Will be using the Berroco Vintage in Fennel for the center square and i-cord cast off, and the Liberty Wool in Leaf and Bumblebee for the feather and fan section.

Cast on 3/22/2014. US 8s got me closer to the unblocked gauge, so I’m using them instead of 9s as called for in the pattern. I’m not a fan of acrylic, but it’s blended well in this yarn and doesn’t feel too plastic-y while knitting.

4/20/2014: I realized the needles might have been an error. This is superwash yarn; I intend for it to be thrown in the laundry and do not expect my sister and BIL to block it every time it’s washed. So, in all likelihood, there will be a bit of shrinkage rather than the stretching that comes with a nice blocking.

When I got to the longest row in the garter stitch increase section, I measured it and figured the central square would be about 27 inches a side, which would be too small. So I continued increasing for another 24 rows (12 ridges). This allowed me to pick up another 18 sts on each side when picking up the sts for the border - another repeat of the feather & fan pattern. However, I may not have enough of the green yarn left for an i-cord bind-off.

The self-striping yarn I picked for the border stitches has a long repeat, and one color stretches almost the full round of the border. It’s creating a nice stripey effect without having to change the yarn every few rows.

Finished 5/19/2014! Two months of knitting time resulted in a very nice blanket, if I do say myself. Missed the baby shower by a week, but the baby’s due date is still a month away.

I ran out of the Liberty Wool on the last row (of the Small/Two-color chart) and had to use a few yards of Cascade Superwash to finish, but you really can’t tell. Had enough of the Vintage to bind off with the same green, which is both a nice finish and a nice balance. Really happy with this. I’m going to throw it in the wash and dryer - as I expect my sister and brother-in-law to do and see what happens.

5/23/2014: Washed and dried in the machine on gentle - looks great!

1170 yards out!