garter stitch blanket: ta da!

July 21, 2015 by 22 Comments

Started in May of 2014, this blanket really seems to have been a long time in the making.  I am so, so pleased with how it turned out!

garter stitch blanket

 

Using KnitPicks’ Comfy Worsted yarn (75% Pima Cotton, 25% Acrylic), this stretchy, cozy, soft blanket measures about 42″ wide by 66″ high, perfect for a lap blanket or curling up in a chair (in particular the leather chair pictured).  I used 3 skeins of each of the 5 color blocks and 1 skein for the darker gray border:

garter stitch blanket border

 

It’s crocheted!  I thought after posting about the books that included both knitting and crocheting I would mix it up a bit and try something new, and I really like it.  I only wish I’d had enough yarn to go around a 3rd, 4th, or even 5th time, but I’d have to order more yarn and I’m so excited to be done after over a year that I can’t wait anymore!

The border is not nearly as stretchy as the body of the blanket, though, and I hope it doesn’t become a problem in the future.  It wouldn’t look very nice if the knitted portion expanded a great deal over time or in the wash and the crocheted border stubbornly remained the same size.  We shall see.

Now I’m all ready to go and start a knitted sweater, but I have a feeling my enthusiasm would not last the full time required by the project.  Crochet really is so much faster!

Well that’s all for today, thanks for stopping by!

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colorblock blanket progress

June 16, 2015 by 10 Comments

In May 2014 I started making a knitted colorblock blanket, and it’s sat untouched for a few months.  I’ve picked it back up, and I’m about 2/3 through with the body of the blanket.  The simple garter stitch is relatively quick (for knitting, that is) and will provide a nice stretchy blanket when complete.

image

This, like my Coming Up Roses hat that I’m also working on now, is made of KnitPicks’ Comfy Worsted, a really soft cotton.

That’s really all I’ve got today.  I know a garter stitch blanket isn’t the most exciting project in the world but it’s enjoyable to have a repetitive pattern sometimes that’s easy enough for me to simultaneously watch TV with subtitles (Chris and I have been watching some anime lately).

Thanks for stopping by, see you soon!

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how to knit a neater edge in garter stitch

March 7, 2015 by 1 Comment

how to knit a neater edge in garter stitch

There is now a permanent page here in the menu bar with these instructions (click here for that).

This method works in plain garter stitch as well as lace patterns that do not have purl rows.  The example shown is the Gentille cowl.  This does not work in stockinette stitch.  Look at how the edge looks finished:

how to knit a neater edge in garter stitch

HOW TO DO IT

The trick is simple: slip the first stitch of every row purl-wise with your yarn in front.  Then move your yarn to the back and continue knitting!

Now you know!  Use this tip from anything like scarves to blankets!

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knitting and flowers

November 6, 2011 by Leave a Comment

I finished my first knitted scarf last week!  I’m so excited about it.  I got some new yarn actually and I started knitting another one:

I’m super excited about it, and I love the colors!  I’m starting to like knitting more and more because it takes so much more time than crocheting, and while at first that was a disadvantage, I’m liking it now because it’s saving me money on yarn!  I was buying so much more yarn crocheting because I’d whiz through projects in an hour and a half and would have nothing left to work on!  Not that I will ever like crochet any less than I do now — I’m just liking knitting more and more.

As an aside, my boyfriend was really great to me this week: he brought me flowers and chocolate at work for no reason at all!  He’s such a sweetie!

 

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