I have been working on a blanket - yes, another one! Actually, I’ve been working on two blankets but the second one will have to wait till later.
This is based on Kristina’s beautiful pattern - Vortex Shawl. It’s knit circularly from the center out and I worried about getting the cast-on right. As it happened, I didn’t have any trouble with it and was off and sailing in no time!
The beginnings went quickly, as always with a design like this. I have, however, gotten to the point where I can only do a couple of rounds at a time. That’s not a problem :) When I’m not focusing on getting one thing done on a timeline (like the scarf), I can do a couple of rounds every day - sometimes even four rounds if my arm holds out :)
I have no idea where this love of making blankets comes from but around late May/early June the blanket bug started biting me so I started looking around. I had also had the hankering to make something redredred. When I found the pattern for the Vortex Shawl, I knew I had found my blanket and out I went to yarn shop! I’m using Patons Wool and, as usual, finding it very pleasant to work with. I’m on the fifth ball now and haven’t encountered a single knot yet.
I don’t know yet how big this thing will grow. I started out with the idea of making it 70” in diameter which would be suitable for a double-bed, say. But I’ve recently become aware of the advantages of a lap blanket - something just big enough to cover the lap and legs and it’s about that size now. There’s also the matter of a border or an edging. I would like to do one (the Godmother’s edging from Walker’s second treasury keeps s[peaking up) but I can’t decide whether to do it in the same red as the body of the blanket, or in a contrasting color. Cream? Black? Purple?
It’s a good thing I don’t have to decide today as I tend to be notoriously slow about these kinds of decisions :)
I saw a film this afternoon that I’d like to recommend. It’s called The Golden Boys and stars David Carradine, Rip Torn, Bruce Dern and Mariel Hemingway. It is a gentle and charming romantic comedy set in Chatham, MA of 1905. The movie was filmed entirely on Cape Cod and great attention was paid to period authenticity. The musical score is also quite wonderful. A word of warning though - this is not Die Hard. There are no heart stopping car chases, no breath-catching perils or traumas and almost nothing in the way of sex or rough language. This is an older style film. If you’re over 45, you’ll probably enjoy it :)
I loved it!
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that really is RED and i love it- i think i’d stay with the same spectacular color for any edging-
i have thoughts about shawls and blankets but my schedule demands more portable creations lately, so i’ve been getting the yearly ‘socks for everyone’ out of the way- of course i can spend so much time dilly-dalying with a sock that anyone else could finish a blanket- umm, maybe i should apply wd-40 to either my fingers or the needles!!
you know my ‘sit though’ inability, but the movie sounds nice- i will pass the title along to dana- she has a gentle soul that loves that kind of movie and there aren’t a lot of them out there!
stay happy-
Barb - Red isn’t usually my color, but at the time I started the blanket, I had been obsessing about it for some time. I am really enjoying the thought of a nice warm blanket in a nice warm color!
Does that make me a scarlet woman?
love it:) Have queued on rav. I want red after seeing this:) Can’t get the DVD here in UK:(
Amber - There’s a DVD?
I think so from googling ebay.com
Amber - I found the pattern on line. Up at the top of the post, there’s a link. Click on the words Vortex Shawl. That should take you right to the pattern.
confusing you sorry, I meant the film
Amber - Ah-ha! Now I get it, sorry about that.
Beautiful blanket! and that looks like my kind of movie. Maybe I could even get my 15 year old son to watch it with me! ;) 
Carol - The pattern is so simple - it’s a dream to work on and the result is far more impressive than the simple working might imply. Excellent TV knitting :) I’m really enjoying it and I’m going to enjoy snuggling under it as well!
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that Classic Merino Red!! Stay with it for the edging; I really don’t think there’s another colour that would do it justice (imho).
Blanket looks gorgeous - love the red color. I am a big fan of Patons Classic Wool. It is one of the nicest wools to knit with IMHO & isn’t it amazing that they can provide 100 gm balls & you can knit dozens of them & never encounter a knot yet other expensive less pleasant feeling wool yarns (you know who you are N) cannot seem to spin up a 50 gm ball without a couple of knots - particularly vexing in a self striping yarn. And it felts like a dream- not such a good thing for a blanket I suppose but great for clogs & Fuzzy Feet & other warm garments. 
Ev - I dunno…I keep thinking a black border edging would look kinda sexy :)
mwknitter - You’re right :) I haven’t tried felting the stuff, but the Classic Wool been pretty nice for everything else I’ve wanted to use it for.
I believe I’ve also used the “N” yarn and was disappointed both by the knots and what I felt was the shoddy quality of the yarn in general.
Pretty blanket. I think I’d stick to the red [just an opinion!]
Thanks for the hint about the movie - it sounds good.
So glad to have you back. Seems to me you are knitting a bit the blanket is beautiful. I started to spin so my knitting is off and then I had to adopt an angora rabbit to go with the spinning wheel better known as the wheel from hell. It is awful to learn but I have to now just because. Take care.
Lynne - Well, yours seems to be the popular vote - stick with the red :) It is quite the color!
Kathy - Ooooh - a spinning wheel and a new pet who produces spinnable fiber!!! Good for you. I know once you get around that bend in then learning curve, you’ll be off and running…er…spinning!
