On the Needles

Because the entrelac scarf was finished, the 'Viral Clap' stole is now my train commuting knitting. It's working up relatively slow. I'm only getting about 2 rows per train ride, and it's only going to get slower as I increase the stitch count.



This past weekened, I cast on the Jared Flood's Hemlock Doily Ring blanket/throw, which is a free pattern; you can find more on Ravelry. The yarn used is amazingly inexpensive (considering how much yardage you get PER skein) and is knitting up relatively quickly on US 10.5 needles (as it's a bulky worseted yarn). HOWEVER, the throw does go up to about 500 or so stitches (I'm only on about 136 right now), and it's already taking a long time to finish a single round. It'll be FOREVER to finish a round when it's bigger.

A friend, L, already made this project, and warned me that casting off is also going to take "forever". This is actually my first "lace" project, as the blanket was adapted from a vintage doily pattern.



I'm "itching" to make a pair of socks, for which I have the yarn, but I'm holding off because I have two project on the needles, and do I really need any more? (Don't answer that....)

Of course, I might end up casting a pair on later, but I digress.

------------

Project Ideas: Something I heard on a podcast that made me say, Hmmmm......

- Felted wool blanket from Thrift store sweaters -- basically: felt the sweaters, cut out squares, then quilt the whole of it together.
(http://www.blackbirdsf.org/diy/blanket/)

- Use the sleeves of said sweaters for leg warmers or the cuffs as wrist warms.