If you are wondering what the name Stevens Handmade means, it is a reflection of how important crafts and my family are to me. Stevens is my last name, and I come from a long line of crafters on both sides of my family. I hope to share items that my family members have made along with my own projects. To me it also means resourcefulness in projects, because sometimes the recommended materials are too expensive or not available, but that doesn't mean the project should be abandoned. When family members speak of a certain great-grandmother, they almost always say, "She could make something out of nothing." This is high praise in my Yankee family, and it's something I strive for in a lot of my projects. Reusing and scavenging materials, using them in new in and surprising ways, using up things I already have to avoid buying new things, and finding ways to use up every last bit are all techniques I use when making things.
The first project I'm going to share with you demonstrates this, in a way.
This afghan was a kit that I inherited from my great-grandmother, who passed away a few months after I received it (along with a lot of other excellent craft kits and materials from her stash). It was still sealed in its plastic bag, and the pattern is copyrighted 1976.
It's not a huge blanket, but it was also pretty quick to make. It's just right for these cool fall mornings and evenings, when a large blanket isn't necessary but you still need something to keep you warm. It also reminds me of my great-grandmother, and my grandmother, who went taught me to knit and crochet and went through all of my great-grandmother's craft items with me.
Making things runs in my family--I'm more than happy to keep the tradition going.
