log cabin blanket is done

This thing has many problems. Too small. Too drape-y from loose gauge and bamboo yarn. And too many mistakes, most related to picking up stitches from the wrong side but quite a few from dropping stitches. I think this has to do with the yarn. Not that I am immune to dropping stitches but I think the slippery bamboo made it easier to do. I like the finished look even though the drape does not hold the rectangular geometry of the different color blocks. The needles size on the yarn label was an astoundingly large size 11. Not so good for garter stitch. I am also pretty sure that the the colors from the different lots of yarn didn't quite match up.






If I were to make another of these I would stick with a wool blend or cotton blend. If I were to use this yarn again I would use wood needles. I think I would consider making this as a baby blanket. But a full size bed blanket? Hell no.

Meanwhile my little Christmas stocking obsession continues. I have mastered the jogless join for color stripes - sort of - thanks to Ravelry. I tried Tech Knitting's method of slipping the first stitch of the color change but I wasn't that happy with it. In answer to the question of jogless stripes on Rav the consensus seemed to be that you knit the stitch below the color change stitch along with the color change stitch. That worked better for me. I have mastered the circular join thanks to Tech Knitting. I need to post pics...

lap-ghan

I have wanted to make something from Weekend Knitting for a very long time. This book was one of the first in my knitting library and it was a gift from my mom. When I first got it I could not get over the creativity of the projects and the great photography. It made me want to knit everything. However, I was a new knitter and I could not imagine completing any of the projects save a few.

The lap blanket that is featured in the book is shown in a fabulous shade of green which is what drew me to it along with the fuzzy mohair yarn. I vaguely remember reading the pattern several years ago when I had just learned how to knit and I just didn't get it.

Fast forward a few years and six balls of Jo Sharp rare comfort and one of Rowan Polar later and it was done in no time. I followed the pattern from the book quitting the length when I was down to the last ball of mohair. I also had to buy a very pointy set of wooden size 13 needles in order to knit the mohair. The slippery blunt-ended Addis I tried initially were awful for that yarn.

Great result although I think the Jo Sharp was not as soft as it should have been for a blanket. I made it for my mom who I hope will enjoy it. As soon as she gets it in the mail I will explain to her that I have been trying to make this project for her for five years. I am sure she will get a laugh out of that.