would need to create this cute little inexpensive project. Ha ha ha.  (The sewing machine is also going to be a tremendous help with the linings I create for the purses I make - so it wasn't purchased ONLY for this blanket project - and I'm very excited to start some new pillowcase projects too.)

And - almost forgot to mention, the rotary cutter required the purchase of a self healing mat upon which to cut, a ruler or two to use with said cutter, etc., etc..!!!  Oy!

Learning to wind a bobbin and thread the sewing machine...that was a process for me. It's been a very long time since that home economics class of 8th grade! While my Mom was an accomplished whiz with a sewing machine, she was a perfectionist. Trying to learn to sew under her tutelage was brutal for me and it's taken me all these years to find my mojo again. But I'm making strides now.

I didn't end up using the rotary cutter/skip stitch blade because when it poked the hole in the material, I just couldn't find that little hole! So I used the sharp hook. But then I had a heck of a time getting my holes/stitches placed evenly - so I ended up buying yet ANOTHER something... a disappearing marker and used it with one of the rulers mentioned above to mark the material in even increments for hole poking!

 

I think future blanket endeavors will be two sided, rather than this one sided first attempt. The double thickness will make it cozier! I bought some adorable fabric and it's washed and ready to go...I just have to square it up (another learning adventure in this process) and finish the edges, and poke the holes and WHEW...THEN crochet around the edges! Like I said in the title...simple enough...or not! It definitely wasn't as easy as my original concept of buying some flannel and matching yarn. It was a process that took me months! But now I can say, "I did it!".

 

Thanks for looking!