30 Squares

I have completed the last blue section! Throughout the blanket, I've been attaching squares as I finish them but for the dark blue I busy enough that I just couldn't complete a square and attach it the same night. I had one on waste yarn, one on my larger circular needles, and one on the smaller ones by the time I was finished. It was a little awkward, really. But I had time to sit down today and sew them all on.

I've just started my first PURPLE square! I think I have a good shot at finishing this one tonight too. I have 12 squares left, 2 colors, and I'm beginning to taste the end. It's a good thing too, since there are only 21 days left until the contest and I have lots of finishing touches to add once I've finished all the squares.

X marks the spot!

A final border, sewing in ALL THE ENDS, and figuring out if I want to sew up the squares corners or leave them with little holes. It's a lot of work, but I think the finished product is going to be well worth the effort.

Ball Winder and Snow Days

I have finally acquired a ball winder, and immediately decided to practice on the leftover skeins from the blanket. I wound them up last night, and while they're a little loose, they're quite cute.

Then when I woke up this morning there was a winter wonderland outside! So I thought I might combine the two for a pretty picture.

It's a little difficult to show the yarn and snow at the same time without actually putting the yarn in the snow. Or opening the door and letting the cold in. Then Cortez decided to help, and that was the end of the photo shoot.

25 Down, 17 To Go

It's a square again! 5x5. Only three more colors to go! Five squares along the right in dark blue, then two shades of purple. Of course, there's a big black garter stitch border to contend with as well.

I haven't quite decided how big I'm going to make the border, I think I'm going to have to wait and see how big the whole thing is before I can figure that out. Right now, it's about 55" square. A queen size bed is 60x80 and a flat sheet is 90x100. Just the squares should end up being at least 66x77, and I don't want to add so much garter stitch that it will be the same size as a flat sheet but maybe 3-4 inches per side to make it 70x80? I guess we'll have to see how things go.

Cowl Break

I decided to take a little break from my blanket at the halfway point just to revitalize myself a little. I did a test knit for a designer releasing a new cowl pattern.

Pattern out now!

I think the best thing about this cowl is that I can warm up my face if it's really cold or windy.

The blanket is progressing again, though. I have three light blue square attached, and a fourth one on the last row. The final light blue square will be attached by tomorrow evening. Then I'll just have 3 more colors!

Twenty Squares

Real Teal is one of my favorite colors in this blanket, and I finished up the last square of it last night!

Two more colors and it's going to be too big for me to photograph on the living room floor. As it is, I can't cut out the video game related wires. Next I'll be adding 5 light blue squares along the bottom! I'll be more than halfway done! In fact, when I finish tomorrow's square, I'll be done with half of the squares. It's all downhill from here!

Sixteen Squares

Paddy Green is done!

I've now finished 16 squares in 14 days. I feel pretty awesome about this project. I'm just hoping I don't slow down, because I'm going to need all the time I have before March 15 to finish this project up. I'm finally   on the blues, and 38% of the squares are done.

A Dozen

Something strange happens when I cast on a square with a new color. I was feeling a little trepidation about the new colorway, Spring Green, because in the skein it is a little overwhelmingly bright green. When I cast on and work the first couple of rows, something changes. It's happened with every color so far. Once it's out of the skein and knit up into the pattern, I become enamored with it.  The color becomes less overwhelming, more organized, and I like how it looks even if it's attached to a skein of garishly bright green yarn.

I like it, I like it, I like it! Next up is 4 dark green squares along the top! I might even use a whole skein this time! If I don't, I'll have a lot of leftover green to use up somehow.