Burridge Lake Aran Afghan - it's finally finished!!!

Started in March 2009.  Knitted on madly for a few weeks.  Put down for a few weeks.  Knitted on again for a while.  Put in the cupboard for a few months.  Knitted on again for a while.  Put back in the cupboard again for several weeks.  And so on, until earlier this year when I decided that I really did need to get on with this as I was getting a bit fed up of seeing it as a WIP on my Ravelry page.  I worked out this morning that I've used approximately 13 x 100g balls of yarn on it since the beginning of this year and the whole thing took just under 19 x 100g balls, so you can see how much procrastination and doing-a-bit-then-putting-it-back-in-the-cupboard had been going on for the previous 22 months.

Anyway, it's now finished.  I knitted on the borders instead of knitting them and then sewing them on.  The join is a bit lumpy, but it's a blanket and when it gets washed, that will hopefully even out a bit.

It's a decent size for one person to snuggle under and it sits on top of our 4' 6" bed with a few inches gap either side, so will be a nice extra layer next winter.

Back of sofa shot.

With 8-year-old child, which gives a better idea of size (in truth, she wouldn't get off it until I'd taken her photo!).







To be honest, it seems rather odd, not having it there to knit on.  For the past couple of years, it's always been lurking in the background, available for those times when a bit of cabling is what's required.

I guess I'll have to have a proper look at my Alice Starmore Aran Knitting book and decide what I'm going to make from it!

On the home straight

After two years of on-and-off knitting, I finished the third panel of the Burridge Lake Aran Afghan on Saturday morning and seamed the panels together.

I've modified the pattern slightly by using a provisional cast on and leaving live the stitches at the top of each panel as I planned on knitting on the top and bottom bands.  So, this morning I picked up the top stitches and then did one knit row to even everything up and then went off to my Monday morning knitting get-together. At knitting group I cast on for the top band and did a couple of rows.  Not happy, so I frogged it and started again, this time casting on one stitch less than the pattern said.  Knitted on for a bit.  Still not happy - this time with the cast on - so I frogged again and cast on yet again.  Got home and knitted on a bit more, then had a good look at it and realised that knitting on one stitch from the body of the blanket every other row meant that the top band was growing too quickly for the width of the body, so I frogged back almost to the beginning and started doing an ssk with one top band stitch and one stitch from the main blanket on right-side rows and p2tog through the back loops on wrong-side rows.

Fingers crossed, this is going to work!

I'll let you know in a few days or so as I reckon I should be able to get this finished within the next week (although I've probably just jinxed myself).  Better make sure the camera battery's charged.

Your knitting and crochet time: 2KCBWDAY7

Write about your typical crafting time. When it is that you are likely to craft – alone or in more social environments, when watching TV or whilst taking bus journeys.

My knitting time is generally any time of the day or evening when I get a few minutes, or I decide to have some knitting time!  Most mornings I get the children off to school, walk the dogs and then feed them and then sit down with a cup of tea or coffee and my knitting for an hour (or more, if I get carried away and forget the time).  I'll usually get my knitting out again in the evening after the children are in bed and the dogs are fed and settled, especially as hubby usually gets control of the TV remote! 



I rarely use public transport, but I have been known to get out needles/hook and yarn whilst waiting for appointments, especially hospital ones where they always seem to be running late (even if it's the first appointment of the day).

I do go to two knitting groups.  Monday mornings and Friday mornings will usually find me knitting and nattering at one of two local-ish pubs (drinking coffee or tea though) although I never seem to make a great of progress on those mornings.  To much nattering probably!

Something to aspire to: .2KCBWDAY6

Something to aspire to.

A short one from me today. 

I aspire to being able to crochet a pineapple doily.  Not that I need a pineapple doily - I'd just like the satisfaction of being able to make one!

That's it really.  I thought about it and that's what I came up with.  I'm always amazed at how beautiful pineapple-type doilies look and one day would like to make one of my own.  First, though, I've got to learn how to follow a crochet chart!

Wildcard: 2KCBWDAY5

I tried to write a poem, but have decided to spare you my efforts and use the wildcard for today's post!

Embellishments

For a while now, I've been meaning to make a scarf or shawl and add beads to it.  I've even got some beads.  Two packets in fact.  One packet has blue beads in it; the other has bronze-toned beads in it.  Neither have been opened and I can't even remember how many beads are in each packet.  I'm not even sure I'd wear a beaded scarf or shawl if I'm being honest.

I did think about adding beads to the cuff of a sock, but then realised that the socks would probably fall down due to the weight, so I'm back to square one with how to use them.

I'm not even going to think about the big heart-shaped 'bead'/embellishment I've got in my sewing box.  I have a feeling it was a free-thing that was sent to me with some yarn I bought.  I hope so because otherwise I have no idea what possessed me to buy it.