Taking this from a design on a napkin into a full version, if I can, during the Ravellenic Games 2012.

Instructions are written out on a post-it note, diagrams on two napkins. If this works out, it’ll be interesting, if nothing else!

20120728

I forget how many stitches there are in things like this. The bulky weight is making it go quickly, but still, long rows!

Cast on 400 stitches, decreasing at originally 265/266. Slipping the first stitch of every row purl-wise for a beautiful edge.

Holding two strands double for this, quite thick. Possibly too thick, but it’ll be a super warm blanket, at any rate. I could probably have used one strand and it been fine, but I wanted a thick thick blanket.

later

KP cable couldn’t handle the strain, had to glue it. D’oh.

Back in action, though!

later

I am improvising where to change to stripes and fill and such, trying to work out what’s most appealing, but it’s going to be as the whim hit me, I think. The spreadsheet is brutal. I don’t see how to make the numbers make sense at this point, but maybe it will become clear after a time.

20120801

Well, the fact is this isn’t going to happen with the available yarn. Also, if I continue, it will be a gigantic queen size blanket, lol. Hello gauge!

Okay, rethinking and doing the numbers first, then resuming. Though it is a very pleasant knit, I must say.

I may stop after the second section and call it good for this version, but do a second version with thinner yarn and fewer stitches and see what that produces.

Also, more faster knitting, please. Ye gods and little fishes this is thousands of stitches in and I have about 3” to show for it.

later

Nope, there is no way this is going to work with this yarn. I’ll have to start again. D’oh!

later

Yeah, so…that would be 3m by 2m when completed and blocked.

a) that’s freaking huge
b) that’s all garter stitch
c) that’s FREAKING HUGE
d) I don’t have enough yarn to pull that off this time
e) HUGE

20120802

Casting on again, this time with 200 stitches (divisible by 4), single strand of the yarn (so sport weight instead of super bulky), same needles. That should be baby/lap blanket sized instead of queen bed sized… !!!

20120804

36 rows in, getting some traction. Ignoring that there are hundreds of rows. Boy, this is going to be a great blanket but I bet no one will want to see the pattern for real, lol…

20120824

Steve wants this. I think he’s crazy.

In other news, I’m getting to the point where I understand the shape and plan for the blanket.

20120901

Started another white wheel today. One brown, this is the third white wheel. Probably will use it up, and the rest of the brown, and maybe half another brown one, at this point. Which would put it at 4.5 wheels of unspun for a lapsized blanket.

20120904

Measured the blanket to work out the dimensions. You’d think I’d have worked that out first, but…

Anyway, 90cm wide, which makes the ideal length 145cm. That will require some reworking of the pattern once I get the initial sample made.

20120906

Bother, I have 152 stitches instead of 150. Argh. I’ll have to fix up the edge on the first too narrow mitre when I do the edging. This really is a frankenstein’s monster type blanket!

20120907

Last few bits:

7 b, 5 w, start mitre section.

3 b, 15 w, 1 b, 15 w, 5 b, 7 w, 1 b, 5 w = 52 stitches and 52 ridges

I think I’m going to have to rethink the number when this is done. Not quite as simple as “cast on a pile and knit forever”, surprisingly!

20120910

You’d think, really, after all this time, I’d know that I needed to be more careful with the mitres. sigh

Also, the last little bit the rows get longer and longer and longer and I wish there were a way without grafting to make that not so, but there isn’t.

20120927

Tonight at mob I got poked at for my swatch. Apparently a lap blanket is not a swatch. I beg to differ! And yes I’m going to wash it and measure it, lol, but next swatch will be a coaster. A really tiny coaster.

Apparently I’m also a little off on the nature of what is portable. But it fits in a bag. A bigger bag because it didn’t fit in the last one, and Erin W suggested the next step was a bag on wheels, which I have. And considered. After that, of course, I have the car… :P

Adam suggested I knit another one and seam them together. I was aghast. The whole point is that this is seamless! Seams! Pffft! So easy. Where’s the challenge in that?

20121008

Finished the knitting part! Attached I-cord binding ahoy!

20121009

Started the attached I-cord binding, on the live stitches no problem. Garter-stitch, to match the blanket fabric. Really nice, will photograph when it’s a little further along. And not that difficult, but the Unspun Icelandic is making it an interesting process in patience.

20121123

Took a break to knit Steve’s scarf, but back to it a bit more now. Meredith (yarnpr0n) very kindly loaned me some DPNs in the 5mm size (thanks, Mer!) instead of my giant circular, so that’s going much much faster now.

Applied I-cord binding is very stretchy, especially in garter stitch. In garter stitch it makes a little spiral, quite nubbly. With the unspun icelandic, it’s a nice effect and suits the blanket very well. I can see that it wouldn’t be well suited to a smoother yarn or a non-garter stitch fabric.

But for this purpose, it’s just lovely!

20121126

The bind off is so lovely. I’m really enjoying it. Half done! I don’t really want to finish this, glad it’s only a swatch, and I have a giant blanket left to go… Ha!

20121129

Worked on this again tonight at mob. Really really really enjoying this, I’m going to be thrilled to work on the main blanket, as this is just wonderful!

Also, I’m a little disturbed at how happy I am with this. It’s knitting, but I’m actually gleeful when I touch it. It is tactile and I love love love it.

20121223

All the ends are woven in, and it’s ready to go to a new home. It’s a little longer and narrower than I’d like, so I’ll have to really adjust for the next swatch.

I’ve decided to give it to my sister whose husband likes scratchy wool and whose decor is all neutrals, so it will be well suited to their home!

Plus she knows how to handle wool, so I’m not worried about it getting ravaged. But if it does, oh well!