you are my sunshine

I've had a lovely time knitting this blanket - my great thanks to Kay for inspiration and practical help. The last time BB had a course of chemo, I knit her a shawl - admittedly in cashmere - but an undoubted shade of grey. I thought at the time that something colourful would have been better so I've put it right with this cotton blanket.

I used Anchor Magiciline which is randomly striped throughout so I can claim no credit for the colour combinations of each mitre.

I used a little discretion in placing two of each colourway within each 'four' square - I think it makes the colours hang together better.

I mattress stitched the four mitres together which gave the best finish.

It became a little more problematic when sewing the four larger squares together - mattress stitch looked messy plus the seams became bulky and heavy - not what I wanted for a soft blanket at all. I ended up crocheting the long seams - I guess it was just a single crochet chain through the cast-on loops of each square for want of a better technical description. Seemed to work well.

I picked out a couple of colours from my basket of Rowan Handknit cotton for the border. I like the way it brings everything together.

The edging was done in the round using two circular needles and markers for each corner. I increased either side of the corner stitch on every knit row. I guess I could pin it out to be entirely straight but I'm happy with the way it looks. (And yes, that is my camera strap in the corner of the picture - iphoto just would not play nicely at that point.)

I love the way that the placing of the squares gives new surprises when it is sewn together. Other squares and combinations appear.

Sitting in the sunshine outside - the BB (who is blind, remember) has pronounced it "soft and full of triangles and squares".

Job's a good 'un.

knitting sunshine

I'm busy knitting a little sunshine into our lives currently inspired, as ever, by Kay's fabulous mitres over at MDK. I've had these Anchor Magic colours in my stash for some months thinking that I'd like to make a Babette blanket but that of course would mean me refining my crochet skills to a much higher level than single crochet which isn't happening right now.

The real sun is shining which always makes everything just that bit more bearable. Thank you for your kind wishes and no thank you to those pesky spammers!

I'm going to make strawberry sorbet this afternoon to combat a horribly sore mouth - the BB's medicine has such unpleasant side-effects. Lollies, ice-cream, sorbet perhaps....sunshine food.

update

Not a great deal of knitting to show at the moment as my youngest daughter (known here as the BB) has restarted her chemotherapy treatment this week.

As you can imagine, life has been just a little hectic of late - but I am STILL knitting.

Walk on by

So March wasn't exactly the best month all things considered. Storm damage and 'flu about sums it up although it doesn't go anywhere near describing the sheer awfulness that has been March. Some good things happened as well - lovely visits from friends and family, the Easter bunny and, wait, no.....that's it.

I did finish up these fabulous stripy socks and to say that I am pleased with them would be a massive understatement.

They make me smile when they are worn.

I'm such a sucker for any kind of faux effect - these are kind of like knitted trompe l'oeil.

The stripes make the knitting go faster - even on such a long sock.

Pattern: Top down construction - my own charting for the shoe effect.
Yarn: Regia Nation Color (the red and white bit) and St Ives sock yarn (the black bit)
Needles: 2.5mm

Note: this page was really useful in working out how to do colour-work in the round