Look at that.
I know, I know, it doesn’t look like much. As a matter of fact it probably looks a lot like the last time you saw this blanket, but trust me, it’s finally a lot bigger. Two whole repeats bigger – and that’s a ton. I think I’ll need about 12 repeats – but I’m not sure. When I get closer to what I think is done, I’ll slip the whole thing onto a long circular and block it, and make my decision then. I’m hoping something amazing will happen, like it will grow vertically far more than it does widthwise, but my swatch tells me that I’m dreaming. Still, wouldn’t it be lovely if just this one time, a swatch lied to me in a way that was helpful and supportive? It could happen. (Note to newer knitters: No it can’t. Swatches are necessary and helpful to a point, but they have a malicious nature that can’t be denied. They have shallow, petty lives, probably as a result of being denied the privilege and honour of becoming real objects, rather than devices. It twists their hearts. Don’t turn your back on them for a minute. They can turn on you in a heartbeat, and the next thing you know you have a seven metre baby blanket or a sweater with arms that drag on the ground. Knit them, use them, but do not ever, ever trust them to the exclusion of your own wits.)
Shall I distract you from the emotional abyss of acres of plain white knitting with a few Karmic Balancing Gifts? Karen has a lovely thing, five copies of her Christmas stocking collection Trinité de Noël. (Karen sweetly notes that if you don’t do Christmas, she has other patterns you could sub.)
She’ll be in touch with Ulrike B, Dana H, Duffy S, Kerry D and Sara O.
Sarah says: I have a lovely skein of handspun, spun from a batt containing merino, cashmere, tussah silk, alpaca, mohair, firestar, and who knows what else. It looks to be about worsted weight and roughly 170 yards.
It is beautiful, and Cathy C will be enjoying it soon. (Beautiful spinning Sarah.)
Margaret at Little Gidding Suri’s has two beautiful skeins of their Suri Ultimate for a present.
Kay H should be able to make something amazing.
Marit is willing to part with a beauty, it’s this yarn, in a gorgeous colourway called “field of dreams”. (How perfect.) She’ll be sending that to a new home with Shell F, who I bet will make it very welcome amongst its new friends.
Bonnie is really giving until it hurts – Seven skeins of Berroco Ultra Alpaca – a sweater’s worth! Color #6279, all the same dye lot.
Alisson G is going to be so thrilled, I’m sure.
Rachel has three gifts to give away today. (Can you believe how nice everyone is? It’s killing me.) First up, this skein of Gypsyknits BFL Superwash Fingering (Colorway: Storybook) will be going to Leslie F.
Then TWO skeins of Berroco Lustra will be re-homed to Jeannie P.
Finally, last but never least, she’s sending a skein of Cherry Tree Hill Yarn Possum Sock (Colorway: Palm Beach) out to Julia C.
Let’s do one more, I like this one a lot. A few years ago, Sunshine received this yarn as a Karmic Balancing gift, and she’s been guarding it carefully until her knitting needed some good mojo. Today’s that day, and she’s sending it back out into the world to find its forever home.
Three skeins of tilli tomas’s Beaded Plie in Olive. 100% silk with glass beads. It’s lovely stuff, and I hope that Jill P will make something so beautiful.
I’ve emailed all the lucky knitters, so if you think your name is here, look in your inbox!
Such lovely gifts! Everybody who can look forward to one of these: Congratulations!
These brush heads are AWWEEESOME! The plastic is a wee bit thinner than the phillips brand but who cares, they are built well enough to do the job they were made for—and they will end up in the garbage in 3-6 months when they need changing out–i don’t need herculean strength plastic for that! Thanks Maxgate you’ve earned a lifetime customer. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MTEEUZQ
Who gets the Cherry Tree Hill Possum Sock?
Julia C does! Thanks for noticing that I neglected to put that in. I’ve fixed it.
Oh my goodness! First to see an email from Stephanie in my mailbox (!!!) and then to see that gorgeous tilli tomas beaded yarn in one of my favourite colours! Thank you so much!
Jill in Ontario
I am so please you like it. Honored for my small part.
Blanket is looking wonderful. Everyone is so generous with such wonderful gifts!
Blanket is gorgeous. As for the gifts, kudos to all of those who have donated, and congrats to those who won. Going to be some very special knitting going on out there!
I may have the swatches passage tattooed on my arm. Or Franklin’s terser version, “Swatches Fucking Lie.”
Yay for karmic balancing! Also (re: twitter) I once solved my laptop’s problems with a sledgehammer followed by swift application of a credit card. Not for the faint of heart (or faint of bank balance) but it was QUITE satisfying.
Thank you!! I saw the email about my win from Rachel first and then got to see the gift and it’s exactly what I had been thinking about for a baby sweater. The karma balancing will continue since the sweater will be added to a solid color blanket and added to the sets that are given to a local church. They gift a blanket and sweater to new moms that need them.
The caring that knitters continue to show all the world amazes and humbles me.
Grow blanket grow! (And swatch be darned)
Congratulations to the other Leslie F. That stopped me for a minute!
Hi from the “other” Leslie F! I catch myself wondering when I posted and then remember that there are two of us LOL
I can only imagine who challenging all that white can be. I’m deep into a solid orange project now and it’s getting old fast. Good luck!
Questions about blocking your project before it is finished. Are you going to give it a good soak and block as if it were finished? And why would that be a good idea/when is it a good idea to block before the item is finished? How often is this done?
Thanks!
These are the loveliest of gifts – made lovelier by the high-Karmic-content. And, it is very true about swatches, you detailed that love-despair relationship very well.
Oh my goodness! Thank you so much for the Suri.
I’m always glad when the ride comes around because it is such an important cause.
The pattern on the new baby blanket is similar to Princess Charlotte’s. Yes?
Actually, given the mesh in that lace, it should stretch sideways more than some. It’s gorgeous and it’s instantly recognizable that you’ve put a lot of work into it since the last photo.
Steph! You can’t call that blanket boring! It’s a beautiful and exciting beginning to a family treasure. I love watching it grow! Have fun with it!
Beautiful blanket! But OMGosh you still have it on straights, isn’t it cumbersome? Can you cottage knit that?
i’m sure the blanket is going to be wonderful. the photo shows it to be just beautiful. i do agree with someone who posted recently who said something about considering (i know i know) a smaller, more everyday useful (i feel bad saying this because you’re blankets show a granduer that most of us can’t achive) size that’s just as beautiful but could more easily be used for a car seat. if you’ll design one we’ll all make it. it could be the pattern of the year!!! do consider it.
hugs.
i meant your blankets not you’re
Your rules about not trusting swatches should be copied and pasted next to every $@%^%$ GPS as well.
#commonsenseaboveall