Top Secret White Thing - Revealed

Welcome Baby J!

Besides work, one of the things that has kept me so busy for the past few months is this until-recently secret gift for my friend C's new bundle of joy. My mom and I embarked on our second tag team baby blanket effort with a mountain of Rowan Wool Cotton* and miles of stockinette ahead of us. This is the Lace-Edged Cuddle Blanket from my beloved Simple Knits for Cherished Babies.

Mom and I split the work, each knitting 8 ten-inch squares. Although I knew the assembly would be beastly, knitting the squares individually made for a very portable baby blanket project - each square was the perfect size for subway knitting and I could finish one in a week's commuting time.

Next came the steam-blocking and sewing together, which took the better part of a weekend. They are arranged in a checkerboard of knit and purl sides and the seams are top-stitched so the blanket is totally reversible.

The job was not done though - there were still close to 150 inches of lace edging to be knit and sewn to the assembled blanket! The lace knitting was quick work but the seaming was tedious. I used these handy seaming pins for the first time, which were very useful.

I just love the finished product. It is so soft and quite elegant, if I do say so myself. I hope it is well used by Baby J! Her mom has already told me she has visions of draping it over J's bed at college. For the meantime, though, I think they're focusing on 3 hours of consecutive sleep.

---
* You might notice the choice of color is in direct response to a certain other psychedelic-colored blanket Mom and I knit last year.

Warm hands and feet

Things have been in high production mode here at Chez One Potato. This weekend I finished the Boy's socks and the Anemoi Mittens.

First, the mittens. I think I've established that I'm quite pleased with these. I blocked the second one yesterday and my goodness Koigu grows when wet - I got very concerned because the sodden blocking mitten was about 1/2" longer than it's previously blocked mate. I got so nervous, in fact, that I reblocked the first mitten, only to discover it too grew (and then shrank). Thankfully, they match. Not much else to say, except that I took them for a test run outside and they are soft and cozy. These will be going off to a friend in the mail and I'll be sad to see them leave.

Project: Eunny Jang's Anemoi Mittens
Materials: Koigu KPM purchased at Purl. Knit on size size 2 (2.75mm) Crystal Palace Bamboo DPNs. This produced a blocked gauge of about 10st/1".
Modifications: I'm not sure if this is really a mod, but I used a tubular cast on found at this tutorial rather than a regular tubular cast on. I also didn't use smaller needles for the cuff because I thought it was going to be too narrow, and I think this was the right decision for my hands.

Next, the socks. When I got to the end of sock two I discovered my stitch count was off. I made the executive decision that no one cares, since socks live in shoes, and I carried on. It was just a little error (I think I forgot to move some stitches around before starting the toe) so it didn't make a difference, or at least not one I could see. As soon as they were finished the Boy put them on and did not take them off for two days. So, I think they are a success.


Pattern: Gentleman's Fancy Socks from Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks
Yarn: Lorna's Laces in Mineshaft. The pattern led me to believe I would need 3 skeins but I used less than two.
Modifications: Substituted a short row heel. I know it's sacrilige to change a Nancy Bush sock pattern but I thought the heel flap would be uncomfortable and the Boy was already skeptical about the knitted socks.

Now that these are done I am swatching for a variety of new projects but I'll discuss later this week. However, I will show you this pile of goodness that arrived this weekend. That's the last you'll be seeing of it for a while, though, because it's for a top secret project. Stay tuned!