A hug for Sue, and a hippyish baby blanket

 I'd like to start off by saying I hope Sue of A Smaller and Simpler Life/A Year of Modern Rationing is well and enjoying her blogging break.  I miss your blogs Sue, as I'm sure we all do, but understand that we must all do what is best for us.  I hope you'll return to Blogland, but that's a selfish point of view.  Take care Sue, and please have a (collective) virtual hug from us all.

I finished the main body of the crochet baby blanket yesterday, and started on the border, it's a couple of rows of single crochet and then a scalloped shell edge.  I'm now going to crochet a few single and double flowers, and maybe a couple of butterflies, and sew them on.  The main part of the blanket is in a deep aubergine colour, the border is lilac and the flowers and butterflies will be lilac and shades of pink.  Our neighbour dresses in quite a Bohemian, hippyish way and is having a little girl, so slightly unconventional colours would I feel be more suited to her than the normal plain cream and pink.  I was initially going to do the blanket in shades of dove grey, teal green and mustard yellow - that was before I knew she was having a girl though....those colours would have been more suited to a boy I think.  I've enjoyed making this one, once finished I might carry on with the dove grey one - I'd started it some weeks back, before changing to the aubergine colour scheme.  The dove grey one can go in my stash - I'm sure there'll be a baby boy born sooner or later.  I do like crocheting, especially baby blankets, through the winter - it's nice to have a warm lapful of wool.  Oh and I'll put a pic of the blanket on here when it's done.

I made a lovely dinner yesterday, if I do say so myself.  It was new potatoes thinly sliced and layered with sliced leeks and smoked salmon, I made a cheese, pesto and cream sauce to pour over it (had part of a tub of fresh pesto to use up) and baked it in the oven.  It was gorgeous, even husband really liked it and he's not really a fan of smoked salmon - says it's too strong tasting.  Served it with long stemmed broccoli.  Today husband's having roast chicken slices I froze in gravy, he's asked for mash and peas with it.  I'm having a portion of the herby crumble-topped ratatouille I made and froze a couple of weeks ago.  So it's a non-cooking day today.