Brand-New Blankie!

As you will recall from my last post, I learned a new stitch, known as the Trinity or Bramble stitch. The whole idea is that you make three stitches from one & then make 1 stitch from 3, thus creating a lovely bobbled effect. Purling across the  alternating rows gives a flat side. I used 6 balls of Bernat "Peachy" Baby Blanket yarn, on size 11 circular bamboo needles. This is my 1st attempt at writing my own pattern. I originally cast on 84 stitches, with the intent of doing k1 p1 in the 1st & last stitches & the Trinity stitch in between. I worked for several rows, and before I knew it, I was ending up with way too many stitches. So I pulled it all back & started again. & guess what? This happened again! And again...ugh.

This is when I learned the value of stitch counters. You can purchase them at any craft store, or you can make your own, simply by cutting some yarn into small lengths & tying them into little loops & placing them between your stitches. In this case, I placed my 1st stitch counter betwees st1 & st2 (so I would always remember to do my selvedge stitch), & then I placed the other stitch counters 20 sts apart (bc 20 is a multiple of 4), leaving my last stitch on the outstide of the last counter (SELVEDGE, BITCH, SELVEDGE is what I kept tellin myself). I got tired of all of this counting, so I only used 62 stitches instead of 84

By the end of Day 1, I had only done about 4 rows, I was tired, I was bitter, & the damn thing only measured about 2" x 21"

This is the bumpy side

This is the flat side

A cross section of the bumpy side.

I went to sleep slightly frustrated but then I remembered that I didn't always know how to knit, and that these sorts of mis-steps are just part of the process. It is important to trust the process.

On Day Two, I found myself so unable to tear myself away from watching RuPaul's Drag Race Elimination Lunch with Michelle Visage that I was stuck in front of my computer with the knitting in my lap. Thanks to lag time, I discovered that I can actually knit while using a computer. I had the most fascinating FB Chat with a guy I briefly met at the Doctor Who convention. Topics ranged from RuPaul to Colin Baker to How Dr Who Made me Gay and back again. I am not yet at the place where I can really take my eyes off the knitting yet, but soon, I hope. I took a break when I got to the end of the 1st ball of yarn, by now the blankie is about 8" long

Aren't my stitch counters cute!?!

Srsly every1 who saw this when I was working on it questioned me bout the stitch counters

Day 3: Worked for several hours, while watching Dr Who: Terror of The Autons Special Edition. Got so engrossed in the show that I somehow picked up 4 stitches! Thank Gawd for stitch counters! I got it fixed pretty quickly, and by the time I went to bed, it measured about 17" long!

Slight variations in dye lots give it a sort of striped pattern

Day 4: Tragedy strikes when I realize that somehow I have reversed the pattern. The bumps are on the wrong side!! This probably happened while I was crying my face off watching a Torchwood Marathon on BBC America. I don't have the oomph to pull this thing back, so I calmly think it over & add another purl row, and things are back to normal. No layperson could ever detect the difference. & Honestly, if some1 got smart with me about it I'd tell them to make their own damn blankie & not question me. I still keep truckin & by the end of the day, she measures about 23" long!

Too big for the table...

...had to be laid onna bed

...& ooh wee, it's the weekend & I head over to Hahnville for some good, old-fashioned stitch & bitch time with my BFF & her wife! My friend & I mostly just talked about Crazy Hoes I used to know and over the course of a 3-day weekend, BANG. The blankie's finished (well, I'm outta yarn) & measures 44" x 21"

Pics really don't do this thing justice

This took me about a week to make, and I learned a lot in the process: the value of patience, the need for stitch counters, and the beauty that can come from something quite simple. Much more than any of that, I feel like I have turned a proverbial corner in my skill level & am looking forward to raising it even higher. 

Thanks for reading!

Praise be!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/128113445/baby-blanketthrow-in-pinks-yellow

More Mardi Glam!!

Today I put the finishing touches on this lil sweetie! I knitted her on size 10 (US) needles, using the black Lion Brand homespun & Bernat Baby Blankie Yarn that I used for her sister scarf in a previous blog.

Now available on etsy:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/122888952/black-beanie-with-mardi-gras-inspired

Super Ball Weekend Recap

Yes, that baby blanket is still up on those round needles. I'm thinking I may rip it all back & restart as a single strand.

Anyway, as you may have seen on Facebook, the blessings have been plentiful! An old friend from my home town saw my Amazon Wishlist post for a hanging torso mannequin & guess what? She got it for me plus an extra surprise that should be here soon! The torso mannequin (AKA my new boyfriend, Gary) is a great display item:

Saturday, I got a ride to Lowe's to purchase some lighting for my space at the Market & afterwards my Homegirl Stacey came by for Crafty Saturday night accompanied by "Jacques Brel is Alive & Well & Living in Paris" onna DVD player. She was sewing a dress for Gallifrey & I got started on a black scarf with Mardi Gras colored ends:

I cast on 11 stitches with a combination of Grey Lion Brand Homespun Yarn along with Bernat Baby Blanket Summer Day Yarn & knitted that in straight garter stitch for 15 rows & then I did the body of the scarf in Black Lion Brand Homespun Yarn, slipping the first stitch, to create a braided edge. You will notice that I lose almost 2 inches in width when I dropped the Bernat yarn out of the piece:

Super Ball Sunday was a night at the Frenchmen St. Art Market for me & unfortunately it was not the extravaganza I had hoped for. In fact, I didn't even make my booth fee back, & my Bitter Knitter identity briefly took over. However, I was blessed with a ride from one of my fellow Marketeers with a minivan so I didn't have to be trying to deal with Taxicab Madness at 1:30am!

I am thinking I will be making a ton of stuff in the coming days with this Mardi Gras colored yarn to prep for the big day, watch this space for more deets!

I have to rush off to my Job now, but I'll be posting this scarf (& many others) on Etsy later this evening.....


Thanks for reading!!