Tag Archives: Knit Picks

Westport Decision Point

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I have reached the end of the pattern instructions for my Westport Blanket. I have completed the pattern recommended number of repeats. But I still have a yarn left and I really want this blanket to consume as much as possible. I’m at a decision point.

I know, roughly, how much yarn each of the stockinette block and garter rows repeat consumes. And I have one full and one partial skein left that I can hold together. I *Think* I have enough yarn for two or three more repeats and then the garter border and bindoff.

My only concern that is if I add too much more length that the blanket will become more of weirdly shaped rectangle and less of a usable blanket. This fabric texture and gauge has some good stretch to be able to shape it. But the high acrylic content tells me that it might not hold a blocking very well. I need some time to muddle on this one…but I REALLY want this off my needles soon!

Happy Knitting!!

Westport Halfway!

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A very dear and lovely cousin informed us that the baby she and her husband are expecting will be boy arriving in October. And my knitter brain went DING! The Westport Blanket I started earlier this year will make the perfect baby boy gift. A knitter has got to love when you already have a project started and you find the most perfect home for it. So I picked this project back up and have started really working through it. I’m six pattern repeats in and I just started my second skeins.

I am holding Knit Picks Mighty Stitch held double to achieve bulky yarn gauge. I have used two skeins already, attached two more with a third pair waiting in the wings. The last pair aren’t two equal full skeins. I broke into one skein to knit a swatch I have lost to the ether somewhere. So I know I’ll have enough yarn to finish the blanket but I really want to use all the yarn up. So I may have to do a little pattern modification and re-calculation when I get to the end of the instructions and I still have yarn left. We shall see!

Happy Knitting!!

Back On Track

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After all my blunders on my Westport Blanket, I’m finally back on track!

I have worked the initial garter border section for 3.5 inches (ish). And I have just now started the first pattern repeat. I managed to make it through halfway through the first pattern repeat before PB woke up and demanded my attention. I’m super in love with the pattern that is emerging.

The stockinette panels are really showing up well in this yarn. This is Knit Picks Mighty Stitch held double. I’m using the Celestial colorway.  This is the perfect halfway project between mindless knitting and just enough interest to keep me working. A few rows of patterning followed by a swath of garter.

I have no deadline for this project and I find myself picking this project up as a palette cleanser on my “bad brain days” or in between other projects. It’s kind of nice to have a peaceful project tucked away waiting for me. Do you have a peaceful project?

Happy Knitting!!

I Might Have To Revoke My Knitter Card

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So all this week I have been fighting with my Westport Blanket and having all kinds of trouble. As I was knitting last night it really started to sink in that my work didn’t really look anything like the pattern picture. I think I have found the source of my problem….I PRINTED THE WRONG PATTERN FROM MY LIBRARY! I also own the Brookside Blanket also by Fifty Four Ten Studio and accidentally printed that from Ravelry. 

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As you can see, this pattern photo looks MUCH more like what was I was knitting than what I showed in my post on Tuesday.

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Now, this pattern and blanket are lovely. But they just aren’t what I intended. And since the border edge is already messed up on one side I’m just going to frog the entire thing and start over WITH THE CORRECT PATTERN this time. Man, I can be really silly sometimes but I might have to turn my knitter card in over this one though.

Off to the frog pond I go!

Westport Blanket Blunder

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I picked up my Westport Blanket last night to continue progress and listen to some podcasts. Well, I *thought* had the pattern sequence in my brain and was only half looking at my pattern. I might have also consumed an ice cold alcoholic beverage after dinner because work has been less than pleasant lately. And I was knitting along and laughing at my podcast just so pleased with myself! Then a blunder hit me smack dab in the forehead!

See my two borders of the blanket? Yeah…one is a sort of broken stitch and one is a weird ribbing. I mis-read (or didn’t read at all) one of the border row instructions and just blithely knit along. I’m putting this in time out until I have the fortitude to ladder down and fix the three columns that are wrong.

I really should know better by now. But I guess this is just another opportunity to learn! Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Westport Blanket

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I have conquered the annoying yarn vomit and managed to start my baby blanket! With my Mighty Stitch held double I just over 600 yards for a blanket. So I did a quick search of my queue and favorites and found the Westport Blanket by Fifty Four Ten Studio.

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So after the kids went to bed I managed to get a good start on the blanket. I have enough yarn for the Small size. It’s supposed to be crib or lap sized. I didn’t check gauge (bad knitter, I know) so I don’t know if I’ll end up with the pattern dimensions. Ask me if I care? 🙂

You just gotta love bulky yarn on big needles right? Even with my limited knitting time I feel like I accomplished something decent!

Happy Knitting!!

Blowing The Dust Off

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I managed to make it to work one day this week and forgot half my brain at home. I had a lunch box with an empty Tupperware container and an apple and then no knitting in my purse. It was a very rough day. Sleep deprivation is real yo!

I managed to scrounge a can of soup from my desk drawer so as not to starve. And I also remembered way back in August I had tucked some knitting away in my desk for just such days as this.

I pulled out my Cheery Vanilla Socks and added two whole stripes during my weekly conference call on my big work project. Sometimes it is good to stash knitting around like a squirrel stashes nuts! I may need to add a car project…..

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: Mackenzie 5-Ply

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Jellybean has a finished sweater!! The battle of the Mackenzie 5-ply sweater is over and I won! It has two sleeves and a matching hemline.

I even went so far as to install the buttons, sew in my tag, and wash and block this bad boy. Though it’s largely acrylic and doesn’t need blocking. But after my grubby hands…it definitely needed a bath!

I just ADORE the side seam treatment. The little garter panel just makes it looks so polished!

And it’s safe to say that Jellybean loves it! He ripped it out of my hands and put it on before I could even put buttons on it!

It makes him look so grown up….sniff sniff….

Pattern: Mackenzie 5-ply by Rebecca Newman 

Yarn: Knit Picks Brava Sport in Eggplant. I used 2.84 skeins or roughly 317 yards for a modified 7 year old version.

Needles: US 5s

Mods: See my Ravelry notes for my sleeves mods.

I’m sooo happy to have this off the needles. I was frantically knitting this on Super Bowl Sunday in order to finish one last WIP for the Down Cellar Studio’s Pigskin Party KAL. And I managed to weave in the ends by halftime! And this FO has seemed to kick off my “let’s finish all the WIPs mojo” so I’m hoping to ride that wave for a bit. I haven’t even touched by scrap blankets in over a week!

Happy knitting!!

Chugging Along

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Jellybean’s sweater now has a decent amount of body knit up. (And a nice collection of yellow lab dog hair…)

I still have a ways to go as the body needs to have 20 inches. I may have 10 or 11 inches done. I measured but for the life of me I can’t remember what the number is, I just know it wasn’t 20. This project has been a nice meditative knit for what little TV watching I get these days. Just round and round with a little interest of garter bands on each side “seam”. Jellybean has really enjoyed watching this grow though he hasn’t seem interested in helping with any stitches. Such is the proclivities of a 4 year old.

Happy knitting!!

Houston We Have Sleeve Separation

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Oh thank the knitting gods and goddesses…Jellybean’s sweater is finally divided for sleeves and cruising in the round!

By the time I got to the last raglan rows I was really having to work move all those stitches around my needles. There were a TON! The only slightly upsetting thing is that my gauge changed from working back and forth to in the rounds and there is a line I can see in the finished fabric. No one will ever notice but me….but it still makes me sigh every once in awhile.

But I have successfully divided and have…gulp, 20 inches of body to go. I think I might need a couple of good movies in order to crank this one out! I”m back to work today but I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and is ready to rock in the new year!

Happy Knitting!!