Sparky's Scrap Blanket

This is Sparky's blanket.  I used a cream yarn as the base color & switched colors as needed.  I made it with 20 stitch wide garter stitch strips, then sewed them together.  I used garter st because it takes more yarn to complete, this way I could use up more scraps.  I also doubled some sport weight yarns, & tripled some of the finer yarns so I could use them as well. 

I played around with different ways to sew them together.  I used a weaving method normally used to sew stockinette pieces.  I liked the braided look that it gave the finished piece, which is normally what the back side would look like.  While I liked the way the other side looked, I prefered the braided effect. 

After all said & done, it made a 3 foot by 4 foot blanket.  I rather like the effect of the strips with the different colors, too. 

Sparky really seems to enjoy it! 

Afghans, All The Time!

I've made lots of afghans over the years.  They are just so wonderful to snuggle up when the weather is cold.  They offer comfort when you don't feel well.  They are like an old friend.  I love the ones that I currently have. 

The above pictures show a few of them.  The oldest of the group is the white one.  It is done in a fun zig-zag pattern, with fringe on the long sides.  It was made on larger needles, I believe they were size 11.  It is smaller than my others too, about the size of a twin bed.  It has held up well over about 15 years!

The blue & black buffalo plaid is the next.  It was done with 2 strands together, using bobbins for the squares, all the way across.  I trimmed it with 3 rows of single crochet, but I hate the look of it, & just didn't have the heart to frog it & make it garter st instead.  It took a long time to make, because of the switching of bobbins over a small area, but the look is classic.  Made with a very soft yarn, it also has done well over time.  It is very thick & warm, perfect for a winter's night.

The next one , also blue & black, was made in long chevron strips, which were sewn together.  I trimmed the top & bottom with garter st.  It was made with a chenille yarn by request of my husband.  I've been lucky, as it has only wormed a little!  Included is a close up of a blue strip to show the stitch pattern.  I made garter rows every so often to help show the definition of the chevron.  It is very soft & lightweight, great for a cooler spring evening. 

The last is my scrap yarn afghan which I have shown here before.  It is one of my favorites, so its worth showing again!  You can really see how the squares come together to make this a very interesting afghan.  I've also included closeups of two of the squares, done in garter st.  This is a huge afghan, more than large enough for our queen size bed.  This one is my comfort afghan for when I don't feel well.  That & some chicken soup, I'm all set to feel better!

Spring Is Here!

I love watching the birds fluttering around outside.  We put up some feeders & a couple of birdhouses for them a few years ago.  So what does this have to do with knitting?  Well, I save my small scraps of yarn & put them out for the birds to use in their nests.  I also put out dryer lint, which they really seem to like also.  I really got a kick from seeing a piece of bright blue yarn sticking out of the birdhouse! 

This year, a few birds started nesting in one of the houses, but the bottom had rotted to the point where it fell off.  There was a nest inside, but no eggs fortunately.  My husband replaced the bottom, but the birds have been slow to return.  Two days ago, I spotted some action going on in the house again, so hopefully I'll get to see some yarn scraps hanging out again!  I'll be sure to get a picture of that! 

This past weekend, we attemped a camping trip.  It got rather cold because of all the rain we've been having, so I made sure I brought my cable sweater.  It was perfect!  I wore it most of the day Saturday, it was warm & cozy.  Unfortunately, it got so cold that I hardly knit anything, & we ended up leaving early.  We don't have a heater in the camper, so it gets very cold in there!  It took my butt about an hour to thaw!

And Then There Was The Time...

A friend's daughter was expecting.  This was a difficult situation because she was 16.  Even though most of us were not happy about the situation, we were planning a baby shower for the girl.  Being that the family doesn't have a lot, I thought I would make as many baby things as I could.  As I knitted, I only thought good, loving thoughts for the baby.  Blessings is how I felt about it, as I hoped the best for both the mother & the baby.  I finished 4 sweaters & a hat in time for the shower. 

When the girl opened the sweaters, she was less than thrilled.  You could see she was visibly disappointed.  As was I, for all the love that I put into making the garments.  I assume she expected a "store-bought" gift.  It was very sad, in my opinion, because she obviously didn't appreciate the gift at all. 

I don't mean to sound like a glory hound, but I felt disappointed as well.  At least be appreciative of the "gift".  She must be one of those folks who feels that a handmade item is less worthy of her appreciation.  How sad, maybe it is just her youth.  This is one person I will never knit for again!

One Of My Favorites

One of my favorite recollections!  I made quite a few sweaters for a friend's baby shower.  They were all in generic colors so they would be appropriate for boy or girl.  She had a little girl, & every time we would go there, the little girl would be dressed in one of the sweaters.  There is nothing so flattering as to see your gift being used by the recipient!  They were different sizes to accomodate the rapid growth of a baby, so I had made one in a toddler size as well.  This little girl wore that sweater so much whenever we saw her, I sometimes wondered if her mom ever dressed her in anything else!  How's that for a twist?!  All in all, it was great to see them being used & well loved & cared for.  Plus, how else are you supposed to know if it fit properly if you don't see it on?  Thanks, Terri!