There’s been a 28″x28″ pillow insert laying around for years, and I’m finally getting around to making a cushion cover for it.  My original attempt didn’t even make it up on this blog because I was so unhappy with it, and most of the yarn purchased for it ended up being used for the hats I made for my clients for Christmas.  There was enough ecru color left and some other yarn of the same brand sitting around that I decided the time was ripe for another attempt at the cushion cover.  If you’ve been following me on Instagram you’ve seen it already:

The ecru color is a little overexposed but the colored yarn is almost exactly true to life.  Very retro, isn’t it?  Not only the yarn colors but the chevron pattern, too.   4 years ago I posted about a blanket my husband’s great-aunt made him ages ago that used this pattern, and it’s not the only vintage blanket I’ve seen using that pattern!

For those who weren’t around when this pattern was popular and haven’t already run across it, it’s made with sc stitches (UK dc stitches) worked in the back loops of the row below.  This particular one uses 14 regular sc stitches between making 3 sc sts in the same st (the “mountains”) and 14 more between skipping 2 sts (the “valleys”).  It’s a lot like the ripple blanket I made in 2011 (or the one I made in 2012) with Lucy from Attic24’s pattern, just with a tighter stitch and more pronounced angles.  It also has a bit more texture due to the ridges made by working in the back loops only.  In more modern colors it can look very pleasing and makes great baby blankets, afghans, cushion covers, & much else besides, I daresay.

Well, that’s all the yarny news…  Here comes the intense part…

I want to follow up on my last post, where I mentioned acquiring a firearm.  I hadn’t considered that people in other countries that don’t allow civilians to own guns (such as the UK) probably view them in a whole different light until I read some of the comments!  I must say, it would be really nice to not have to think about needing firearms for protection, or to worry about the higher crime rate we have involving their use.  At the same time, however, I know many people who have grown up around guns and enjoy using them recreationally (for hunting, which also puts food on the table, or for target practice at the range, which is an excellent de-stressor), or who feel a lot safer in the knowledge that they could defend their home in case of a break-in or a natural disaster (such as Hurricane Katrina, for instance, where chaos broke out and people were looting all over the place).  It’s certainly a debatable topic, and I know and respect people with strong opinions on both sides of the argument.  I am not out to offend anyone or to start any mud slinging; this isn’t really the forum for that sort of thing anyway.

With all of that said, since many people expressed concern about our safety I did want to share that we are currently borrowing a shotgun just in case of any trouble with the shady character mentioned in that last post.  Chris and I both know how to use the shotgun safely and we will be practicing with it at a range nearby.  We are currently looking to purchase a smaller option for our home and when we find one that suits us we will be returning the shotgun.  Of course, we hope that a situation never arises in which we need to use a gun, but in this country where anybody can easily obtain one, it does make us feel safer to have one just in case.

Ok, that’s over!  Thanks for stopping by, come back for more yarny goodness next time!