Crochet update, a challenge and the new sofa

A new crochet project has started another Shell stitch afghan using Mandala yarn this time Wool Ease in the Athena colorway. The piece is folded in half for the photo.

I may have mentioned that I love the shell stitch and I'm quite pleased with the Beachy look of the one I made using the Lion Brand Wishing Well colorway.

I have a few other crochet projects in mind but haven't decided yet which one to start though my great niece Tessa would like a new afghan in green which is her favorite color.

Next month is National Crochet Month with a few ways to celebrate popping up on the internet here is one of them with the link for more information below.

https://stitchesnscraps.com/hookedonyarn2019/

Tessa celebrated her 6th birthday earlier this month at Chucky Cheese, she didn't want a party this year and we all had a great time.  I gifted her with an American Girl doll and several outfits and a backpack to carry the doll and several outfits for Tessa to wear.  Those 6 years have gone by so fast.

I am drafting a few new embroidery pieces to get started on and need to removed the stitch and wash product from the drum and dance piece which for some reason I stuck away with a few things and I'm too lazy to drag the box down off the shelf.

My new sofa arrived last week, nearly two weeks early, the photo doesn't show the blue very well 

 I ordered some dark blue pillow covers and new drapes I'll put those up this weekend if I have time. The room looks much lighter without the brown sofa the light blue makes it feel airy, now to find the right chair. It's a little blurry but the shell stitch afghan on the sofa.

February Birthday's Sofa Shopping and Slow Sunday Stitching

February is usually a busy month for me with several birthdays my son on the 6th, great niece on the 13th and other events going on including drum circle and Renaissance Faire, to add to the hustle and bustle of the month yesterday I began the day with some crocheting, I am starting a new project a new afghan title Virus blanket, this is what the pattern looks like in different colorways none of which are mine

I love the browns above, I will be using fairly neutral colorway for mine, this purple yellow and blue is kind of pretty. I love the lacy look of the pattern and turns out lovely using those mandala yarns. I bought the pattern for on hand instructions rather than watch one of the you tube videos available which will come in handy if I get stuck.  These completed blankets are not mine and the maker's name wasn't available, However, the pattern is by Joanna Martinez and can be purchased at her Etsy shop or via Ravelry links at the end of my post.

Here is the start of my Virus blanket using Lion Brand Wool Ease in the Athena colorway and I hook.

The top photo was taken with my cell phone and the bottom photo was taken with my digital camera of the same ball of yarn and same starting crochet, the color of the actual yarn isn't that yellow.

More hustle yesterday afternoon I went shopping for a new sofa and came across some very lovely and comfortable leather power sofas like this blue one though I didn't like the pillows, this sofa does it all: reclines, head rest adjust, it has lumbar support and massage function as well as heats the seat.

This one also has all those functions and can be ordered in blue if I didn't like the gray.  I was very

very close to purchasing one of them when practical me showed up and debated those controls and the life of them, the thought of replacing a computerized sensor or plugging in my sofa which wouldn't be a problem now but I am house hunting and perhaps the space where the sofa would go didn't have an outlet.

 So as much as the adjustable headrest and massage function was nice I went with the practical sofa above, just about identical to my current chocolate brown one, but in a nice shade of sky blue which you can see in the swatch on the table slightly curled. (I almost bought it in red). My current love seat has swirls of blue in the paisley print so it will work for now but eventually I want to ditch the love seat  buy a chair or two but that will wait for now. (or at least this week). This year it's all about blue.

Slow stitching is continuing on the drum and dance piece which is almost completely stitched, I finished the stitching on the last figure.

I will be linking at Kathy's Quilts today here: https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/2019/02/slow-sunday-stitching.html

For the Virus Blanket pattern
https://www.etsy.com/listing/579633130/crochet-virus-blanket-pattern-blanket?
ref=shop_home_active_2

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/virus-blanket