Pattern: Hemlock Ring Blanket adapted by Jared Flood
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool
Size: As written
Yardage: 2.5 skeins
Needles: 4.00 mm

I'm very glad to finally be done this project. I really enjoyed working on it - it's a perfect balance of mindless and pattern knitting - but with my currently limited knitting time it just took too long. I wanted to move on to other things and my basket is only so big.

My favourite part of the knitting was probably the flower petals. Most of the lace patterns I've done have involved charts so I could see what I was going to be knitting but this pattern is all text. I didn't even know I was making petals until I was past them and stretched out the fabric. So cool. I love the big gaps at the petal bases too; they looked like they were going to be really annoying to do - like casting off and casting on again or something like that - but they are just yarn overs with lots of stitches in them. So easy.


The cast off is really nice too. It uses the same yarn over technique as the petal bases but is fiddlier because there is a lot of turning involved; I spent most of the time I was working on it trying to decide if I could alter it to involve less turning. I had plenty of time to contemplate it too because it took me most of four hours to do the cast off! It's the first time I've taken more than one sitting to cast something off. It also took a lot of yarn; I joined in the last ball half way through the last plain round of knitting just before the cast off and still used almost half of it. All those little loops made blocking the blanket really easy though.

After blocking and relaxing my blanket is just under a metre (about 38") across at the widest point. It's a lot smaller than I'd expected it to turn out but then again I never once checked gauge. It might work for a small shawl but will probably end up either in the hope chest or being frogged and reknit. I'd like to knit this pattern again at a larger gauge -- maybe 5.00 mm or 5.50 mm - to get something more like a lap blanket but I'm not sure if I want to do it again right away; I'll probably wait for a while, and maybe get a another colour or a slightly heavier yarn.


Abby gave the blanket instant approval (and a taste test).

I am, I hope, on the very last pattern repeat for my Hemlock Ring blanket. This project seems to have been taking forever but that's just because my knitting time is a little curtailed at the moment - Abby and yarn do not mix well. It hasn't been very well documented on here because, well, it basically looks the same as it did in does in the first picture but bigger and slightly lumpier.

I'm really looking forward to finishing this blanket. It will be good to actually finish a big project for the first time is ages. It's also going to be fun to block out and see the lace for the first time (I always love that). Since it is a knitted blanket it will probably reside in the bedroom until we can trust Abby enough to have it on the couch (the bedroom is off limits as Zeke's sanctuary). I have a feeling it will be a nice shawl on chilly mornings too; perfect with a cup of coffee.

I think I might spend every birthday in my sewing room after this. It was so relaxing to be sitting working on something just for me. I finished off three little projects for a new spring outfit and wore them out on Friday when we went out for lunch and shopping. Photo credits go to Rob.

I spent my morning finishing my Scrap Wrap and Muff from Denyse Schmidt Quilts. I enjoyed these projects every time I worked on them and the end products are just as wonderful as the process. All the frabics I used (except the pink flannel which I had to order) came from my stash. I'd only recently discovered that I had quite a few wools and this project was a fun way to use them. My accent fabrics are leftovers from this dress and this top. I love those pink roses.


The scarf is warm and the muff makes me feel so elegant. They are nice for this in-between weather we're having right now (cold in the morning and warm in the afternoon). I'm looking forward to wearing them this week.

I took some time off in the afternoon and played with Abby. We went for a really nice walk in the slushy afternoon and I was shedding hat and mittens as we went along. I checked the mail on the way back to the house and discovered some unexpected birthday goodies (but I'll save those for another post). Abby went back into her crate to sleep for the last couple of hours of the afternoon and I got out my knitting.


Pattern: Icing Swirl Hat from Whimsical Little Knits by Ysolda Teague
Yarn: Cascade Baby Alpaca Chunky in Petal Bloom (#555)
Size: 22"
Yardage: 1 skein
Needles: 5.0 mm dpns and 16" circular

If I could eat this yarn I would. I have heard some yarns and fibres described as "like butter" but this was like soft whipped cream - fluffy, smooth and ready to fall gently down the side of a slice of pumpkin pie. This yarn is so soft it's hard to believe it is really the hair off an animal. It was the perfect yarn for my slouchy (icing themed) hat.

The smaller size would have fit me but I made the large one to accommodate my hair more easily. I'm tired of wearing a braid in order to also wear a hat (though that's how my hair is for my picture); by making the larger size I've got enough hat to go around a French braid or even a bun and still cover my ears and look cute. It feels great to wear. The alpaca makes it warm but it's got plenty of space so it doesn't feel really close or hot even when I'm wearing it inside (because that's what I did as soon as I was finished weaving in the ends).

I like my new things so much I'm almost looking forward to work tomorrow just so I can wear them.