Crocheted Crocodile Stitch Rainbow Baby Blanket

I think it's safe to post this now. Yes, it's for another baby in the family. This time the blanket is for hubby's sister and her second baby, not born yet. Her firstborn really loves the blanket I made her and takes it everywhere. Sorry, no pics of that blanket.

I wanted to try my hand at the crocodile stitch that's been buzzing around Pintrest and looks like crocheted scales. The free pattern I found used only one color, but I wanted it rainbow colored.

The pattern is from Bonita Patterns Blog and her crocodile stitch baby blanket. She used a solid mint green, but I like the rainbow overlapping scales effect. So, when you get to the end of a completed scale row, go ahead and clip it to add another color. There are 12 Caron Simply Soft colors in mine. One dark and one light in the rainbow. I did have to go to a couple craft stores to get the colors I was looking for. They didn't carry all the same colors. So I went to Michael's Crafts and Walmart to fill in the color gaps that the other store didn't have. Or you can order from Caron directly.

You will want to weave in your ends before you add the border, or it'll look bulky and messy. The blanket is about 35 inches square. Not very big, but thick and squishy. So it should be warm and tactile for little fingers to play with.

Careful on the border instructions. I think Bonita is missing some corner repeat stitches in her instructions on border rows 2 and 3. You'll want to repeat the corner stitches 2 more times to finish turning the corner. On my blanket, I only went up to border row 4 . Adding the last row, I thought, would make it look too wide, and use more yarn than I had left. You can also add ribbon to the border holes if you like. I didn't have any that looked good, so I didn't. Bonita has instructions for that with the pattern.

So I finished the blanket and it went down to sis-in-law's house. I'll wait to hear if she likes it, and if big sister approves. 

8/14/14 Yup, sis-in-law loves it. And there is a new baby boy too.

New Daddy Survival Kit

My brother-in-law is going to be a new daddy soon, and we thought this kind of kit would be fun to give on his birthday before the baby is born.

It's kinda hard to tell what's in it since my hubby already packed it up and "wrapped" it. He says he made a bow out of the strap. But, there is a list of everything in there with instructions on how to use it for the baby.

Here's the instructions so you can read them. (Yes, that's sloppily on purpose duct tape)

How to Change a diaper

Please read all instructions, as any hesitation, uncertainty or mistakes may result in the need to call in a Hazmat team, and psychologist to aid with emotional scaring.

Prepare Yourself:  It is vitally important that you do not skip any of these steps.

• ·         Put on the poncho.
• ·         Securely fasten the face mask and safety glasses.
• ·         Put on a pair of rubber gloves.

Prepare the Baby:

• ·         Ensure the pacifier is properly used, offer correctional advice and demonstrations if needed.
• ·         Remove the babies clothes to expose the diaper area.

Diaper Removal and Cleanup

• ·         Before proceeding warn all people within a 15 yard radius that things are about to get dangerous.
• ·         Ensure that all people are at least 2 yards away (safely outside the ‘Splash Zone’).
• ·         Remove the diaper attempting to clean any soiled areas, use words like ‘eeew’, ‘yucky’, and ‘poo-poo’, as this reassures the baby.
• ·         Wrap the diaper back up and place in a hazardous waste bag.
• ·         Clean the baby with the baby wipes.
• ·         Use tongs and turkey baster in extreme cases.
• ·         Apply a clean diaper following all approved manufacturer instructions.

Sanitizing and Disposal

• ·         Clean all supplies thoroughly using alcohol sanitizing wipes when needed.
• ·         Dispose of the Diaper at the nearest Hazmat drop-off.
• ·         Pack everything back in to your kit, and mentally prepare for next time..

Q: What if I don’t have my kit with me?  A: Without your kit, you are no better than ancient caveman dads, and unfortunately cave-children typically score in the lowest 10% on standardized tests… Coincidence? … not likely.

Q: How do I know if I am ready?  A: You are not ready, embrace that fact and prepare for anything.

Q: What should I do if the situation gets out of control?  A: Call in backup! Never wait or attempt to handle it yourself.

Q: Isn’t this a bit excessive? A: Safety is never excessive, follow all instructions.  Don’t give in to peer pressure.  Remember, you want your child to be successful. 

(Caveat: I did not write these instructions, my husband did. It's all his own opinion on how to care for a child)

Seeing as my hubby left some supplies out of the instructions, I guess I will list them here:
Toolbox
Diapers
Baby Wipes
Poncho
Safety Glasses
Dust Mask
Rubber Gloves
Ear plugs/nose plugs
Tongs
Turkey Baster
Pacifier
Hazardous Wastes bags (Ziploc with hazardous waste symbol taped on)
Hand Wipes
And a small photo frame