Found out a co-worker I don’t get to see often (she’s out in the field) is pregnant! I actually get to GO to the baby shower, and we just found out she’s having a girl. The baby shower’s in a month, so I have to get knitting!! :D I think this will be girlie without being overly so, and the colors go great together! I love this yarn+pattern combo, and the blanket is one of my go-to patterns.

5/16: Finished through block #4. Started block #5. Current yarn amounts are just what I’ve used so far.

5/18: Finished block 5. Started block 6.

5/20: finished block 6, started block 7.

5/25: Block 7 finished, started block 8.

6/3: Still on square 8. I went out of town but didn’t want to get “airplane cooties” on it, so I didn’t bring it with me to work on it. Now I’m paying the price. Hoping to finish #8 tomorrow and try to get a good chunk of #9 started. #9 is the biggest square.

6/4/10: Finally finished section 8! I started section 9 as well. I am going to knit 18 garter ridges before deciding if I will knit further. If I’m over it by 18 garter ridges, I’ll bind off section 9 and just shorten section 10 by 36 sts. in the long (color c?) part. I’m planning to pick up all the way around and include mitered increases at the corners, so I don’t have to sew up all the corners. I hated that part the last time. I probably won’t knit the border in the round, cuz then I’ll have to purl back. yuck. So I guess I’ll have 1 corner to sew up. I’m going to do a similar color sequence as my friend Josie did on her friend’s blanket: (updated 6/11/10)4 rows Color A, 2 rows Color B & C, 4 2 rows + bind off Color D.

6/6/10: Block 9 is done! only did 18 ridges. Started block 10.

6/8/10: Block 10 done! Picked up for half of the border. Even my big long needle is too small, so I’ll have to pick up the other half when it’s done. 2 corners to seam is way better than 4… 166 long edge/1 corner stitch/146 short edge. I increased (kfb) in the stitch before and after the corner stitch on the wrong side (knit right side row plain) to create the non-seamed corner.

6/10/10: COMPLETE!! Just in time for the baby shower tomorrow. LOL

6/11/10: I had a bit of a panic attack after I washed it and it pilled like crazy all over the place. I think it was more because I left the ends exposed, and they kind of got shredded all over the place in the wash. Thanks to an attempt by a sweater shaver (USELESS!), tape, manual picking, a sweater stone, a lint roller and more manual picking, I got it free enough of lint that people weren’t asking what it was when I showed it off. LOL It was very well received at the baby shower. It was the first gift that was opened, and everyone aside from everyone who saw it in progress was all “You MADE that?!?!” Non-knitters are funny. :)

Total yardage: 1119.4 yds