Chocolate & WIPs...

We are now on Day Four of retirement.....and we are still on speaking terms 😉

Despite Adrian being adament that he wanted no fuss over his retirement, his boss sent him home on his last day in the office with this rather sweet puffin cake ~ Adrian has a real soft spot for these comical little birds!  

He also received this rather yummy chocolate bottle from the staff of a company he has had regular dealings with over the many years he was in his last working position.

His own work colleagues were very sneaky and sent him a card signed by all of them, as well as some staff who no longer work in the office, which was rather lovely.  They also included a very nice birdwatching book ~ as I pointed out to him, there was no presentation in the office LOL

I'm still in blanket-making mode ~ this is destined to be a gift for my sister-in-law's birthday in June.  It's  the art deco crochet blanket pattern (which I have used before) from Jane Brocket's book The Gentle Art of Knitting.  I am using Stylecraft Special DK yarn (if I remember rightly, the pattern uses an aran-weight yarn) and a 4.5mm hook, and I decided to mimic the original colours fairly closely.

It's a nice, simple blanket to crochet.  Once the foundation and pattern-setting rows are in place, the work progresses with a rather lovely gentle rhythm and grows most satisfactorily.

I have also made a start on blanket number three for Blankets for the Homeless.  I shared blanket number two with you in this post yesterday, and my friend left the following interesting comment:

"One thing I don't understand, is why people are making crocheted and knitted blankets for the homeless? I don't like them for use outside, they snag and unless doubled are pretty cold in the wind. They also need extra care and are bulky. Personally, if I were on the road, in an alley, or in a box, I would want something easier to maintain and move from place to place. Is it just me?"

I hadn't really thought about the points she raised before, to be honest, so I had a little cogitate.  Blankets for the Homeless take all the completed blankets to various homeless shelters, so I would have thought that if they were unsuitable then the shelters would say something.  I think that if I were a homeless person, the very fact that someone, a complete stranger, had taken time to knit or crochet a 4'x6' blanket for a person in my position would be very comforting and appealing.  Every time I would wrap myself up in that colourful, cheerful, handmade blanket I would be reminded that I had been in someone's thoughts and kind actions, if only for a little while 😊