so did you really think i would do anything other than talk about knitting today? i thought not. happy to live up to your expectations!
i have a mishmash of knitting projects to chat about. let’s start with the log cabin blanket, since that throw was the last project completed:
i am as tired of showing you this project as you are of seeing it, but yet another snapshot is necessary for continuity of story.
this blanket will be part of the quilt auction on saturday, may 26th, out at the new hamburg mcc relief sale. if tradition holds true, mom and dad and i will go to the preview the evening before to look at all the works of art (because, really, that’s what the stitched quilts are).
this is the third contribution i have made to the sale. here is a photo of the pattern of submission #1:
i remember i chose the lighthouse theme because it reminded me of goderich!
i didn’t write down a date for when this blanket was part of the auction; maybe around 2003?
i sure got to know this chart very well after umpteen repeats!
the second blanket was a mosaic pattern:
the geometric shapes and the fabulous colour scheme sold me on trying this pattern
a close-up of the design
when i made this blanket, i used the same colour shades as in the book, there, and the yarn was purchased at (the now defunct) “cloth & clay” in uptown waterloo. i DID date this pattern, and it was part of the quilt auction in 2005.
what is next? well!…it depends on how insane i am how much i want to be challenged! my eye keeps coming back to this kaffe fassett pattern that i have in one of his books in my knitting library:
i love that photo - the english cottage, the blanket tossed from the window, kaffee's carefree grin (haha, he's so happy cuz he finished the darn blanket - joke!)
a close-up - check out the complexity of colour + design!
my hesitation to embark on this project is due to a couple of factors: 1) sourcing the yarn: there are over 25 colourways involved, and i imagine it would cost between $500-$1000 for yarn alone (no len’s mill specials would suffice for this masterpiece). 2) the mind-bending nature of the pattern – i for sure would NOT be reading and knitting while *whipping up* this creation:
here's a snippet of the chart you follow!
3) the time that would be needed to complete this project -> i am guess-timating a year? it would be a whole life-consuming kikiproject in and of itself!
can you imagine how amazing the finished product would look, though?!
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i love and adore making baby blankets. they give me an excuse to use variegated yarn (my favourite type), insanely small needles, i can work on them and read at the same time, and then i like having the blankets on hand to give as gifts whenever a friend pops a baby. i had been working on a blanket which i set aside in order to focus on the log cabin blanket. i have now returned to the cast-aside baby blanket:
THAT'S THE LAST BALL OF YARN!!
because i cannot resist a challenge, i have given myself the deadline of april 30th for finishing this blanket. it will be a one-of-a-kind: never again am i going to do an entirely seed stitch blanket on 2 mm needles.
once done, i HAVE to take a break from making baby blankets – look at the stash i have accumulated!
people! have more babies, please!
at least yarn does not have a “best before” date! but i seriously DO have to back off from the baby blankets.
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in september, when mom and i attended the annual knitter’s fair (blog recap here), we found an awesome deal on red heart yarn. i bought three humungous balls of orange (total bill? $11.00):
each ball is 350 g so they are larger than they appear
my intent was to make…a baby blanket (groan). change in plan! i’ve decided to make myself a sweater! orange is my favourite colour, i have orange sweatshirts but no orange sweater…this is a good idea!
i have narrowed down my options to remakes of two sweaters i already have:
#1 -
minus the toy soldiers - don't you love her 80s hair and earrings?!
…which would be an update of…
this pullover that mom made me in high school - i still wear it!
#2 -
not quite so blatantly 80s...although the pattern is also from that era
…which would be an update of…
this yellow number that i wore on easter sunday; i made this pullover, yes, in high school!
i’ll putter around with the tensions and see which pattern will work best – i have no strong feelings one way or the other. i just want an orange sweater!
we’ll stop there. knitting is one of those things about which i could go on and on and on!…
i kan’t kome up with any kool kwestions today. i guess you kould komment if you knit. i know a few of you do!
Comments
I am impressed! I am such a lazy knitter! I do the things that I do and just don’t challenge myself any more, but you have certainly raised the bar! I have been making some fun toys and ‘oddities’ for my grandson. He’s ten and tolerates his Grummy and her crazy things she sends him. I love your blog, I found it when you commented on my sister Fran’s blog Broken Cookies Don’t Count.
ELE!!! i am so excited to meet you because it seems like i know you, thanks to fran’s blog! esp after her “e is for ele” post this week. oh, i think there is nothing wrong with keeping your knitting projects simple…there is joy to be had in mindless knitting! that is so cute that you can knit for your grandson…may be he will still enjoy sweaters or mitts as he gets older?! so glad fran and i have found each other’s blogs!
I cannot Believe that those blankets are Knitted!! They look like quilts. I have never been able to read patterns for knitting or crocheting. My Gram taught me to do squares years ago and I made an afgan that way. Gram, Mom and sister Ele were all great stitchers. I missed gettin that gene…:-(
i would love to have a crocheted granny square blanket…don’t know if i will ever take up crochet?! i hear you, fran, on missing certain genes…i missed the sewing one. my g’ma is quite gifted with that, but it missed me completely!
so fun to see your projects as always. am totally impressed with your skills! that blanket thrown out the window for display – was totally floored at the amount of money it would cost! had no idea! crazy! marin enjoys the blanket you knit for her – it’s a favourite and I LOVE the colours, too!
keep up the awesome talent! i’ll have to alert my parents to view your quilt/blanket at the upcoming auction. can’t wait to hear how much it goes for!
oh, that is fun that m still loves her blanket! yes – really good quality yarn is not cheap – it is way less expensive to BUY blankets than to make, if $$ is your only consideration. cheap yarn would not be an option for kaffe’s creation!! i hope the blanket fetches at least what the yarn cost! we shall see!
As always, I’m impressed with your knitting adventures! I hope people begin having more babies so you can share your beautiful creations!
I’m sure your orange sweater will be just divine!
thanks, lisa! i DID just give a blanket away a couple weeks ago, so hopefully there will be a few more babies coming along this year! i’ll show the orange sweater when it’s done…hmmm, i better make a deadline for that – haha!
That Kaffe Fasset is beautiful…but looking at the pattern…oh my….I will admire from afar!! I have several UFO sitting in my basket, and the beauty is that when I have a minute or two….I can pick up and keep knitting. A few years ago I gave up on bigger projects and started knitting scarves and hats and mittens….a far cry from the sweaters that I used to knit when working night shift. But the best part is when my kids proudly wear their mittens or hats and call them “momma mittens”.
2 mm needles? Seed stitch? oh my!! But what a beautiful gift for a new person!! Happy knitting!!
thanks, heather! i love that term – momma mittens. so glad you are having fun knitting for your boys! easy projects for kids are satisfying because you CAN finish them fairly quickly. two great things you mention about knitting: being able to pick up a project for just a few minutes, and the fact that knitting CAN just sit around for years…as long as you remember where you left off!!
I continue to flirt with taking up knitting (or crocheting) again simply because a) I like the idea of justifying my time when I sit down to watch a movie, b) I’ve become someone who likes to do something while sitting and c) I like the idea of making useful (or not so useful) things. I trust that one day the universe will line everything up in a row so this-thing-yet-to-be-made-but-is-stirring-in-my-soul comes into being. So far, no dice, but I trust it’ll happen. In the meantime, I continue to be in awe that you’re still doing this so many years after we learned together!
you did not tell me this knitting vibe was stirring in you – now you are in trouble!! because, oh, do i have the plan for us, jo!!! dvlb + knitting + tea -> we’re going to start a trend. and yes, our after school knitting club with your mom was one memory that did not make this blog post!! i clearly recall knitting together!! i must take you to “shall we knit” – you will definitely want to start knitting again after seeing those gorgeous yarns! (big sale starts next week!)