Finally finished! The Mitered Square Blanket - I started it way back in July, 2007, thinking that this "long term" project would be a beautiful queen sized blanket. Using Noro Silk Garden as the yarn, I created a worksheet for the pattern that helped me keep track of the knitting. It worked well and as time went by I just got bored knitting square after square. For those of you who may not know me that well, I sometimes am a little distracted when it comes to creative things. I like to dive headfirst into many projects, and always am planning something else while knitting or making whatever the current project might be. Since moving to San Francisco, I have discovered (even though EVERYONE told me) space is a premium. My projects in progress used to sit in the studio in clear plastic bins - and hibernating projects had room to rest. Here, it's a different story. The works in progress are constantly calling to me, asking (pleading) for attention. I decided to tackle them and get things done. That's how this was completed... I only needed to finish assembling ths squares and then put on a border! At first I thought I was going to crochet a border on the blanket. I had completed one round on the piece and looked critically at it, then decided that a knitted mitered blanket deserved a knitted mitered border. I ripped out the crocheted attempt and began to pick up stitches around the entire piece, placing markers at each corner. using a random point on one of the sides as the beginning of my round, I reversed the "miter" on each of the corners, and did increases to create the border. It seemed to work pretty well, and overall I'm pleased. I recommend tackling a project such as a blanket or throw - using random colorways of one yarn is a good way to "buy as you go" which is a good option for those on a budget. I decided on using this yarn because I kept finding Noro Silk Garden for sale at yarn shops, and when Bishops Yarns closed in Chatsworth, CA, I was able to buy a LOT of this kind of yarn for a steep discount. After that initial purchase, I started finding sales on this yarn and bought it when I saw it; helping out the LYS by purchasing their odd balls of yarn, and enhancing the collection of yarn to use in the project.
I suggest that after making the squares, you select a neutral yarn to sew the squares together (I used mattress stitch) and for the border (I used a neutral then did a few rounds of the yarn I used for squares to create a small stripe in the border.) The sock for my self-imposed sock club is moving forward, slower than I want, but at least it's progressing. I am working on a few designs currently and that mindwork is taking some of my free knitting time. What a luxury; to get to knit as fun, and when it's time to work, to get to knit some more! Speaking of which, time to get back to my pattern design knitting... (which I will talk about just as soon as I'm allowed!) Happy Knitting, Kyle |
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