Somewhere – there are some knitters who have wondered how interesting this baby blanket drama is going to get. There have been some doozies over the years, so I can see how at this point, the news that a baby blanket was underway would be chum in the knitterly waters for you lot, but here it is – other than not being as far along as I’d like, everything is just fine. The pattern I figured for myself is working well, I’ve made no major mistakes, I miscalculated on the yarn but I found more, and – get this, those of you who were wondering in which way this thing would get interesting…. that yarn was shipped to me from the US, and in a remarkably efficient display by both the American and Canadian Postal services, it spent forty-six seconds at customs, and arrived yesterday – well in time for me to wind and put it in my suitcase so that I could take it with me to Vancouver this weekend. In fact, here I sit, in the airport lounge, headed for Knit City, working away on the thing, and it looks to me like it’s going to come down to a good old fashioned sprint.
The deadline for this thing is Tuesday – and honestly, I’m not sure I can make it, and for a while there, I wondered how I’d miscalculated so badly. It is unlike me to a) have a drama-free baby blanket, or b) not start one of these things in enough time to finish, and then I remembered. I broke my wrist! I was in a cast! There was drama – heaps of it. It was just quiet, horrible drama rather than entertaining, exciting drama. It explained everything. It’s not that this hasn’t had it’s problems – they were just on the front end. Refreshing, really. Now it’s down to a push to the end – today’s a travel day, and I’m hoping to get through the border, because the edging is enormous. With a little luck, if I apply myself and stay on it, I might maybe, possibly be able to block this thing in my hotel room.
I packed pins.
(PS. Deadline knitting can still be dramatic. Don’t lose hope. Something terrible could happen at any moment. )
Knit like the wind!
Hoping for no more drama!!
Like the kid who is always up the night before a school paper is due.
I’ll get the popcorn. 😉 Lovely blanket btw. And I’m so glad your wrist/hand is on the other side of that fall.
Please don’t hope for excitement — you have had quite enough!
I’m at the age where no drama is fine. You’ve had enough drama for one project. Wishing you smooth sailing/flying/knitting.
Well said. No drama is fine. I don’t need a call from work tonight saying the night clerk isn’t going to show (which is what I suspect)…..
You never disappoint!
It’s nice for the rest of us to know that even a Knitting Whiz like you can still have moments of unexpected moments of drama in the knitting. The drama keeps us all humble, and the successes give us all something to strive for! Knit on!
Safe yravels, Steph. You will finish the baby blanket in time! Hope your wrist and thumb are feeling a lot better. Enjoy your trip to Van.
Will you be knitting a wedding shawl for Sam?
She IS a fast knitter, but as I think the wedding is this weekend, it’s would be cutting it pretty close…
Because the wedding is in late-Sept. in Toronto, when and where there’s a chance of a chill in the air, perhaps the Love and Darkness shawl that Steph knit Aug.-Sept. is for Sam. Done and dusted, as Stephanie would say.
You’ve had enough drama thankyewverymuch. My wish for you is to get the blanket done, in time, in drama free and dare I say, boring bliss.
Honestly? At this point? I’m hoping for a smooth, drama-free ending to the baby blanket for you. You don’t need more drama! Wishing you speedy, happy knitting.
If you have one of those travel carts pick you up at the gate you can knit through the Vancouver airport, too! Can’t wait to see the finished project.
I’m standing by with my popcorn, confident that you won’t disappoint.
There are still plenty of entertaining options: weather, lost luggage, hotel moths, overzealous housekeepers, and, of course…early babies.
I think early baby is the best option here. At least then the blanket will be safe from other hazards.
I like the early baby option, too.
I’m so glad your wrist has healed well.
Over the weekend I stupidly and severely cut the pad of my left index finger (needed 5 stitches), which is the finger I use to move the working yarn when I knit. I had just bought a needle I needed to start a “fast” baby sweater for a dear friend whose 4th baby is due Oct. 25, but I was going to be “early” with this one.
Hahahaha, responded the fates!
At least she does have hand knits from the other babies, and I had already finished a hat and socks, so the new baby won’t be knit-less. 😉
Given history, the real drama here would be an unexpectedly finished-on-time blanket and a punctual baby! Best wishes coming from the ‘other’ Vancouver!
I wonder what TSA will have to say about all those pins…..
You’ve had enough drama pre-loaded into all of this by the broken wrist. I have every faith that you’re going to finish this, block it in your hotel room, and be ready to rock on Tuesday with it.
It’s going to be fabulous. I never thought of blocking with straight pins. What a sensible idea.
If you have to knit through your KnitCity classes, I’m sure we’ll all understand, or at least I will! 😉
You’re knitting the border and edging on a extra-jumbo-sized baby blanket while traveling? The options for knitting drama are endless! Presbytera listed some, but not all. . .there’s also turbulence, airline food, rusting pins, etc., etc., etc. I think I’ve got time to make nachos while this all plays out!
Someday you’re going to be involved in a bizarre, singular natural phenomenon involving a small plague tornado of wool moths while working outside on a project like this. No scientist in the world will be able to explain it, but after the dust settles your readers will all collectively shake their heads and say that if it was going to happen to anyone, it was going to happen to you.
Yeah, it’s a little late in the season to be putting much hope in her backyard Yarn/Fleece Thief squirrel!!
Welcome to Vancouver! I’ll be at knit city on Saturday perhaps I’ll see you there!
So glad the postal systems cooperated. Knit on
Looks like it’s going to be pretty!
Oh Stephanie, I wish you absolutely no drama at all with this blanket! It’s gorgeous, and will be finished. 🙂 You do not need more drama!
I hope for your sake that everything goes well…I can do without the added entertainment. : )
Have fun knitting!
I hope nothing goes wrong for you, can’t wait to see the finished results! Hope your hand holds out.
Rooting for you from AZ! I would love to see the look on room service’a face if they come in to find a gigantic baby blanket blocking
Knit like the wind. After today’s horrible day (USA), I wish you clear sailing. I’ll be working out my frustration with a second sock. And a glass of wine. And maybe some junk food. And Hulu.
It could be worse
I’m on a deadline for TWINS.
Boy and Girl ,so same blanket pattern,both white except
1 square 1 round
Brave woman!
I’m now ready to defend those knitters among us who regularly have more than one project going at a time. A lot of my knitting is mindless, while my mind wanders off in other directions, but the casting on requires great concentration. I have to plan a cast on for a time when I will not be interrupted, hence, I often start the next project while I still have an unfinished project in the knitting basket. (Or maybe two or three.)
Earlier this month I bought a small thing from a woman in Ontario. She offered four day post. Excellent.
It shipped quickly, crossed the border quickly, and sat for two weeks in customs in Chicago!
Argh. You are truly blessed that your yarn (actually a more necessary item) arrived so fast!
I think you’ve had plenty of terrible for this one – I’m good with a drama-free finish!
You’re messing with us, right? Quietly. It’s just sitting there in the back of the picture of a white. Baby. Shawl.
A cup of coffee.
No wonder that when you said “I wonder if I’ll make it through the border” I thought you meant Canada/US.
I thought the same things Rams! I’m not corking my wine bottle yet!
These baby blankets are always ‘interesting’!
Wasn’t there a blanket once, or something like that, where you had to race to meet someone literally at the border in order to get some yarn that they had? I can’t remember the project you needed it for, but that was one of the great stories you’ve told of knitterly luck and of finding the right person/dye lot at the right time!
You always make me laugh!
Hope it works out.
Go Steph go! We believe in you. Hope it’s a great weekend.
“I’m hoping to get through the border…”
Yeah, I hope Customs and Border Protection doesn’t give you any…oh, wait…the *other* kind of border! Maybe we need border protection on our knitting too!
This is a non-emergency. Someone will keep Baby warm and safe. He or She will not ever, ever remember that their blankie showed up a day late. It will be beautiful, baby will be loved. That’s all that matters. Everything in our lives should have this urgency.
Those knitting needles really set off that gorgeous yarn nicely.
I ran the ends in tonight on my own baby blanket so that I could officially finish it the day our grandson Spencer arrived. I cannot wait to fly to go see him and wrap him up in it.
Much happiness to Sam and the rest of the family. I’m really happy for you all.
Sam is getting married? How did I miss that ?
Safe travels. Please be careful…and if something hurts, stop. You may be out of the cast…but while that wrist put energy into healing, other areas may have lost tone.
I have a friend who is still recuperating from the impact of Olympic knitting while home ill.
Good on ya for healing up so fast. I was wondering if you had considered that 9-letter deadline that I have a hard time getting my head around.
85 Days!
I miss the drama!!
A knitting student of mine finished a beautiful white lace shawl, and then dumped a full cup of coffee across it, meaning she had to wash it in the Panera ladies room sink and reblock it and get it dry in time for the going away party. The knitting gods are nothing if not creative.
Julie in San Diego.
Pretty pretty blanket. And I think the wrist debacle counts is worth at least two drama credits – sooo, this blanket might be good for a sprint. Can’t wait to see it. Another heirloom for the family.
I always hope that the recipients appreciate the effort that goes into these projects of yours.
It’s Tuesday….did you make it??? 🙂
Baby blanket blog
Sees drama unfolding here
Watching anxiously
Hi Steph, I’m putting this here instead of with the post it belongs with because I know you’ll remember the scarves that were my Mom’s that I gave to you and Debbie and Judith. Totally understand missing Mom. Hugs, and see you at Madrona in February.