FO Friday: Ombré Billow Blanket

Posted on June 28, 2013 by atangledyarn84

Stashbustin’ #15 is complete! I really kicked this into high gear Wednesday afternoon/evening and cranked out the last two color changes. It has had a bath and was mostly dry Thursday night. I just couldn’t wait to photograph it, I am so incredibly in love with my Ombré Billow Blanket!!

The pattern is Constant Baby Blanket by Tina Laiho made with Knit Picks Billow in six coordinating shades. Great yarn for a great pattern.

I made a few alterations from the written pattern:

– I knit with one color until I ran out and then changed to the next color
– I knit the entire blanket in stockinette to show off the thick/thin slubbiness of the yarn

This blanket is beautifully coordinated to our living room colors and couches. And it’s so wonderfully soft after its wash and block in some gentle wool soap. The thick thin yarn texture really gives the stockinette interest and variety.

The only downside is this yarn did shed quite a bit and pilled as the blanket grew and rubbed on my lap. Most of that I was able to solve during the wash/block. All in all a very fun project! I might save this in my hope chest for our future rug rats….how cute would a nursery in these neutral tones be!?

Happy Knitting!!!!

WIP Wednesday: Stashbustin’ #15

Posted on June 26, 2013 by atangledyarn84

In the home stretch on my Ombré Billow Blanket! (Stashbustin’ #15)

I started my second to last color stripe this past weekend! Billow is such a soft and cozy fiber it’s addicting to knit with. I keep finding myself thinking “just one more row” at 10:30 or 11 at night, lol.

I have noticed that this yarn sheds a bit as my pants are covered in yarny fluff. To be fair this blanket is very large at this point and is a BIG pile on my lap as I work. I have three of my Denise Interchangeables cable strung together to accommodate all my stitches. I still love this yarn and imagine a good soak will get the lions share if the fluff off when I’m done.

I CANNOT wait to show this off when I’m done! Maybe this next week!?!? Too soon to tell…

Happy Knitting!

Stashbustin’ #15 Update: Ombré Billow Blanket

Posted on June 17, 2013 by atangledyarn84

Stashbustin’ #15 update!!! My Ombre Billow Blanket is definitely coming along….

I’m on my second color change. I have completed Natural and Willow. Now I’m on to Cornmeal. This blanket just keeps growing and growing. I’ve had to add an extension cable to my Denise Interchangeables to accommodate all the stitches. This blanket has been living on my bedside table and has been my bedtime meditation knitting. The pattern is memorized now and just keeps going round and round and round.

This yarn is just SOOOO soft I can’t stop petting it. I can’t wait to see how it finishes up. The ombre is proving not to disappoint. But I admit I’ll be a little sad when it’s done because it’s a dream to work with. I love the thick/thin texture.

Happy Monday and Happy Knitting!!!

WIP Wednesday: Its Blanket Fever

Posted on May 29, 2013 by atangledyarn84

I’ve made fairly good progress on my Billow Blanket or Stashbustin’ #15. The yarn is a DREAM to work worth. It’s silky soft cottony goodness is just so luscious under my fingers. And the thick to thin texture is displayed nicely in the stockinette stitch.

I’m on my second color stripe (of six) and realizing this is going to be ONE BIG BLANKET. I’m not going to fuss over that right now. I’m just enjoying the pattern and the yarn and will see where the knitting leads me. This has been my go-to knitting on the couch at night while I watch TV or help the husband with college algebra.

Here is even better progress on Aunt Martha’s Prayer Blanket (I need to assign this a Stashbustin’ number as I’m using Carron Simply Soft from my stash). This easy pattern is a dream to memorize and I can seamlessly move between the two blankets as it doesn’t matter what row or stitch count I’m on. This blanket is smaller yarn and needles and knitting at a finer gauge. I’m finding the neat even stitches to be very soothing. This project lives in my travel bag I take to work for lunches and breaks. The one jarring note is the color change…

This is a horrible iPhone photo I took last night. But it give you the idea. I started with a dusty pink color and transitioned to a bright pink. In skein form the colors looked much better in this order but now that they are in knit form they look very different. I simply cannot decide if it bothers me. On one hand it’s very kooky just like Aunt Martha. On the other hand it’s NOTHING like me and I’m the one stuck staring at it as I knit. I still have a light baby pink that I’m planning to finish the outside with. Maybe that will make it better?

I’m very far along and would hate to frog it. And I know sometimes my OCD gets the better of me at times like this. Decisions….decisions

Happy Knitting

Finally Stashbustin’ #15!!

Posted on May 9, 2013 by atangledyarn84

A decision has been made on Stashbustin’ #15!!!

My Billow is destined to be…..drum roll please…….Constant Baby Blanket!! Many many thanks to all the wonderful suggestions from blog land!!!

(Photos from Knitersland Ravelry page)

This would be my first project worked from the center out and I’m excited. I am probably going to work the initial portions on two sets of 16″ circulars versus the prescribed DPNs. I have not yet mastered DPNs and don’t have them in the correct size. I do however have the necessary circs.

I also may not use the seed stitch sections shown in the second photo above. I think I want the stockinette sections to continue to the garter border. I really want the texture of the thick/think Billow to shine. But I’ll have to see what happens after I start working with the yarn. Who knows?

I’m really excited about the ombre effect of this yarn. I will start with the lightest color in the middle, knit until I run out, and then switch colors. So as the blanket grows the “stripes” will get thinner and thinner to the darkest outer edge. What do you guys think?

I’m super excited to start this project this weekend. I still have TONS to do around the new house but there is ALWAYS time for knitting. Never mind my WIP basket has four projects in it, lol.

Happy Knitting!!!

Stashbustin’ #15…what to do?

Posted on May 4, 2013 by atangledyarn84

I finally settled on a couple of patterns for my Billow yarn. I got several of the same suggestion from my last post about what to make with this yarn. And that was to find a new pattern I had never used. So to Ravelry I went!

Through the recommendation of a fellow blogger, I checked out the Constant Square Baby Blanket by Tina Laiho.

(Photo from Tina Laiho Rav page)

An ombre pattern caught my eye as i was roaming in Ravelry, the Ombré tank!

It’s so pretty! I’d have to do some swatching and figuring to make sure I get the right outcome with substituting billow for the pattern suggested yarn. But a cotton tank for summer does have a certain appeal…

Any thoughts from the blog world on these two options? Am I crazy??

For now I must go and load all my worldly possessions into a truck and get to moving!!

Un-Stashbusting….oops

Posted on April 29, 2013 by atangledyarn84

To celebrate myself a little, I finally decided to use my Knit Picks gift certificate…..tah dah!

I picked up some of Knit Picks new yarn, Billow! I have been seeing photos of ombré blankets made from this stuff all over Ravelry, the blogosphere, and Pinterest. I have absolutely been itching to try this yarn!

I picked up six different hues in the brown/yellow family. In order from light to dark they are: Natural, Willow, Cornmeal, Turmeric, Mongoose, and Chocolate. This 100% Pima cotton is sooooo soft under my fingers. I know this is going to make an amazing blanket. I bet it would make an amazing sweater as well, oh the possibilities!

Now I just have to decide what pattern to make? I want something that will really show off the ombré color changes.

Option 1: Chevron Baby Blanket by the Purl Bee

(Photo by the Purl Bee)

Option 2: Zig Zag Baby Blanket by knitculture.com

(Photo from knitculture.com Rav page)

Option 3: Kodachrome Baby Blanket by Jocelyn Tunney

(Photo from Jocelyn Tunney Rav page)

Option 4: Simple stockinette blanket with seed stitch border and just let the colors do the work

I can’t decide!! I have already made the patterns from option one and two. While option two was more visually striking, option one was more pleasurable to work. I’m torn between trying something new like option three or recreating something I’ve already done like options one, two, and four.

This yarn is special and deserves the proper pattern. Anyone out there in blogger land use this yarn or have any suggestions for a pattern? I really want to stick with a design that shows off the ombré, help!

Yarn Urges

Posted on March 16, 2013 by atangledyarn84

Knit Picks knows me all to well. They keep sending me advertisements and blogging about their new yarn Billow. Billow is creamy soft cotton that is spun thin/thick that gives it a bit of slubbiness. I want so badly to get online and order enough to make a small shawl or cowl. Okay truth time, maybe I really want to order a whole bunch and make another blanket. Everyone seems to rave about this yarn and I just want to try it sooooo badly.

(Photo courtesy of Knit Picks)

I have thus far resisted. I would like to say it’s because I’m de-stashing and being fiscally prudent. But it’s more due to the fact that my credit card was involved in the security breach back in Nov/Dec 2012 at Knit Picks. Knit Picks was hacked and customer’s information was exposed. I would never have known this but I happen to read their blog and noticed it there. It would have been nice to get an email, especially since I had ordered during the time period in question. And my card did end up getting fraud on it. Someone in Illinois (I live in Kansas) tried to use my card number to purchase gas, a hotel room, groceries, and something on Groupon. The card company flagged this quickly and shut off the card. I was not out any money. No harm no foul…..but I’m still hesitant about ordering. I’m not saying Knit Picks is bad or at fault, for the record I love Knit Picks and their yarn!!! And they say they have fixed the vulnerability….

(Photso courtesy of Knit Picks)

I really really want to try this new yarn! I’m just nervous about my personal data. Any guesses on which urge will win, lol?