Two down, fifty-four to go

I got started on the baby blanket last night, but had to stop after making two squares. My brain has been so foggy lately that I was having a hard time keeping track of how many rows I had knit up. I literally was counting outloud as I knit...one, one, one...to keep track of which row I was knitting...and then when I'd hit like row 13 I'd double remind myself by saying, "The day my son was born, 13, the day my son was born." Pathetic I tell ya! I did take some pics though, so here they are:

This is the blanket I'm making. It's Debbie Bliss' Garter Stitch Blanket from her "Baby Knits for Beginners" book.

Close-up of the blanket. I love how the squares are turned!

The yarn palate I am using from Mission Falls
From Left to Right - Goldenrod, Moss, Chili, Ivory, Musk, and Lentil

Close-up of the yarn to show the texture in it

The two squares I've knitted up thus far

Hopefully my brain will be more cooperative today and allow me to finish up more of them. I'm excited to see how it's going to turn out!

Liars

Last night Megan and I headed to Michael's to pick up some of the Tangelo Patons Grace yarn, as well as any other colors that might match it. I had decided to make a baby blanket instead, one by Debbie Bliss, and was uber excited to be buying more yarn. From the pattern (Debbie Bliss Garter Stitch Blanket) it stated I would need six balls of yarn (turns out there is more yardage in the Patons than the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran), so I was all set.

When we got there I was so disappointed. The way the sample looks on the Patons website shows the Tangelo as an apricot-pink-orange-cream color. In reality it is ORANGE. Really orange. Not a bad color, mind you, just not what I thought it looked like. I scanned the aisle and although I found two colors that would look nice with the Tangelo, I wasn't "feeling" it. Megan offered up the idea of using the Patons Lavender, which I pondered over, but I ultimately chose the Tangelo, with Natural, and Taupe (which again, in person looks much different than the web swatches).

Imagine how lucky I felt when I talked to Phil last night and found out that the nursery had been done in taupe/natural colors! A little bit of orange will add a burst of color while the Natural and Taupe (chocolate) colors blend in with the rest of the set. Sweet!

So I sat down, cast on, cast off, cast on again, ripped it out--I don't know why but I always have the damnedest time casting on. It's like I forget how. I do it, then when I start to knit I realize the tail is in the wrong place and it won't knit up right. I need to practice this more. Anyways, so I'm knitting and I'm thinking, "Boy, these squares are going to be TINY!" The pattern calls for you to make 56 squares, then you piece them all together, and stitch 'em up. I re-read the pattern and the finished size caught my eye..."19 1/2 in. x 22 in." Oh you gotta be kidding me! That's like a napkin, for crying out loud! I don't know why I missed that but in scanning the internet last night to read about this pattern, I found out that I am not alone. The picture in the book even makes the blanket look much bigger, thus many people are fooled by it and skim past the finished dimensions.

Needless to say I'm deciding on if I want to make this blanket or another one. I really like the way the finished blanket looks. You turn the opposite squares 90 degrees and it gives a nice dimensional look to it. Of course I think the Patons Grace might be the wrong choice for this blanket simply because it's not as thick as the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino. I'm going to hit a LYS today and see if they have the Cashmerino in the colors I want and start from scratch. Then I'll take the Grace back to Michael's. :o(

Liars. All of 'em.

I feel so deceived.