January 6, 2024

I’ve done parts of this pattern twice before, up to the 9th Inning. My plan is to do all 16 innings this time, but I’m using Aran weight yarn (instead of DK as I did before) and it may end up enormous if I do that!

Starting square: 34 sts per side, so BA version

1. Shell Pillars +11 45 sts per side
2. Popcorns +11 56
3. Block Stitch +21 77
4. Star Stitch +9 86
5. Cross Hatch +10 96
6. Back Post Stitch +6 102
7. 3x1 Cable Stitch +16 118
8. Chained Fences +7 126
9. Asian Fans +16 141
10. Grannies +9 150
11. Moss Stitch +9 159
12. Ballpark Fences +7 166
13. Homeruns +9 175
14. Spiked Stitch +6 181
15. V Stitch 8 189
16. Fireworks

YouTube videos Around the Bases playlist

January 7, 2024

What a great pattern! It is simple so does not require much brain power, but there is constant variety so it is interesting. But the best part is choosing colors. I’ve only got 5 in my palette, so it’s fun looking at the last inning and considering the upcoming inning to try to choose the best combinations as I go.

The videos by Esther of It’s All In a Nutshell are also fun. I don’t need them, and it’s better to read the written pattern to get all the tips and notes, but Esther’s voice is so soothing -- it’s like crocheting along with a friend as she reads the pattern to you.

Current size after 3rd Inning:

77 sts = 23.75” = 60 cm

Possible size after round 15:

189 X
--- = --- X = 147 cm = approx 58 in
77 60

January 13, 2024

I just wove in the ends on the 9th Inning, so I’m entering the part of the pattern I haven’t gotten to before. I’m still enjoying this very much!

January 15, 2024

I’ve done four more innings, so now I’m about to start the last three. As I’m getting toward the end of the blanket, it is taking a long time to get around all four sides. The number of single crochet rounds really exacerbates this. 20/20 hindsight, I would have done the last inning’s first two rows of sc (which I did the same color) as dc, and same with the last two rows, and just put 2 dc in the corners instead of 1 sc each round. The Spiked Stitch inning is next and it’s also a lot of sc, but I want to change colors, and the spike stitches drop down to varying rows below, so I can’t use that idea there.

Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day so I have a three-day weekend, but I was a little optimistic that I’d get this blanket done this weekend.

(Begin long ramble about what I’ve been doing instead of crocheting)

Son B and daughter C are off to NY city this weekend (Friday - Tuesday) as part of their Xmas presents, so it’s the longest J and I have been empty nesters in about 27 years. Saturday, J and I went into Concord Center, had an excellent breakfast, then did some shopping, followed by more shopping at the kitchen store in Acton, as well as dropping off my wedding ring to get it remade at the jeweler next door. (It had lost a diamond baguette and the center stone was being held in by slivers of prongs, so he’s going to have to completely remake the gold parts and reset the stones and make a matching baguette.) Then yesterday, Sunday, I had some deep cleaning housework I wanted to do, and today I have work I want to catch up on since there are some big things coming up and it’s been crazy lately. But that’s OK. I really took the week between Xmas and New Year and did little else besides reading, crocheting, and hanging out with the kids since they were all home.

(End long ramble)

So, I’ll target next week to finish this off, which is fine since I am really enjoying the process. Towards the end, I’m always ready to move on to the next thing, but I only started this blanked 9 days ago, after all.

January 20, 2024

Today is the Saturday following MLK Day and I just finished the last row. I managed to get the rest of the last three innings completed in evenings after work.

Making this blanket was a total pleasure and I know I’ll be doing it again some day. I don’t have a recipient in mind for this one, so it might go in the donation pile, but possibly in the “future gifts” pile.