Easter Bowling Pins!

So far the most popular guess of the Mystery blanket has been "Easter Bowling Pins" (2 people have suggested this).  So I guess- it's only fair to report that there is another "bowling pin" completed and the final "bowling pin" section is under way.



I will admit I'm starting to feel a little tired of this project.  The dealing with the copious bobbins and looking at all the ends that need to be woven in have gotten me a little less excited about this project than when I started.  I'm feeling un-motivated and lethargic.  There have been nights where I can't even bring myself to deal with bobbins, so I don't knit anything at all!

Entry date for Stampede this year is June 20.  I would like to have this project completely done by the end of May.  Can I do it?  I need to remind myself the reason I chose this project is a) I think it will look amazing when it's done and b) it needed to be something that challenged me.  I think to have a "true competitor" you really need to challenge yourself, and I've done that here.  I just need to RISE to the challenge... which I'm struggling with.

To distract me, I will allow 1 May hat to be finished and if by May 15 I'm still floundering, I will need to stop and take a break to knit 5 baby hats for my Playgroup baby shower for 5 expecting moms.

So busy fingers over here- I might need a cheering section on this one to get me over the finish line.

Mystery Unfolding

As progress continues on the Stampede Mystery blanket, it's becoming less and less of a mystery.  I'm also delighted to finish the first section and move on to a section that will require less bobbins!

I was feeling all warm and fuzzy about the progress on this blanket and giving myself all kind of kudos when I flipped it over.

EI-Yiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyyiyiyiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii there are ends to weave in on this baby.  SO MANY ENDS!!!!  Instead of stopping everything to weave them in, I've decided to keep plowing ahead on the progress and when it's cast off- spend (what will feel like a lifetime) "some time" weaving in the ends before I move on to additional steps.

Oh yes!  The blanket itself is only the beginning!  Are you intrigued?

I'm taking a quick detour to fulfill an obligation on an WCOBB blanket, but am hoping to have that out of the way by Thursday, and back to knitting up this little masterpiece.  If I pull this off, I'm going to be quite proud of myself!

Just a short blog this week- since I wanted to show some progress, but I'm trying to also capitalize on the time I have to knit.  So- I'm going to get back to knitting!  (Keep sleeping kiddo!)

We'll catch up soon!

Flurry of Activity

I must be feeling motivated these days because there's been a lot happening on the knit front over here.

Firstly, I am thrilled to tell you that I blocked the blanket!  In what is probably a FIRST for me, I blocked the blanket the day after my MiL dropped off the board.  (She has a blocking board, I have a swift and winder- we have a mutually beneficial relationship.)  Say hello to Ties that Bind!

Pattern: Ties that Bind by Diane Conroy
Yarn: Classic Elite Yarns Cotton Bamboo in colorway 3604 (light blue)
Needles: US 4
Notes: This was a great pattern.  I'm not sure how it distinguished itself from other patterns that find me bored halfway through, but this one never made me bored.  I was always engaged enough that I find the knitting interesting.  Also?  This is the first time I've done i-cord edge.  I love it.  You're going to see it a lot more- it is 100% worth the pain it is to cast on in this manner.

(Look at all that beautiful i-cord!)

I also really have to give kudo's to the yarn- not only is something that's been in my stash forever, but it was REALLY great to knit with.  It's very very soft and leaves this beautiful sheen on the after project. I would totally think about buying more- when there's room in the stash to do so!

With Ties that Bind off the needles I've begun on the new Stampede mystery project.  (Which, I added an i-cord cast on to as my first modification.)  I knew when I begun this project that it was going to be heavy bobbin and ends to sew in.  But I knew that the final results were going to be worth it.  This blanket has pretty heavy intarsia work in it.

I'm moving on at a fairly decent clip but here's the issue- there are so many balls of yarn and bobbins to keep track of (SO MANY!) that the act of pulling this blanket out and giving it time is a whole "thing" unto itself.  It's not the kind of project I can just sit down and start knitting on, it requires organizing oneself and the 80 zillion yarns that go with it.  (In fact, I've counted, there are 17 bobbins and different balls of yarn going SO FAR... there are more coming.  THAT IS SOME KIND OF RECORD I'm CERTAIN.)

Anyways on nights where I'm feeling a little worn out- or just lazy, the sheer idea of pulling out this blanket is just too daunting to manage, so the plain old Maui socks have been seeing a bit of action too.

(Last picture of these was in Maui... quite the contrast hey?  *sigh*  Calgary spring is DEPRESSING.)

I also managed to resolve the issue of running out of the blue yarn in the stripey blanket that I was talking about last post.  Turns out MiL has a decent quantity of sock leftovers in a color that is very close and so I've raided her stash for it.  Can I just say how NICE it is to be related to a knitter?  It has it's benefits!

I must get back to my projects- I can't wait to show you more of the mystery blanket project.  It's going to be so cute.

No Foolin' Around

I'm not a big "April Fools" kind of person so there will be none of those "shenanigans" here today.  Just straight up progress to report!

Firstly, April's hat is finished-I thought it best to get ahead on it, since I want to devote this month to the new blanket!

Secondly, I spent the week happily knitting a little on the stripey stocking knit stitch blanket and was quite content!

I added 6 color bands to the project and it now sits at 21 inches.  Here's the dilema- I'm almost entirely out of the dark blue color, and am periously close to running out of the light purple.  I have another light purple that I could sub in, without much change, but the only darker blue I have is significantly different.  How badly are the different colors going to bother me?  I like being able to continue to stash down what's in the blanket- but I don't want to make it look awful either.  GAH- there's so much to worry about.  (And no, I will not buy a new skein to make up the issue- the point is to STASH DOWN.  The only exception to the rule will be more yellow- b/c once I run out of yellow- I'll need to keep that cohesive.)  I guess I won't worry about it for now, because this blanket goes back into the waiting spot while I begin anew.

I wound the balls for the Stampede mystery project today.  Such perfectly springy colors to knit with for spring!

Know what it is yet?  Hopefully it will start taking shape soon- I'm going to cast on as soon as this post is up!  I'm really excited!