I rarely mention knitting, but I do still knit.
I realized a few weeks ago that one of my granddaughters has been seriously neglected, knitting-wise. I made Willa a sweater when she was born, but that's about all I've done for her. When her big sister was a toddler I made her a granny square afghan, and it was a big hit.
I thought about making Willa something similar, maybe with slightly different colors, but changed my mind. She already has her big sister's hand-me-down pjs and toys and such. Her afghan needs to be completely different and all her own. So I thought about my options, and flipped through afghan patterns on Ravelry, but inspiration didn't come immediately. It happened when I was moving books to rearrange a bookcase. I suddenly remembered that Mason-Dixon Knitting had several great ideas for home decor items, including log cabin afghans, and sat down with the book.
"Eureka!" I shouted, and startled Sophie. Willa's blankie would be a bright and girly log cabin style! Lots of pinks and purples, some bright green and blue, yes, I could see it! I looked at the Cascade 220 colors I already had on hand and bought more to coordinate, and the log cabin blankie was off and running. I kept it simple with the basic center patch design, and I'm really happy with the progress so far.
I like it so much, I want one for myself. My bedroom is the most neutral space imaginable, from the oak-looking flooring to the light wood furniture, white walls, white blinds on the windows. It is screaming for some major shots of color, and it's going to get it. It just so happens that WEBS is having their anniversary sale right now, and they had another Cascade yarn, Pacific, which is perfect for me. It's a superwash wool and acrylic blend, very soft, and with a lovely sheen, and of course machine washable. Because it's a blanket. I just shake my head at some of the gorgeous but wildly impractical afghans on Ravelry - beautiful, yes, but I am not about to make any afghan that has to be hand washed and dried flat. I make things to be used and loved, not coddled, and I'm too damn lazy for that hand wash crap for something that large, that would then take DAYS to dry flat. Superwash wool works for the mountain grown grandchildren who will appreciate the woolly warmth, but here in Florida and especially with pets in beds, I want easy care and a bit of shine.
I went with navy, a bright azalea pink, turquoise, and green for my afghan.
I haven't decided whether mine will be the same log cabin style I'm making Willa or the "moderne" version with big blocks of color. I'm thinking the latter, it's more appropriate for, ahem, a woman of my age. I can't wait to get started, but I'm determined to finish Willa's first. Must. Not. Cast. On. Anything. Else. I'm tentatively planning a trip to Asheville in late summer, and I'd like to deliver this in person.
And I'm so log cabin crazy, I can't stop planning new color schemes. This may be the Year of the Log Cabin Afghan. Timing is everything, and Willa will be able to use a warm blanket months before her Florida family will need one. And I'm thinking Adelaide really needs a new afghan too. And I did make Delaney a blanket over two years ago, so she's outgrown that.
And my daughter got a quick look at what I was making for Willa and loved it. Yes, this is shaping up to be the year of the log cabin afghan. They will not all be superwash wool. There ain't nothing wrong with Plymouth Encore for afghans in my book, especially for small girls who live with labradors who will nap on it while the girl is at school.
Some people might find all that garter stitch boring, but as I've said many times, mindless knitting is my kind of knitting. I can do the complicated, I just don't feel the urge. I don't need challenges in my knitting. Challenges find me on a regular basis in the rest of my life; I don't go looking for them. I knit to relax my brain, not give it more work. Garter stitch is why God made Netflix. And speaking of binge TV and knitting, I'm re-watching Sherlock Season 3, and am surprised by how much I missed the first time I watched. Damn, I love smart TV. Season 4 is scheduled for January 2017. That feels so far away.
5 comments:
I have an unfinished Blanket Moderne lingering around here somewhere ---I decided on Lion Brand Cool Cotton (a heavy worsted weight cotton/acrylic blend) in ivory, pea green, gold, and denim blue (in my opinion, it is much prettier than it sounds). I, too, was cruising along on the mindless acres of garter stitch it takes to make a blanket my size, when the project became rather heavy and much more than a lapful. I have "Band of Brothers" and three seasons of "Deadwood" on loan from the library---I should dig it back out and have a garter stitch/TV binge.
Yes, you hit that point where you have a huge blanket on your lap (not an issue with Willa's size, but will be with my own) and it does get awkward! I considered doing individual log cabin squares - I still might for one of the many that are brewing in my head. I think that color combination sounds great! I actually thought of something similar for my room, but decided that as it's already so neutral, I needed a color bomb on the foot of the bed.
Cascade Pacific is one of my favorites for gift knittin. It's beautiful and easy card.
Thanks for the rec Ellen - I liked the colors and the easy care, but I've never used it! It is very soft and has a lovely sheen that will make it look "fancy." ;-)
Beautiful colors. I like Pacific too for easy care. I made a log cabin baby blanket with some self striping plymouth Encore. Fun to knit, but i like the solids better. The self striping stripes got really thin as the blanket got bigger, so the proportions looked strange. Willa's blanket looks terrific. Kimmen
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