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Knitting Friday

Yes, it is Saturday because yesterday started with some whirlwind Thanksgiving shopping. The stores were rather tame and I was able to get a load of stuff without the long lines - which may start today and continue through December. So I was tired but content when I arrived home with the goods and found the mailman at my mailbox considering whether a huge package he was carrying was going to fix into my puny, but federally-approved and association-approved mailbox.

I solved his dilemma by being there and within minutes I was inside cuddling with the yarn I had ordered for the Mario blanket.

And that kiddies is why there was no Knitting Friday because, until I found myself nodding off, I worked on the Mario blanket all day yesterday. OK, to be truthful, I was up 7 squares before I ripped out. But awakening at 3 a.m. has me now at 6 squares so you could say I’m just humming along. (Edit: Since I wrote this I'm up to 15 squares, just about ready to start the second tier of squares.)

What put me in the frog pond with the first 7 squares is the fact that these mitered squares are my invention; or rather my drastic tweaking of a designer’s mitered square. I’ve been using this variation for ages but I never wrote down the directions and after the first 7 squares were completed I noticed (and yes, I was in denial until the 7th square) the mitered point flared out. Now, this is a problem with bias but I solved it in my second attempt by ending the squares with one less row.

Early this a.m., I finally wrote down the pattern, which is always a good idea but even “gooder” with this pattern because on some squares I do ssk and K2tog and on others, it’s ssp and P2tog.

I’ll share the pattern and pictures once I get two tiers of squares finished. With two tiers, I’ll have all the variations down since the tiers are: A, B, A, B, etc.

Right now, I want to stop typing and get back to Mario because after the second tier it gets interesting because the boot squares start on the third tier.

I’ll leave you with a picture of my dusty rose wool cardi/shrug (left). I made it as long as a cardigan with sleeves ending just before the wrist watch area of the arm - much easier when you wash dishes. So it’s really a cardigan with a touch of shrug in that it doesn’t meet in the front. I decided I like that look and my fourth one is on the needles.

Also, the purple shawl got gifted last week so I have to renege on the promised photo. However, the shawl to the right is the beginning of the same pattern as the purple. shawl. It’s done with Knit Picks lace and an N crochet hook. I’m finding that if I have at least two skeins of lace, this is also a favorite pattern. (One skein will work but you’ll get a shawlette since crocheting does use more yarn; that’s not a myth. ) And, with three skeins, it becomes a luscious wide and long rectangular shawl which can be wore for three seasons.

OK, got to go. Mario calls.

Happy knitting.