Baby crochet

I've had a couple of projects on the go recently that I've been itching to share.  I did post a quick sneak peek a while ago when I got a bit stuck with one of them, but mainly they've been secret as I know their recipient (or rather, his mum, sometimes has a nosey through here).  Anyway, I'm just back from a couple of days up north visiting a very cute, wriggly, squidgey baby boy.  Before I knew he was going to be a he, I started on this:

The pattern is the Happy Day Mobile which is available for free from the Crochet Today site.   It's a great little pattern, although I missed a stripe out of the rainbow (no reason beyond personal choice and what I had available in the yarn basket) and I think there were a couple of other little tweaks, but who follows a pattern exactly to the letter? (Not me...!)

Then, when I knew it a boy, I got cracking on this:

 

You may remember I was a bit worried earlier that the pieces looked a bit more square than the average child.  Luckily, once it was all put together, it looked a bit more child friendly.  Both of these are made with Rico Creative Cotton.  I just love the colour range in this yarn!  I was also a bit chuffed to finally find a use for those red aeroplane buttons. 



Oh, and while I was there, I finally gave my friend her wedding present!

I had started a different blanket but lost all the squares.  Doh!  Anyway, no chance of losing this monster.  If anything, my living room looks a bit empty without it sitting next to the chair waiting to be finished.

It took me ages to decide on an edging, but in the end I went for a traditional shell edge.  I recommend a round of single crochet as a base in the same colour if you're addding it to a granny stitch.  Then it's just sc, skip stich, 5tr, skip stitch, rinse, repeat.  I think I used 8tr in the corner stitches.  This blanket was made using Sirdar's Simply Recycled.  Not the broadest colour range (although there are a few more now, but seemingly in aran rather than DK as used here) but the shades have a lovely muted quality to them which I think adds a certain something to a traditional crochet piece like this.

All-in-all, very satisfying to have these all finished and handed over to their recipients.  Thing is, now what should I make?  I have a wool-eater on the go, but I am still feeling like a ripple blanket....