Happy Updated

I have made some progress on my "happy" piece this weekend.  This picture shows the fabric color a little better than the last one.   So what do you think?    I am close to finishing.    Thanks to our deep freezing weather here in the northeast  my stitching time increased.  This cold has kept me in doors.   I hope it is warmer where you are!  Lots of hot lemon tea and fuzzy snuggling kitties here  help me keep the chills away.  

After some soup and a sandwich I am going to hunt through my yarn stash for the makings of my next crocheted blanket.  I need to do up a baby blanket and plan my nephew's blanket.  I'd like to have his done by September for our family gathering.  I also would like to try a new stitch for at least one of these projects.  Anyone have a favorite crochet stitch for a blanket?  I am looking for ideas and so far nothing I have checked out on line has grabbed me. 

Mare