FO - Hemlock Ring Blanket (and a Knitting Pictorial!)






Hemlock Ring Blanket - Pattern adapted by Jared Flood

 I just finished blocking my first-ever, Hemlock Ring Blanket. I have to tell you, once I started knitting it, I couldn't put it down. Really, it was much, much easier than anything I ever imagined! Nothing more complicated than yarnovers, SSKs, K2togs and PSSOs.
 



Fan and Leaf Pattern Detail

 I used about 1 1/2 skeins of Cascade Yarns Ecological Wool in Antique.  This yarn comes in big, generous 478 yard skeins and is reasonably priced at about $20 skein.  I should have bought 3 skeins so I could make two!  I used size 10 needles because that is all I had (size 10 1/2 is recommended).  As you all know by now, I knit loosely and, even with the smaller needles, my finished blanket blocked to about 60 inches through Row 55 of the chart.

The pattern is great and easy to follow.  I'd recommend stitch markers to keep track of the repeats.  (There are only eight).  I can't wait to start another.  And another!




Crochet Bind-off

 I was so excited to finish the Hemlock Ring Blanket that I chose to do the crochet bind-off instead of the knited one.  It's much easier, I think, once you get the hang of it and, I think, a lot of the completed projects that I have seen on Ravelry used the crochet bind-off.  I had never used this technique before and, while I was able to find knitting videos online for a plain crochet bind-off, I couldn't find a video showing how to crochet through 3 stitches, then chain 7.  I fiddled with it a bit and this is what I came up with:

• Chain 7 out of the last stitch ( I knitted through Row 55 and had 472 stitches, starting here leaves 471 stitches which is divisible by 3 and prevents any leftover stitches at the end).




Chain 7 stitches

•       Slip 3 stitches off of the knitting needle onto to the crochet hook. (At this point, there will be 4 stitches total on crochet hook)



Slip 3 stitches to crochet hook

• Pull yarn though the 3 stitches (2 stitches left on crochet hook) 

Pull Yarn through 3 stitches

• Pull yarn through remaining 2 stitches

Pull yarn through 2 stitches

• Repeat starting from Chain 7.

As far as blocking goes, you need a LOT of pins.  I pinned each loop from the bind-off.  If you did the math above, that's 157 loops! Plus the points of the flowers and the inner loops and, and, and!  I used my bathroom floor and my Alphabet Blocks when my husband was on away on a business trip.  And, I kept the door shut to keep the cats and dog out.  Too many pins to worry about!


Hemlock Ring Blanket - Blocking- That's a lotta pins!

I'm going to give this to my mother-in-law for Christmas.  I think I will knit at least one more as a Christmas gift and then, hopefully, one for me as well!

Something to Aspire To

Today's Topic:  Day six: 2nd April. Something to aspire to.  Is there a pattern or skill that you don’t yet feel ready to tackle but which you hope to (or think you can only dream of) tackling in the future, near or distant? Is there a skill or project that makes your mind boggle at the sheer time, dedication and mastery of the craft? Maybe the skill or pattern is one that you don’t even personally want to make but can stand back and admire those that do. Maybe it is something you think you will never be bothered to actually make bu can admire the result of those that have.

I would love to knit all of these:

Brooklyn Tweed's Hemlock Ring Blanket



Brooklyn Tweed's Girasole Blanket



Elizabeth Zimmerman's Pi Shawl

I have yarn right now for both the Hemlock Ring Blanket and Girasole.  If you look at  my Ravelry queue, you will notice that (a) all of these lovely patterns are behind a lot of sock and hat patterns and (b) I queued them a while ago.

So what's holding me back?  Anticipation of how long they will take.  They look so big.  And that is very intimidating.  Socks and hats can take two weeks or less to make.  More or less instantly gratifying.  Easy to take in the car when I'm driving the kids around.  And they look so complicated.  Not good when you are knitting in 20-30 minute intervals here and there throughout the day.

But they are so beautiful.  And I will knit them.  Someday.  



Catching Up!!!!

Wow! It has been Forever since I Iast blogged….looks like the first day of school in fact! Yes, I’ve been busy with the kiddos and taking them here, there and everywhere. I wouldn’t have it any other way. My son has his learner’s permit and can’t wait to get his driver’s license; I will miss the time we spent together in the car. He’s been a little more talkative of late and I will miss all of that time with my wonderful son! Fortunately for me, my daughter never wants to drive, never wants to leave home….I will have my sweet baby girl’s company always….for now, anyway!


So…what’s been on my needles? By mid September, I finished @Sweatshopoflove’s Test Knit Sweater! That was a lot of fun! I learned intarsia which I had never tried before. Also, I learned reverse stockinette….seems pretty obvious doesn’t it? But I never ran across that before.

After knitting Ishbel, which I love, I’ve been yearning to knit some more shawls…first, Traveling Woman by Liz Abinante. I used Lornas Laces Shepherd Sock in the Jimmy Beans Wool September Limited Edition Color called Chocolate Mousse.  Yes, it is pitiful but this beautiful shawl still needs to be blocked!

And, I’m so in love with Lornas Laces yarn, that WestKnits’ Boneyard Shawl was knitted using Shepherd Sport In Eclipse (also a Limited Edition Color). Seriously, I love Lornas Laces yarn so much and would work at Jimmy Bean’s Wool just to get more!

I wanted to start some easy-peasy projects for Holiday gift giving. First up, Fetching by Cheryl Naimath on Knitty.com.  Fetching, as you all probably know, is one of the most popular projects on Ravelry. I knitted these pretty mitts while watching TV with the family one weekend. Quick, easy, pretty and a great use of yarn from my stash!

Next up was Habitat by Brooklyn Tweed aka Jared Flood. I could look at his Ravelry project page for hours so beautiful are the photographs! I used Brooklyn Tweed’s Shelter in Sweatshirt. I love how soft and squishy this hat came out. Can’t wait to make one for me!

Lastly, my Halloween KopyKat Skully Socks inspired by @mysevenkids (my7kids on Ravelry). I love the combination of green and orange and the skull and bones was an easy intarsia pattern. (already making use of skills I learned a few months ago!) I finished them just after the last Trick or Treater came to our door (and got a ton of candy as a prize for being the last). First socks that I ever knit for me! And I squeezed them into Socktober! Now, onto more quick and easy projects for the holidays!

What have you been knitting lately?  Share here!