Cable pillow! & my cat!

 I used this pattern, along with the yarn and needles my DH got me for Christmas. I wasn't sure what to do with the lovely aran yarns, but I saw this pattern on Ravelry and couldn't resist! (Plus my house can't hold any more blankets!).

I followed the pattern and did 3 repeats of the 20 row pattern. I added another panel of stockinette in the light shade behind the cable panel, as the pattern let the white filler pillow really show. I also did an I-cord border to cover up the seems. Pretty proud of myself. :)

I-cord border

Plain back panel in stockinette

For comparison. :) This is my VERY large 16lb Maine Coon mix. 

Linen Stitch Scrap-fest!

I absolutely fell in love with linen stitch while viewing The Malabrigo Scarf on Ravelry. The gorgeous way the colors play together, and the small amounts of yarn required per row, made me realize what an excellent stash-buster this project would be.

I have a large tote full of scraps of acrylic yarn that I've wound into neat little balls, keeping the smaller ones aside in another bag so I don't lose them in the abyss of the tote. It's used up a lot of my yarn already- I am looking forward to replenishing my stash when all of this Red Heart and Caron yarn is gone! :)

The linen stitch is SUPER easy. I cast on 360 stitches on size 9, 60" circular needles. The recommended needle for most of the yarns I am using is an 8, but after trying some swatches (this is a super dense stitch!), size 9 gave me the look I wanted without being too stiff. Looking back on it, I probably should have used a 10! If you are contemplating this stitch in ANYTHING, swatch it up a bit and size your needles up - it can get tight!

My color logic is as follows: stitch yarn each row; do two rows of colored yarn followed by a row of a neutral. Try not to let the colors clash too badly. ;)

"Wrong" side

So far I have maybe a foot knitted up. It is a great easy stitch to play with while catching up on movies (*cough* Harry Potter marathon) and so fun to pick out a new color for each row. It really does keep it from being monotonous (like my chevron afghan is becoming...). I can't wait to see how this looks when it is done - my DH calls it my confetti blanket! :)

 In case you are new to knitting, linen stitch is done as follows: Cast on an even number of stitches, preferably on circular needles (will explain why later)

1. *Knit 1, slip one as if to purl. Repeat ad inifinitum. ;)

Row 2 can proceed one of two ways:

2.1: *Purl 1, slip one as if to purl. Repeat. 

2.2: Slide all stitches to the other end, and *Slip one as if to purl, knit 1, and repeat, and you will only ever have to knit on the 'right' side. :) For me, knitting is way more fun that purling. Don't know why. I like the 2.2 version of this stitch personally, but the other way may work as well. 

I am doing a twisted fringe which I will elaborate on later for the edges. Very fun. 

That's it! Enjoy! :)

Confetti Blanket progress so far! 

New Year's Resolutions

Firstly, I realize it's been a  very, very long time between updates. However, since I doubt anyone is reading this blog anyway, I guess I don't have to apologize. :)

I have been furiously busy! First, let me show you what 17 donated Chemo Caps (and one very curious kitty) looks like. I donated to Knots of Love. If you are interested in donating Chemo Caps, premie caps, or baby blankets, it is an amazing nation-wide site. Check it out. I think I will be taking a break from caps for awhile, since I have a few more giant projects lined up!







Here is my other newly-completed project, loosely based on the Ron Weasley Blanket. I've been knitting squares of left-over worsted and DK weight yarns for what feels like years, and finally realized I had enough for a VERY large blanket (big enough for a twin-sized bed, or a large cozy couch throw!). I cast on 30 stitches on size 8 needles, and cast off when it was square (they ended up being about 6 3/4" on each side). I am kind of in love with this blanket. It is super soft and cozy, big enough for me and my DH to snuggle under together on the couch. :)

Isn't this gorgeous!? 

I've also made some awesome progress on my Knitted Zig Zag Afghan.  It is almsot 50% done. Very soft and warm. I am in loved with Red Heart Soft yarns after this.

I calculated my number of stitched when I cast on to be approximately 90" wide. I thought it was going to be narrow, but it is almost 96" wide. Perfect for our queen-sized bed.