Oh, baby!

Next door they're expecting another grandbaby any time now.

Clearly that calls for another baby blanket.





This is the Star Doily Blanket (that is a Ravelry link -- there used to be a non-Ravelry link but it's been changed). It's an adaptation made by Alexis Layton of a vintage doily pattern.

I knit it with Cascade Sierra, a worsted weight wool/cotton yarn on US 9 needles. It's knit from the center out, so that it's ideal for a knit-'til-I-run-out-of-yarn type of project. I knit until the point that I thought it was 'big enough', yet enough yarn was left for a baby sweater for a baby to be named later. I used about 2.5 skeins. I added a picot cast-off, and it's about 36" across.

Knitting the center star was fun, and the stockinette portion was of course pretty darn mindless knitting. Sometimes that's just great, although lately I don't seem to enjoy it so much. Give me lace or cables any day! Stranded knitting now -- I still don't seem to have mastered that. Good thing there are always knitting challenges yet to come, huh?

This is for the younger sibling of the baby (now age 2 and a half) for whom I made the Log Cabin Baby Blanket. Since they had a larger blanket for the older sibling, I thought the new baby could use a smaller and lighter blanket. I gave it to the mom when she was going through some rough patches in the pregnancy, hoping to cheer her up a bit, and apparently big brother really likes the blanket, especially the center star.

#2 Tries Harder!

Our local County Fair ended Sunday, and I won a red ribbon! I won second prize in the "knitted shawl" category.


Half done, with some help showing what it might look like blocked.


Blocking.


Half blocked. What a difference.


Moi, modeling my stole

I love this! It's the Twinings stole by Anne Hanson. The yarn is Karabella Lace Merino, a lovely, slightly heavier laceweight yarn. Is that an oxymoron? I used about 3.5 skeins. It blocked beautifully.

I knit it on US 7 Addi Lace needles. Love them.

The pattern is very clear. I made fewer repeats than called for since this is slightly heavier yarn on a needle one size larger than called for. It's plenty long.

There were a lot of knitting entries at our Fair this year, partly owing to Judy flogging us harshly gently encouraging us all to enter our items.

I think a lace binge is coming up. I can feel it. Just having trouble picking out the next item.

Meantime, I'm knitting the Apres Surf Hoodie for DD. No pics yet, though. I'm too busy basking in the glow of my red ribbon.

Incremental backwards . . . progress?

Can I get away with calling this progress of a sort?

I mentioned before about my sun-damaged Falling Water scarf.



Adios, scarf!



Now I'm a tiny step closer to being able to re-dye it.