I bound off the shawl on Saturday afternoon.
I’m pleased with it so far. Obviously it isn’t blocked yet :) I have been too busy with dad, for one thing and our weather has been very humid, for another. This has to be able to dry in a day so I’m waiting for a less muggy stretch of weather. Also, I’m going to need more pins - a lot more pins! I think this is going to grow considerably with dressing - not that there’s anything wrong with that :)
I have started what I thought was going to be a baby blanket for the little fellow downstairs. My landlord’s son is just short of a year old and was christened over the weekend. I had intended to make the baby something all along, but I never came up with an idea I liked and eventually the whole thing just got away from me.
I went with entrelac, since it is a technique I really enjoy doing and am alternating rows of stockinette blocks with rows of broken (beaded) rib blocks. The yarn is Caron Simply Soft in Light Country Blue and the needle is a Knitpicks Options circular, size 8 US (5.00 mm). It’s going great guns and I’m enjoying working it up, but…
It’s going to be considerably wider that I had thought. I keep forgetting that with entrelac, you’re measuring on the diagonal for the width of the piece. Here, there are nine blocks across; each is 11 stitches wide. The diagonal on the blocks is just a hair over 5 inches so I’m going to wind up with an overall blanket width of at least 45” - more if I put on a border. That’s a bit big for a baby :) Still, I don’t think I want to frog it and start over. Perhaps in a larger size, it will be useful for a longer period of time.
We’ve been watching the degus carefully for signs of another pregnancy. There haven’t been any. Our current surmise is that Emma was expecting when we brought her home and that Sunny (formerly Sundance) was simply another young female. This is a relief. They have gotten their home the way they like it now (the babies have gone back to the pet shop) and seem to be relaxing and enjoying life. They’re eschewing their house these days - the warm, humid weather, I think - and have built a rather large nest out of hay and fluff at one end of their cage. They sleep in the nest, curled quite endearingly around one another :)
Dad is improving a little more every day - definitely a good thing. I have been taking him wherever he needs to go and I know he’s feeling better because he’s begun telling me how to drive. Before this, he didn’t have the energy to complain :) He has/had three follow-up appointments in Boston over the next week. We did the first one yesterday, there’s another on Friday and the last next Monday. By then, he thinks, he’ll be ready to venture out on his own - at least for small trips like shopping and paying bills.
I hope you’re all having wonderful weeks and that summer and the world are treating you kindly!
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the shawl is gorgeous- so is the blanket (i too have ‘baby knitting’ that i *must* attend to but i am procrastinating)- the wee critters are adorable- and hooray for ‘captain cranky! i do love a good news roundup!
the ‘simply soft’ is just addictive for so many baby things- i wish they would put out a version in a slightly finer gauge so it could be used for all the baby essentials- it has the combination of washability, softness, and survival skills that are so good for baby items-
we’re humid here too- the usual daily downpour turns to steam as soon as the clouds responsible meander off to the east- makes everything feel slightly sticky and very grubby-
stay happy-
Your shall turned out great!
As to the baby blanket, bigger is better unless bigger is twin bed size! I always thought the 36” blanket sizes were a bit small for babies and you never know when the toddler will decide it is his favorite and then drag it around forever!
Glad your dad is improving.
Barb - I also wish Simply Soft came in a lighter weight. Fingering? Sport? Something a little less heft, anyway :) It’s a pleasant yarn to work with and it is so nice and soft.
Captain Cranky? Heheh… Now that’s a good nickname :) Hopefully i won’t say it aloud at an inopportune moment…
Kathleen - Thanks for that. I always thought that baby blankets were rather skimpily sized - but since I’ve never cared for a baby, I have no idea what mothers in general think about it. I figure I’m just going to go for 45-50” in length and let it go at that.
The shawl is absolutely gorgeous! I can’t wait to see it blocked.
Opal - many, blushing thanks :) I’m trying to write the pattern out, but it has come to my attention recently that pattern writing is not my forte. I’ll get there eventually and hopefully, it will even be clear! LOL…
The shawl’s gorgeous, Robbyn! And it will be even better blocked; looking forward to seeing it then. The entelac is looking good, too, and other posters are right, bigger is better. Really.
Good news on the Dad front; I’m happy to hear he’s improving!
Robbyn,
The shawl is beautiful. Can’t wait to see it blocked. The baby blanket is gorgeous, I’m a fan of blue and green!!! I think bigger is better also. Babies are such kickers. Mine always kicked their small blankets off.
I’m so happy your dad is getting better. I’m also knitting a baby blanket! An old Columbia Minerva book….Columbine is the pattern.
Have a great week!
Carol 
I looked long and hard at your entrelac. I have always been afraid to try it, but it looks organized enough. Maybe I’ll just try a swatch and see what happens. Are there variations, or is it a pretty general plan, with changes if you make fancy in the rectangles?
I glad to hear your Dad is picking up speed. I agree that the “Captain Grumpy” stuff is a good sign (and a cute name!”)
Ev - believe me I am also looking forward to seeing it blocked :) But I am also a bit nervous about it as I have never blocked lace before. Never the less, once I am able to get some more pins, and have a reasonably dry day, I’m going to tackle it!
Carol - Thanks :) it seems as though a lot of us are involved in making baby blankets right now. Not a bad kind of project at all :)
It was coincidental that I just happened to have blue yarn for a blanket for a baby boy - but fortuitous!
Kathy Sue - Entrelac is fairly simply organized and really isn’t difficult. If you decide to make fancy in the rectangles - a cable, some lace or a bit of intarsia - things remain the same. The block is still worked for so many stitches over so many rows.
There’s a link to a tutorial (on the sidebar under How do I do That???) called All Aboard the Entrelac Express that might help you to get started.
Please feel free to write me if you have a question or if i can help. Though, fair warning, since entrelac is one of my very favorite knitting techniques you may be sorry you let me open my mouth :)
ha, dads are funny. My dad had a low period when he didn’t really say anything but now he has started chipping in about how my sister raises her children again so must be better ;)
Lovely shawl. I collect pins and still never have enough. I have blocking wires but I think wire isn’t accuarate - they are very thick rods of metal which distort the knitting I poke them through but are very helpful.
Abi - I’ve been dying to try blocking wires because it seems like it would be so much easier than bending over a piece for the insertion of a couple of thousand pins :)
Yep, dads are indeed funny. I think they do it on purpose :)
Shawl is beautiful!!
Vicki
Vicki - Thanks very much :)
I’ve never been sorry that I investing in “dressing wires.” They are MUCH easier to use than pins.
Here’s the link to the ones I bought and have been happily using for a while now:
http://www.handworksnw.com/dressingwires.html
Treat yourself well - you are worth it!
Diane - Thanks very much for the link - the kit even seems to be a reasonable price! I’m still mulling it over, but I am leaning towards the wires more and more. They seem like such a good idea :)
