Might Be A Bit Longer Actually...

Pink Insanity blocked beautifully. BEAUTIFULLY... except something didn't feel right. The ends were wrong. The sides were lovely, the ends were all wrong. And the crochet didn't cut it. I couldn't put my finger on it, so I took it to the ladies at my knit group to see what they say. Sylvia saved the day. She made a suggestion that is absolutely the right one- I just have to do it. (And yay, it's not hard!) The only problem is that I'm really not that motivated to work on it. So- um... you're still waiting to see it in it's final glory. Stay tuned.

I did, however, finish Baby Manda Ruth.

Pattern: Manda Ruth by Jane Richmond (Ravelry Link)
Yarn: Knit Picks Comfy in Marlin (leftovers from blanket disaster)
Needles: US 8
Notes: Cute Pattern, but I really hated the shoulder/arm increases. I know there's no real way to avoid screwing up the stitch pattern by making the increases, but it bothered the OCD in me. Other than that, the pattern is painfully simple and requires very little seaming, which is HUGE benefit.

I also finished the April Dishcloth Mystery:

Pattern: April KAL by KrisKnits
Yarn: Lily Sugar & Cream Solids in "Hot Green"
Needles: US 3
Notes: I still like not having any idea of what the pattern will be when it's done, but this design in particular didn't exactly thrill me.

Also distracting me from making a finished item out of Pink Insanity is that I got my Knit Picks order the other day and immediately was inspired. Say hello to the beginning of Twisted Knots...

You'll notice that I've highlighted all the cables a different color in the chart. I had to do this, or I would have gone cross eyed. There's a lot of cabling action going on and I knew that color coding them was going to save me some real heartache later. I already love this project. It's going to be a stunning. And since it's new and exciting, I'm already completely head first into getting it worked up.

I also got some Rainbow striping sock yarn (Felici). I don't know why, but the colors in this THRILL me. They stripe as a rainbow and the yarn is so soft and I couldn't resist and I bought 4 more skeins on Friday. I don't know why, I just wanted to be sure I didn't run out of it. I have lots of plans for this yarn- so prepare yourselves for a plethora of rainbow socks this year.

So as usual, I'm distracted away from the task at hand and you'll have to wait just a little bit longer to see the final product on Pink Insanity, but trust me, it's going to be worth the wait!

Won't Be Long Now...

"Won't be long now..." said the monkey with his tail caught in the lawnmower.

(Thanks to my dad who always used to say this... I can never hear someone say the first part of the phrase without thinking the last part.)

Progress on the pink insanity blanket is beginning to finally, FINALLY, to really churn slowly towards the finish line. It went from this crumply mess last weekend...

To looking like a blanket voodoo doll with all those blocking pins this Friday...

(Perhaps the art of blocking is in fact so you can get a little revenge on the project that has tortured you for so long? Sticking pins in the project gives a whole new meaning!!)

Do not rejoice for me just yet. There is one element on this blanket that remains. A familiar foe...

So we meet again crochet! SO WE MEET AGAIN!! Pink Insanity needs a super cute picot crochet border and so I must take up with the most hated hook and crochet me a border. *sigh* Who will win the epic battle of Jen vs. the crochet hook? Stay tuned....

Truthfully, since I seem to be putting a lot of crochet borders on my blankets these days, the actual crocheting part isn't all that daunting. It's nothing I haven't done before. It's just more the fact that I want this project DONE already- that has me feeling a little meloncholy.

Keeping me busy while the blanket is drying is the Ellington socks, which are starting to show actual progress!

I'm midway down the foot now and feeling, truthfully, a little bored. It's going to be a lovely project when it's finished. Hopefully a real show stopper. BUT, my brain just wants a mindless project. Honestly? I think it's just all the pink I'm knitting with. I want to knit with another color and just get out of this Pepto Bismal funk!

Thankfully there's another baby blanket that's sitting in the queue that is NOT pink. (Yarn is in transit to me!) Hopefully you'll be seeing my version of this real soon! Say hello to "Twisted Knots"!