Completing a Large Project : A Baby Blanket

Several months ago I learned that a good friend of mine was going to be having her first child.  I love to crochet and I have made a point of making personalized baby blankets for several of my friends so I wanted to make something special for her too.  When she first found out that she was expecting she was thinking that they were going to keep the baby's sex a secret so I decided on using gender neutral colors.  Pastel yellow and green stripes make up the main body of the blanket.  In the course of making the blanket I learned that the baby will be a boy, so I decided to use a pastel blue yarn to make the border on the blanket.  I used a waffle stitch to give the blanket some interesting texture.  The border is a variety of a ripple stitch which adds a little more dimension to the blanket.  In making the blanket I learned that the waffle stitch makes a nice thick, warm blanket that will surely keep the baby warm in the cooler parts of the year.  I try to make my baby blankets fairly large so that the child can keep using it as they grow.  As is it, the blanket comfortably covers my lap, so hopefully it will become a keepsake that will be used for years to come.