All things are possible

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You know how sometimes, especially in the run up to a big deadline, you knit and knit and knit and you get nowhere? There’s all of these pressures and projects and you look at the whole thing and you think “There’s just no way I’m going to make it.” Then you knit around and around and maybe have an eggnog or seven and when you wake up there’s still no end in sight?

So then you calculate your row gauge, because there’s just no way that if there is 5 rows to an inch and you have knit 34 rows that whatever you are knitting can possibly be no bigger at all? You know that one?

I don’t. Not today. Today, I have victory.

Tblanks1

That’s right, knitters of my heart, the baby blankies are done. Done. Finished. Completed, out of the way. They are moving on and I am released from their lacy worsted blankiness and must knit on them no longer. They go from my needles to wrap the Tinks in warm knitterly love.

Tblanks2

Lene calls these “The love blankets” and it’s a pretty good name. Not only are they gifts for the wee babes this family is looking out for, they are a group project. Lene bought the wool, Ken knit the garter middles (note for next time. Garter middles should be bigger to split workload more evenly) and I knit and knit the outsides.

I think they look smashing, and they have a pretty good vibe.

Specs for those who will ask: Misson Falls 1824 wool (recently re-continued) in teal and raspberry. 12 balls (and a little ) of each.

The centres were garter stitch (4 balls), knit on the bias, then stitches were picked up all round and knit out until the yarn was gone. The teal blankets edge is “faggoted rib” and the raspberry is “little arrowhead” both from here, worked in the round with a double increase at each corner (every other row) to make the mitres.

I am so happy that the two half socks, the full pair of socks, the scarf, the mitten and hat set (oh..I forgot to tell you I added those) and the shawl that I need to finish in mere days all seem like nothing. Blips. No wool of consequence. I have knit two blankets and I am a mighty knitter. I’m all hopped up on the smell of wet wool blocking and I feel like I could knit four sweaters by Saturday. Bring it on. Now if you don’t mind. I have some wrapping to do.

Pass the egg-nog tape.

92 thoughts on “All things are possible”

  1. All hail the Mighty Knitter! Great job. Now quit hogging all the egg nog and send some over here, ‘kay?

  3. The baby blankets are beautiful, and the babies are even more beautiful! (I also wanted to be one of the first to post a comment, since my comments are usually #150 or worse on here!)
    Lis

  4. The blankets are beautiful, and the babies are even more beautiful. I’m due in February, and the photo just made me more excited!
    Lis

  5. What was that little Christmas present you so blithely dropped in that post? “Mission Falls 1824 (recently re-continued)” – can this be so!? Be still my thumping heart. Where did you get such a wonderous piece of news? Details please.

  6. HAZAH! You are the mighty knitter! The rest of your knitting will be effortless and enjoyable.
    Tiz the season 🙂

  7. Yay! Beautiful work for beautiful babes. You have once again given me hope for accomplishing the 16 socks of Christmas

  8. Eggnog? Eggnog? I think it might be time for the Screech. 😉
    Gorgeous blankets!
    Good luck with the other projects–I have given up all hope of holiday knitting as the Mighty Stomach Flu has invaded my house. Yuck.

  9. Congrats on finishing the blankets. So the now the tinks can come home?
    I am almost done my Christmas knitting, just some ends to weave in which for some reason I just can’t seem to sit down and do. The knitting on this pair of socks was completed in November. I din’t know why I keep postponing the finish.

  11. Beautiful! And such fun colors! Fie on those that say babies should be swathed in pastels! So, in relation to the actual due date, how close were you?

  12. Rachel, your math’s even worse than mine. And, since I just added a hand-dyed (THAT part worked) lace stole for the Faculty Show (due Jan. 10 — all 72″ of it,) I hope my math’s close — it says 3.6 hours a day between now and then will do it. That’s besides the Christmas knitting. Pas de problems!
    (Glad to know the Tinks can now come home — obviously they’ve been stalling, waiting for love bankies.)
    And Ken — you gonna take that? Huh? Huh?

  13. Woohoo! The blankies are stunning, as are the Tinks – and they’ve been moved from the incubators, so the timing is perfect. Love the colours – brights are so much better for babies than pastels.
    Lene’s hands may not do it anymore, but her heart and her friends sure do. Good vibes, indeed!

  14. Congrats on getting the blankets done. And your Holiday knitting lists sounds totally do-able. There’s over 108 hours until Christmas morning…
    ~ Christina

  15. Yaay! Of course I wouldn’t exactly call those part of the Christmas knitting, but that’s beside the point. They look great and confidence is half the battle (or is that knowing, or beginning??)
    They re-continued 1824 wool?? I’m so happy!! I have never used it, but it looked so nice and I was so sad that I’d never get to try it.

  16. Beautiful! The blankies are lovely, and the Tinks are lovely, and being done is lovely, and … and… well, the nog is flowing freely here and I just love everything.
    Congrats!

  17. Congratulations!! They look great! As a reward for such loveliness, I think we should move Christmas back until mid-January.

  18. “Hopped up on the smell of wet wool”- I love it! Good work- you reign supreme. What lucky little babes.

  19. All hail the Mighty Queen of IT! She fears IT not! IT is no match for her! It trembles at the sight of her pointy sceptre make of hand crafted ebony and rosewood spendy deluxe knitting needles! (wild cheering)

  21. Hurrah for you! And woe is me….my knitting has entered that twilight zone of “no progress” you mention, and I don’t like it there. Waaaaaahhhh. My mom may be getting chocolate for Christmas and knitting for – oh, President’s Day or something. I’m not giving up yet, but it’s getting a bit scary. Keep up the good work, Steph, you’re an inspiration (when I’m not totally resenting you for being sooooooooo much better a knitter than me, LOL).

  24. Oh the blankets are gorgeous and you are giving me hope that my blankets will make progress also. Right now my most humble Socks that Rock Sock is now complete and I say humble since you seem to crank the knitted projects out lickety split.
    Two very lucky babies will be so nice and warm in those blankets.

  25. I’m impressed. My pal just had triplets. All girls. I chickened out and made three baby quilts instead.

  28. Gorgeous blankets for those gorgeous Tinks. What a great Christmas present for mama and Moster – I’m sending good baby-growing vibes so they get to come home before Christmas, and will be wrapped in their love blankies for the trip!

  30. Ken deserves extra credit for knitting with raspberry yarn if he did it on public transportation. Imagine all the Looks he got doing that! Just sayin’.
    They are beautiful, just like their recipients.
    And if nog really has the powers you say it does, perhaps I should forget my long-standing hatred of it and try it. Five days till Christmas, and I am on square 31 out of 35 of the afghan. Now I just have to weave in all the ends, sew them together invisibly into an afghan shape, and put a border on the damn thing.
    Oh yeah, and wrap the kids’ presents in addition to wrapping and finishing their father’s afghan. Pass the nog.

  35. Ah, the sweet smell of success. Even pine trees and homemade cookies can’t quite compete with it.
    Mission Falls is back? Oh Mama…now it really IS Christmas!

  36. Dude. I just finished a very, very large slipper which is to be felted into a normal sized slipper, and what was my first thought?
    “Hey, this thing is huge…it’s practically half a sweater…and it only took me three hours…which means a half a sweater in a bulky yarn might take me three hours…”
    Ahem. I have to lie down now, I think, before I decide I can start and finish a bulky sweater for my husband in the next two days.

  40. They are totally smashing! Congratulations on finishing a major project in time. I am avoiding my mum’s sweater at all costs. I can’t make myself sit and knit it. I have knit 3 scarves and cast on for a set of gloves in the last 2 days just to feel acomplished. My knitter’s ADHD has kicked into overdrive now that I need to be focused.

  41. YES!!!! Congratulations!! Those wee babies will grow faster, jump higher and read better–all because of your blankets.
    Meanwhile, I am stuck finishing papers and exams. No knitting, not enough finished presents, Whaaaaaa!!

  44. Rams, I am perfectly willing to admit that my math is very likely worse than yours. An’ I’m good with that. But if you’re inferring that my claim to have been the first commenter today is perhaps erroneous, in the words of the late, lamented Friendly Giant may I say, “look up, look waaaaaaay up.”
    And Steph, I’ve decided I’m going to take Ken’s side here. Since your first words on the subject were “a friend is making twins for MY knitterly amusement” not “a friend is making twins for my knitterly amusement and chance to make Ken bow to my knitterly will” he’s off the hook.
    (yes, I realize that 3 comments in as many hours is a frightening indication that I really, really need to get out more. pass the eggnog)

  45. The blankies are lovely and the perfect little babies will look, well, perfect in them. You are not only a mighty knitter but an inspiration for us all!
    I’ll make this short so we can all get back to our knitting…

  46. Go, Stephanie, Go! Added projects only serve to inject the needed adrenaline rush neeeded to make the season complete. Or at least that’s how it works in this house (though I’m as apt to add another insane recipe instead of more knitting).

  47. The blankets are beautiful. I’m in the middle of knitting a blanket out of what amounts to fuzzy dental floss, for my sister’s baby due at the beginning of January. If I ever get out from under my Christmas knitting it may actually get done. Thank the lord she’s not having twins.
    If I can refer back to the diversity conversation, I’d like to add one little thing. I was skating with my two boys this morning in downtown Toronto at our local park. A group of school kids were there, probably about 40 kids in total. Not a caucasian face in the bunch. So I have the feeling, and take great heart in it, that these kids and the thousands that they represent will work it out…
    Really enjoy your blog Stephanie.
    Peace to you and yours.

  48. So I wasn’t going to knit anything for Xmas. Except, er. Well. The box with the swift and ball winder sort of opened last night. And um, now there is this stack of yarn cakes in the dining room. And like Juno says, I have five whole days, right?

  49. Clicking the link to the “Tinks” makes me wish I had taken more pictures of my baby already. It’s only been a month, but she’s put on over two pounds and lost the scrawny chicken look. Now she looks like my others did, I’ll have to see how much they weighed at thispoint–they started out over a pound heavier.
    And it also reminds me that I’ve got to get her blankie finished….that darned edging always gets ya!

  50. The blankets are really beautiful. I’m glad they are finished and will shower the babies with lots of love, love, love.

  51. Hi! A lurker here – I just really wanted to jump on the “Yes, please, oh goddess of the socks, teach us!” bandwagon. 🙂 I would LOVE to learn your sock secret. I recently finished my first pair, top down, (and they’re ALMOST identical, YAY!) and while I liked the flap heel style and the decreasing to shape the instep, I didn’t do so hot when I came to graft the toe. So I tried toe up socks – I absolutely loved the results of the figure eight cast on toe, but not so much the shape of the sock. :-/ So like many others, perhaps after the Christmas knitting is all said and done, a sock-along? 🙂 Lovin’ the blog either way!

  54. Way to go on the knitting! The blankets are almost as lovely as the babies (but then I have a serious weakness for babies).

  55. That is a truly Epic bit of knitting. Wow. Color me impressed. Also, why in the world didn’t I think of picking up stitches and knitting a border in the round? (Or is that in the square?) I officially gave up on one Christmas/birthday present last night — there is simply No Way I can finish the bed doll’s endless skirt ruffles in time. I simply can’t crochet fast enough. It’s not possible. But now I can get started on the blanket as a substitute! I had been desperate to figure out how I could possibly get the border to even out properly …

  56. The blankets are lovely! Congratulations on beating the twins to the finish line! But are sure you should have tempted knitting fate by adding those comments to the end of your blog? You know how wool reacts when it doesn’t feel it is being properly honoured!

  58. Long-time lurker here…but I just had to ask…Steph, if you keep adding projects, are you gonna’ end up calling YOURSELF on the SOS-KNIT # this weekend? Once again, quoting Juno…5 DAYS!

  60. Lovely blankets, though I have to say I chose the “little arrowhead” pattern for sleeves on a sweater I’m knitting for myself only because after much swatching and squinting I had convinced myself that it didn’t look like a baby blanket lace pattern, but rather, like vintage lace. So what you were going for here was baby blankets that evoke vintage sweaters, right?

  63. Ah, lovely. Nice, warm blankies.
    And, not only is 1824 wool re-continued…. but 1824 cotton as well. One of the few cotton yarns I can handle knitting. Yay!

  64. Congrats on finishing the blankets! Lucky babies. You WILL finish your holiday knitting. I have unshakeable faith in you.

  65. Wonderful looking blankies for the Tinks. They are very lucky little ones!
    Hopefully Santa (DH) listened/read the book list that I gave him earlier…it has that calendar on it.
    IT progressing well…3/4 done on a scarf and I’m thinking I might actually get it done and few other projects that seem to have added themselves to the list.

  66. Congrats on finishing the blankets! Lucky babies. You WILL finish your holiday knitting. I have unshakeable faith in you.

  68. Bravo, girly. Beautiful blankies and clues on how to create them for our own little joy-bundles.
    Thanks (still) for stirring the pot! I don’t think anybody got too badly burned!

  70. The blankets are beautiful. I am very jealous because I’m in knitting paralysis–too many things on the needles and none of them are appealing to me. sigh.

  71. The ultimate irony: Majority of winter holidays deal with faith in something larger than ourselves. So if this truly is a season of faith, why does reality come crashing down so hard on knitters? (Christmas theme music: Europe, “Final Countdown”

  73. Yay!!
    You know, if the garter middles are bigger then the border’s going to have to be bigger too… unless you mean it will be narrower.

  74. splendid knitting, Harlot… I click my needles in awe… I’ve given up, have switched to crocheting simple, double stranded ‘thneeds’ to give to people who expect nothing important from me. Will start my own incubating fetus’ blanket on January 1st because I said so…

  75. When my daugters were born, 17 years ago, I was working at a restaurant, and there was an old lady who was so picky about her food no one else wanted to deal with her. So I always took care of her, and made an attempt to please her. I didn’t know I was pregnant with twins until 3 weeks before I had them, and by then I was no longer working there. When I went back to visit and show off my babies, she had left a package for me…two teeny, tiny, beautifully knit sweaters (my babies were preemies). And a card that said every stitch is a stitch of love! At the time I didn’t knit, so I couldn’t truly appreciate the thought/time/heart that went into this gift…from someone I hardly knew! To this day I cherish those sweaters, and I wish I could track that woman down and tell her that now I get it! Anyway, your blankets of love remind me of those sweaters, and I know they will be cherished for a long time to come, possibly more than you will know! You do beautiful work. Thanks for sharing it with us.

  77. The Tinks are going to be positively floating on a cloud of bright and wooly love, wrapped in those blankies. Steph, Lene, you gals done good. Ken, you, too! Now, go easy on the nog….

  78. The blankets are beautiful!! I’m not going to be the 212th or 219th comment on any entry so I’m going to come over here and say RIGHT ON to what you said in your other entries. You are 100% right and all these other people are an embarrassment to their Imaginary Friend.

  79. Remember me! I am the one who finished her Christmas knitting back in August or September … and now have a reasonable start on next year!!!! I am so feeling the stress for everyone knitting into the wee hours of the morning trying to beat Santa’s visit. Need I mention that today is the “shortest day” of the year. I can hear those needles doing double time as we speak. Did I mention that I had finished back in …. I did didn’t I!!!!! Merry Christmas Everyone!

  80. I FINISHED THE VEST FOR MY GRANDMOTHER. I finished it last night.
    Its awesome. I just hope it fits;)
    Now on to the second sock for my MIL.
    I can finish a sock in 4 days right?
    eep:)

  81. Those blankies are beautiful and the colours are just yummy, so much better than pastels.
    Good luck w/the Christmas knitting. That’s what I’ll be doing today. It’s the last day of school for DD and I *have* to finish her gifts. Good thing it’s mostly just finishing to do on those.
    Liza {who’s not going to think about the fact that she added 3 more projects to her list~since Friday}

  82. I was told that in the province of Quebec (Canada), gift exchanges used to take place on New Year’s day while Christmas was religion oriented. Although this habit has now dispareared (was apparently still on in some area until late 60’s), I am starting to think that for the sake of knitters’ survival, it could be a good custom to revive!! But then again…
    Go go Harlot go. And when IT’s over, you’ll give us that sock tutorial. By the way, I tried the dyeing techniques described in “Yarn to dye for”. It’s fabulous, and you can get identical socks!
    Manon (from New Brunswick, where Christmas arrives one hour earlier than in Ontario)

  83. So, here’s a question: If you don’t include the “extra” knitted items for Christmas on a list or verbalize them to anyone but another knitter, are those hidden items included in IT? Or are they bonus items that can be completed at any time?

  84. To reply to Manon (and provide general knowledge of Quebec’s particular culture 😉 ), most people in Quebec exchange gifts during Christmas night. In my family, some people attend the “Midnight Mass” (That can happen anytime between 8 PM and midnight…) and when we come back home, we exchange gifts and party up to the wee hours. So depending at what time the local “Midnight Mass” is, we exchange gift either late on Christmas Eve or really early on Christmas morning!
    So my gifts have to be ready before I leave for the Church…

  85. The blankets are beautiful! They will be such a special gift for the little recipients.
    But, be still my heart – is it true that Mission Falls 1824 will still be available? Thank you to the higher power that made that happen!!

  86. ack – you did all of that with Mission Falls 1824 wool? That’s my all-time least-favorite wool yarn. You must have magic fingers to be able to complete projects using that stuff.
    Ok, we already know you have magic fingers. 🙂
    A shame it’s back. I loved the 1824 cotton though.

  87. Manon, in some cultures, gifts are given on Twelfth Night, in honor of the Magi, who arrived then. Since my daughter was born, 20 yrs ago, we’ve celebrated both Christmas and Twelfth Night with gifts. Oh, does it ever take the stress out of the holidays! That’s almost 2 weeks after Christmas. I wholeheartedly encourage all knitters to adopt this practice. Good for the FO list, blood pressure, family happiness (if Mama ain’t happy, ain’t NOBODY happy), etc.
    Steph, I know you didn’t knit in front of us at Stash in Berkeley. Well, I thought you didn’t, but maybe you did and your needles were going faster than the speed of light. Just sayin…
    Fabulous blankies. Lucky, lucky babes.

  89. Well, I am so glad that those blankets are done, This bodes well for the adorable Tinks. Now, is there really enough eggnog in the world to get us safely thru the Christmas knitting?
    I’ve given up on socks for my very large feeted boys, they are now getting nice warm wooly mittens. I made that decision not realizing at the time that their hands are very big and long, too! Oh well. I have 2 1/2 mittens to go, plus one very ridiculous eyelash yarn teddy bear left. I was feeling sort of under control, but found myself casting on for a “simple scarf, it shouldn’t take long” last night at 11 PM. What was I thinking?

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