Harper's baby blanket

Harper and her friend, Rachael came over the other night.  They have a friend who is pregnant and far enough along to know she is carrying a boy.  Both of them want to make something for the baby before October when he is due.

We had no problem choosing something for Rachael as she is an experienced crocheter and found yarn in my stash and decided to make a rhinoceros with the yarn and immediately started her project.

Harper and I found yarn that we liked and I cast on for her and she knitted a part of a row.  But at the end of the evening I was not satisfied with the project we had chosen so I looked again in my stash and still was not sold on any project for Harper.  She wants to knit a blanket.  I want it to be machine washable and pretty enough that she won't loose interest.  I think we need to choose a project with larger needles than the one we chose so it will go more quickly,  So after a thorough search for yarn in my stash, I decided to go see Jonathan at the Blue Ewe to see what he has on hand that might be suitable.

The pattern Harper and I had chosen last night was Garter Block Baby Blanket by Meg Hollar.  Sarah and I had made this baby blanket for my Mary's twins six years ago and they turned out aok.  Meg's pattern takes 650 yards of yarn and is knit on size 10 and 1/2 needles.  I am not convinced that Sarah and I knit on that large of needles nor that we used Bulky yarn so perhaps we made a different version of this pattern.,

It is an easy pattern but not totally mindless as there is a bit of counting that needs to happen.   I am also going to add a couple of patterns below that we considered because of nice color selections 

So I am organizing what I looked at at the Blue Ewe so that I can show Harper what I felt were the best choices that Jonathan carries.

Queensland Fair Isle is an Australian 

And below is a sample that shows what a larger piece of fabric might look like:

And then a photo of a pattern called Bondi by Susan Claudio that might appeal to Rachael in this yarn

The Queensland yarn is 75% super wash wool and 25 % nylon and comes in 246 yard ball.  They suggest 7 to 9 knitting needles.  

Queensland also has solids in 100% Cotton knit on size 7-9 needles with 185 yards of yarn and can be machine washed.

Below is th shelf with the Coastal Cotton selection:

Probably Jonathan's favorite suggestion was Cascade Cherub Aran Prints.  It is a Nylon/Acrylic yarn knits on size 7-8 needles.  Machine Washable. 240 yards

And here is what they look like knit up:  Top one is Colorway 701.  Botton one is 702.  The lady who knitted it complained that the yarn was not very thick.

 

The next yarn I looked at is Araucania Alsa.  I was unable to find it on Ravelry.  It is a lighter weight that the others have been but it is very pretty.

It knits on size 5-7

And last but not least is Cascade Elysian6

It is 60 percent Merino and 40% Acrylic.  It knit on size 9 needles.  Johnathan had a t-shrit made out of it on the wall.  It is bulky and is knit on size 9 needles.  Here are colors available.  It is Superwash Merino

My new Blue Ewe project

 I am almost finished with both of my Blue Ewe projects.  So on Wednesday I bought yarn for the third project that I will be knitting on Wednesday afternoons this summer.  The pattern that I chose is The Loop.  The yarn that I chose is 

Ok....since then I changed the background color to white.

I have really enjoyed this knit....getting close to finish.....Not sure exactly when I quit knitting.  Need to look at the pattern.  

Now I have the green left and I might do Olive Pink with it

Internet Archive

 This is a quick story about how my life in my 70s seems to converge.  I have always been just exactly who I am.  And now the things that I love to do intersect with all of the other things that I love to do.  I fell into my job as Regent of Buford Chapter of DAR.  I would have never have agreed to take on this job as I am inexperienced in running a meeting and I am almost ignorant of the ways of the DAR.  But the job has been great fun as I can use my love of research of the Revolutionary War and my love of telling stories.  I have had great fun!  And my historical and genealogical research fits perfectly with helping others do their application papers.

This weekend has been the same.  I received an e-mail from Internet Archive:

And I made a contribution the minute I read it.  I love the site!

Then this morning, Harps and Thistles sent a knitting e-mail (owner does this weekly) that I will add below:

New Concatenation Shawl

 I bought some yarn that was probably on one of the sites from which I get e-mails.  Already can't remember.  It is Storyteller Sock color Moon Rocks.  It was an impulse buy.  But the yarn speaks to me.  And I wound one skein into a ball while waiting on the carpool at St Joe.  And realized it is a variegated yarn rather than a self-striping yarn.  I guess I knew it when I bought it, but somehow bought it anyway.  I do not like variegated when used alone.  I don't like the randomness of the colors nor the pooling.  So what to do?  

I got help from my knitting buddies.  I have decided to do another Concatenation Shawl with it and three other colors.  I will take it in to the Blue Ewe on Wednesday to be sure that Jonathan doesn't have anything that will work.  But if he has no colors that I love, I will use Emma's sock yarn.  Right now I am leaning towards her Super silky sock:  Wish you were beer, Denim, and Teddy.  Hmmm....not sure on colors yet.  Work on this.

Then one day this month, I was sitting in my bedroom chair and looked at the cabinet to my right and I already had great colors in my stash.  I might add Wish you were beer to the mix.  It is a slightly darker version of the gold in this photo.

New Bias Before and After scarf

I was so pleased with my Bias Before and After Scarf after it was blocked that I decided to make another one.  My only fault with the design by Church Mouse is that the Cast on and Bind off were not pretty enough for how pretty the scarf is.  So I ordered two new books:  both of them about Decorative Cast on and Bind offs.  Great books.  But while waiting for the books to arrive, I found on-line directions for an icord cast on and bind off and I am using that without consulting the books at all.  The directions can be found at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxNtbWYXrvg

This is a Very Pink tutorial.

The yarn is again Zauberball Crazy. 

Then in March 2026 Church Mouse sent out another e-mail with such pretty ideas that I decided to add them to this blog post so I wouldn't loose them.  I am sure Church Mouse will not be unhappy with me for giving them credit for this wonderful pattern!  They have shown other ways to wear the scarf.

 

Malabrigo knit along with the Blue Ewe

Jonathan put a knit along in place for the month of March with Malabrigo.  I decided several weeks ago to join in on the fun.  The pattern is Friendship Shawl Easy by KnitSisu

the designer says this about her user name:    My username is KnitSisu and my website is knitsisu.com

Sisu: a Finnish word - determination, purpose, strength, courage, & resilience. 

I actually found the pattern ahead of time, but am waiting to get the pattern free ....I hope today.

The original pattern was released several years ago and this was the color way shown at that time.  I liked this color way so much that I copied it....not exactly because the pink that Jonathan carried was a bit different.  

Red White and Blue scarf

I have wanted to do a red white and blue scarf for several years to wear at DAR meetings.  Nothing seemed right.  And the one that I loved was too hard for the final item.  But look at the end of this wrap.  The pattern is Crown Wools by Casapinka.  I think this might actually be the answer.....1595 yards in fingering weight yarn

 At the end of the summer I found another possible red white and blue shawl:

And don't forget that I have another blog post on this site with other ideas.

Here is an idea that just uses the red and white in fingering weight:  

It is called Nostalgia Shawl.