Random photo and a give-away!

I picked up a huge lot of straight needles yesterday while out, and I loved this photo of them all scattered about.

Anyway, this post just happens to be number 100 in my blog! Woo! I mentioned a few posts back that I'd be doing a contest of sorts, but it's more of just a random give-away, since I suck at thinking of unique ideas for contests. To enter, all you have to do is comment on this post before March 22nd at 11:59PM eastern daylight time (so just before midnight on the day before Easter). If you want to get creative with your reply, feel free, but it won't earn you a better chance at winning something. ;)

So... what am I giving away, you ask? Well, that's a mighty fine question. After months of hesitation, I finished the log cabin baby blanket that I had previously posted about here, but I changed my mind about who the recipient was to be, since it (to me) came out looking rather girly. It's very springy, though, and really could work for either a boy or a girl, but you can be the judge of that...



Isn't it lovely? And it can be all yours! It's somewhere around 25" by 26", so not quite square, made with Lion Brand Cotton-Ease (a cotton/acrylic blend), so it's soft and snuggly, and machine washable too! So if you are an expectant mom or a new mom, or know someone who is, and you'd like this for yourself or your friend, just comment on this post and I'll pick a winner on Easter Sunday. Make sure you comment in such a way that I can get in touch with you, whether you leave an email address or link to your blog or your ravelry username.

Snuggly soft

The above, a Pinwheel Baby Blanket made from Berroco Plush Colors, is currently on hold until my two extra 21" Boye Needlemaster cords arrive. It's presently on two of the shorter cords and it barely fits, so I must wait to finish it. Hopefully they will get here soon because this blanket is so soft and squishy and snuggly that I want to work on it every chance I get.

The yarn for it was just some of the 42 skeins/balls my sister bought at a LYS closing sale on Long Island, and it's the first of those yarns that I've started to use for the future nephew. There are 6 balls of this yarn total, and I am currently working on #5. I think the blanket will end up somewhere around 34-36" in diameter based on my rough calculations. I am tempted to try to find one ball of this in the solid pale blue to use for a border to make it a bit bigger and a bit more masculine, but I don't know if any local stores carry it. Might have to look into it though, I think it would give it a nice touch.

Rogue progress...

Currently at the beginning of the third ball of yarn, ball #2 covered all of the main narrow cable repeats (5 in my case since I am making the 48" size), and the increases for the top part of chart A are started.

Also been working on the log cabin, which needs more blue and less pink. I've not officially been told yet by my sister, but my mom was never able to keep secrets, and already I am planning other boy knits for the future nephew. I don't intend to start over in order to omit the pink, but I will be trying to downplay it a bit. Regardless, the blanket is soft and squishy and getting too big for 14" straights and my Boye Needlemaster points of the (supposed) same size as the Susan Bates straights are bigger than the straights by a rather good amount, so I think I will see if JoAnn's has a SB circular in a US6 that is the same size as the straights so I don't screw up the gauge when I switch over.

Building a Log Cabin

Been working on the Log Cabin Baby Blanket almost daily - it's too hot to have a wool/alpaca sweater sitting on my lap, so Rogue progress has slowed for now, and instead, the blanket, in it's Lion Brand Cotton Ease, has become the main project. Knitting is still slow due to the carpal tunnel, though, but at least I don't feel totally useless since I've not even been able to draft a pattern or cut fabric in two months.

I am now stalking ebay for lots of the Cotton Ease in black (Licorice). I had 4 skeins of it a year or so ago when they discontinued it, and I sold it, but now, after actually knitting with it's newer release, I want more. I am thinking of making a Log Cabin Blanket for Chris and my bed in black, dark gray, light gray and white. So very spooky goth it will be.

I also finally finished up Bubby yesterday...



He was only half a bear before, but yesterday he got his legs and a little drop-stitch scarf with yarn leftover from Harley's Voodoo wristwarmers. She adopted him when he didn't even have arms, so his scarf had to match something I'd made for her. I still have a wee little bit of the blue yarn left, I think he needs either a matching hat or booties too.

Rogue progress and wee baby knits

The above was taken yesterday morning just before I finished knitting the hem and body together. So far I am absolutely loving the yarn I am using - Jaeger's Shetland, 80% new wool, 20% alpaca, in black, because I like to live dangerously. ;) I also, in my need to not follow directions exactly, made the hem much shorter than the recommended 12 rows.

I am glad I gave up on the original Rogue Yarn (KnitPick's Main Line), it was way too thin for this sweater, but it will eventually get used, probably as a SKB.

I think I will most likely be working on only this for the remainder of the summer (I don't need to rush it since it's not hooded sweater weather right now), or at least until my sister finds out in about 8 weeks whether she will have a girl or a boy so I can then do some baby knitting.

OMG. I never did mention that anywhere. My sister, who thought she's never have a child of her own, is due sometime right around the Winter Solstice. Yay for baby knitting! I have already found a ton of patterns I'd like to make, but want to wait for gender confirmation so I can decide what color(s) to invest in.