Blankie Status: 3

Blanket: Unfinished

Katie: Still pregnant. Barely.  I’m pretty damned sure I’m going to be robbed of some expected knitting time. I’m pretty sure this thrills Kate. I am trying to be supportive.

Number of stitches on the needle: Approximately 500. I’m honestly afraid to count. I don’t know if I can take a really accurate countdown right now.

blankieedging 2015-06-29

Number of skeins so far: 7 and about a third. (So much for whatever wild dream I had about this blanket being smaller than the others. I’m not sure how it happened either – I really did try to make this one smaller. I swear it.)

Number of skeins remaining:  A not quite as comforting 2 2/3.  I feel a little sweaty, though my math tells me it should be just fine. That said, I’m trying to not to think about what my math skills are like in general, and when it comes to blankets in specific.  It gives me a horrible cramp.

Number of foul words I’m using right about now: I am running out.

Number of repeats of the edging I’ve knit: 24.5 of about 60.  I knit the first 10 in two days, then bashed out the second 10 yesterday in a massive sprint, and I’ve somehow managed 4.5 today. I’m trying hard not to give into the urge to cancelling commitments like meetings, work, training rides (although I did do a rather spectacularly hard 130km one on Friday, which is totally what’s best for the ride, and cost me a whole day of knitting time) and sleeping and eating.  This weekend I have to do my “back to backs” which is two rides, both over 100km, done on consecutive days.  I keep hoping there will be a small flood or tornado so I can knit instead, but realistically – I think I need this done by then. The whole thing is giving me the willies.

What I muttered to Joe yesterday when (while I was taking a short break) he said “Hey, get back at it, that blanket’s not going to knit itself.”: I won’t repeat it here. He’s adopted a more supportive posture.

Attitude of knitter: Slightly desperate.

Status of Bike Rally Prep: Rough. I’m not yet at my fundraising goal (public, or private) but I’m still working on it, and thank you, thank you, thank you for all your help so far. I’d be beyond sunk without you. You’re amazing, and I’m so grateful it makes me a little bit weepy.  The donations are still trickling in, and on Friday when I did that 130km ride, and there was wind and it was hot, and I was trying to ride with fast people (I remain about as fast as you’d expect a slightly dumpy 47 year old knitter to be) at one of the little breaks we took, instead of weeping in the bathroom,  I took some advice Pato gave me. He’s got his phone set up so that when he gets a donation from one of you, his phone dings. I’ve done the same now, and I’m here to tell you, that little “ding” as you’re trying to climb a hill and your legs are burning – that ding makes it all okay. It’s easy to forget what’s really happening, and that little sound puts the focus right back where it should be. I heard it, and remembered exactly what I was doing it for.   I’m so grateful.

Let’s do presents before I go knit again, okay?

Lauren Sarah has a very pretty pattern to give away, one copy each of her lovely Sea Dragons and Cockle Shells (a very nice one-skein project) that she’ll be sending off to Jane M, and Louise D.

dragonsandcockleshells 2015-06-29

Sarah House is a potter (and a knitter) and she’s donating the mug of Anne K’s choice to the greater good.  She does beautiful work.

Sarahmug 2015-06-29

Big thanks to Cedar Hill Farm Company, who’d releasing 2 hanks of of  Calliope, one in Pink Seahorse and one in French Lilac in to the wild.  Well, not really the wild, I hope Amanda L makes good use of it. (It’s silk noil.  Lovely stuff.)

lilacslik 2015-06-29 pinksilk 2015-06-29

Mindy Wilkes would like five helpers to have the pattern of their choice from her shop.  She has so many pretty things to choose from I know that Liz R, Janice M, Susan M, Amanda B and Nora H  will all find something they love.

mwdesigns 2015-06-29

Ruth is a lovely, lovely spinner and she’s parting with this beautiful skein of her very own handspun BFL.  It’s about 490 yards, she says (and over 5oz) and so  Laura G will be able to make something really great. Thanks Ruth!

ruthhandspun 2015-06-29

Melissa, from the Prairie Dye Studio, makes gorgeous snag-free stitch markers, and she’s written to say that four lucky knitters will choose their favourites from her shop.  The lucky helpers are Julie S, Emily W, Michelle C and Amy M.

priairemarkers 2015-06-29

Almost at the end (the blanket beckons) how about two little gifts for the spinners? Akerworks makes some very nifty things for spinners, including a bobbin for your wheel that packs flat – which now that I think of it, is darned handy.  I hope that  Kelly Y   agrees, because the bobbin of her choice will be on it’s way to her.

bobbinsflat 2015-06-29

They also make a drop spindle that’s pretty nifty.  It comes together in parts, and you can add more whorls to make it heavier, which is handy, to say the least, but also – the whorl can be removed – even while you’ve got yarn on there, which, as a travelling spinner, I have to say is also pretty wild.  I hope that  Lisa K chooses a beautiful one.

spindleflat 2015-06-29

Whew! That’s it for today – though I think I’m going to have to pick up the pace on these to get all the way through them before the Rally. (That’s just less than four weeks away. Not that I’m counting every minute.)  Thanks so much for everything. I’ve got to knit an edging now. That baby is in a hurry.