# More crochet
I finally finished the hat and mitts for my oldest niece. I had to pull them out and start over at least 3 or 4 times, sometimes because of mistakes I made and sometimes because of difficulties adjusting the size of the pattern to the yarn I was using. But eventually I got done and I was so pleased with how they turned out.
The hat was a free pattern which can be found here:
What I like about this beanie is that while it is simple and easy to make, the repeating double and single crochet in the top of the single crochet gives the stitch a slanted V shape, just a little more fancy than plain old single crochet.
I would have gladly crocheted a huge flower to go on it too, but my niece, who just turned 12, indicated she could do without a big flower. Okay, okay, so they're not for everyone.
The pattern for the mitts came from a book I checked out from the library. I can't remember the title, but it had all kinds of patterns for fun fingerless gloves and mitts. This pattern was called "Frolic". I ended up leaving off the thumb and having just a thumb slit because I couldn't figure out how to adjust the size of the thumb, and the finished mitt looked odd with this huge oversized thumb sticking out. The patterns in the book were designed for thin, fine yarns. My favorite thing about the pattern was how the main body alternated front loop and back loop single crochets and gave it a delightful waffle texture that went perfectly with the fun yarn.
Christopher and I watched Voltron over January and February, so I have a fair number of Voltron episodes invested in these and past versions of these mitts.
The hat came together more easily and was completed mostly during the almost three hours of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets on a wintery Sunday afternoon. The kids and I decided that Eric looks like Gilderoy Lockhart. Something about the golden curly locks, forget-me-not blue eyes, and award-winning smile. We have faith, though, that Eric will grow up to have less vanity and more integrity than the actual Gilderoy Lockhart.
Another book I borrowed from the library was 100 Snowflakes to Crochet and I have had a lot of fun making those. So far they are quick little projects, maybe 20 minutes each. My mom gave me a small skein of cotton yarn in an icy green called "Beach Glass" and I used that to make 9 snowflakes into a garland for my sister's preschool classroom.
For a few days I was puzzled by how to stiffen the snowflakes enough to hang them on a garland without going out to the craft store and trying to find some mysterious substance called "fabric stiffener". But after a little online research I realized I could mix plain Elmer's Glue with water and brush that onto each side of the snowflakes. After blocking the snowflakes using a water spray bottle and steam iron and letting them dry overnight, I brushed on the glue and let them dry overnight, then did the other sides the next day. Finally, I used a hot glue gun to glue the tip of each snowflake to a white velvet ribbon, and singed the ends of the ribbon so it wouldn't fray. Then it was ready.
Last November Eric learned to climb up on the couch and rip my crochet project out of my hands and grab the yarn and tangle it up, so I gave up crocheting for awhile. But in January I started up again. Thankfully Eric has now learned the meaning of "No". In fact, if he is hurrying somewhere saying "No, no, no" to himself we can be pretty sure he is on the way to do something he is not supposed to, like climb on the kitchen counter and turn on the water faucet or play with one of his brothers' special Lego creations, or dump out their pencil case. But he's making progress in learning to obey and now knows he is not supposed to grab my crochet. I am glad because crocheting has been a comforting activity to help get through the last few long months of winter.
I've been listening to the Being Known podcast on the elliptical in the mornings and considering that one reason why crochet is so important is because as people made in God's image our purpose (as they say on the podcast) is to create beauty, order, and goodness in the world. But raising children is messy business and most days it can feel like there's not a whole lot of beauty, order, or goodness around here. So crochet is deeply satisfying in that regard and gives one something to hold on to in the short run when the floor is covered in gooey macaroni again, the laundry pile is overflowing again, the baby has a runny nose again -- while pressing on for God's good purpose in the long run of raising people made in his image who will bring beauty, order, and goodness into the world.