Tuesday, September 10, 2013

how many squares does a blanket make?



and in between everything else, i knit squares.

there are 18 and a half in my pile now. the first 18 and a half squares from this book.

each one a different colour and pattern and name.

it amazes me that each new sequence of stitches creates such difference in the designs. i often wonder about the knitter who first came up with each pattern. if they were trying for something in particular or if they came upon it quite by accident?

sometimes i am completely overwhelmed at the start of a new set of instructions. so often it looks like gibberish and way too hard for a knitter like me. but i have learnt not to look too far ahead. i have learnt to knit one line and then the next. and i have surprised myself by how much knitting language i actually know.

and i love all the names of the squares; reversed out, seeded diamonds, snakes and ladders, staircase, slip sliding away...

at the moment i am resisting the urge to start sewing them all together. i think it would be lovely to see the blanket actually grow. but the patterns later in the book are very different to the patterns at the start of the book, and i think i'll need to finish them all to make sure they are all spread out evenly.

the patterns later in the book are multicoloured pictures; strawberries and houses bunnies and letters. i can hardly wait to get to them.

i always thought that for me crochet was for blankets and knitting was for garments but i guess it looks like i was wrong.

i am astounded that 18 and a half squares in, i am still so excited by this project. as soon as i cast off each square i can't wait to cast on the next. part of me wishes i would put it aside and knit a summery shawl or a pretty little pepper cardi, but i simply don't want to. this blanket and these squares are where i'm at.

i am knitting a tower and then that tower will become a blanket.

one day.


how about you, what are you making?
if you've blogged it, leave me a link and we'll come and see.

xx

33 comments:

  1. Good for you that you get an urge to sew all those squares together because that's the very point where projects like this will fail me, squares like these or even parts of a sweater will sit around forever, waiting for the simple task of being sewed into the blanket or garment they are supposed to be.

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    Replies
    1. the sewing together isn't my down fall, the darning in of the ends is. i think i have three or four blankets here that i've made over the years that are still waiting for the ends fairy to visit.

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  2. what a beautiful photograph, colours like a still life by an old master. i made a yarn-bombed antler necklace a couple of weeks ago

    http://www.blackbirdhasspoken.com/2013/08/the-one-where-i-make-yarn-bombed-antler.html

    but nothing but plotting since, due to endless, end of winter bugs...

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    Replies
    1. the necklace sounds amazing, can't wait to visit and see. x

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  3. I bet your blanket will be lovely. Knitting patterns all look a bit gibberish to me, so I think you're ace having a go not even knowing what patterns are ahead! Although I have many books and patterns just waiting for the day when I can make a little more sense out of them.
    I'm crocheting a little blankie called Spring Meadow, and some butterflies. Am heavily inspired by Springs sweet pretty flowers and colours... It's here if you'd like to have a look :-)
    http://bearlovesdove.com/
    Happy spring knitting to you :-)
    PS - I totally loved the camellia halo!
    Little White Dove x

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    Replies
    1. This blanket project is the perfect way to learn to knit I think.
      And a very happy spring to you too. x

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  4. I am with you on the wish for an "end's fairy"...
    I made a bag for my daughters daycare things the other day :)
    http://biglittletales.blogspot.co.nz/2013/08/on-my-worktable-daycare-bag.html
    Lisa xx

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    Replies
    1. if she comes to visit you first Lisa please send her on to me. x

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  5. I think a blanket like that should be made one day, here in my house. Trying and combining different squares.

    In the meantime I finally broke through the fact that I can only say "hello" in Japanese, and conquered the Crescent Moon shawl. Twice. Might be one of my favourite patterns ever! As a reward, I ordered two of my very own Japanese pattern books.

    Here's my first shawl, the second was completed yesterday and I will blog about that soon:
    http://www.haak-en-stekie.blogspot.com/2013/08/klaar-die-mezzaluna-crescent-moon.html

    (On the blanket front, my sis and I have secret CAL...we picked the same colours, based on the pillow covers of our little beach house, and each will make a blanket for a single bed in the 2nd room, to be revealed in July 2014 when she comes to visit from Ireland! I started this weekend :-)

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  6. Hi Kate. Your squares are stunning. My favourite is still the cream one, third up from the bottom of the pile, with the little knobs. I am sure knobs is not a technical knitting term x

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  7. http://brightlyburst.blogspot.com.au/

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  8. Lovely colour combination and looking forward to seeing it layed out. I'm trying to make a quilt for my little boy but found it difficult to select the fabric. Lots of boyish colours are in fact floral patterns.
    Anyway, I got some fabric and have made some of it, but now we are back to work/school my time is limited. I just hope he's not left home by the time I finish!!
    http://5ladybirdlane.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/cut-sew-iron.html
    Sarah

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  9. Gorgeous! Would love to see that book! (off to click there now)

    Last year I finished a crochet blanket for our bed: http://veronicadarling.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/voila-breaking-wire-crochet-blanket.html

    It took a year to crochet while I watched tv shows and took ages to crochet together! But it's SO good completing it! And those towers used to be all over my loungeroom! So fun piecing the colours together!

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  10. Hi. Blanket looks like its coming along well. Here in France I've just finished knitting a matinee jacket for a new baby in the family
    http://www.motheroeuf.blogspot.fr/2013/08/duck-egg-cardigan.html

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  11. I've made 3 single bed blankies now - using scraps, opshop specials and the occasional bargain. 80 squares per blanket, warm, cuddly and meditative.

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  12. I'd love to know how long it would take you to knit each square? I've just started knitting and it takes me hours just to knit a dishcloth! Lol...

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  13. I have just started my first crochet blanket. I am new to crochet and, perhaps foolishly, am doing a granny square blanket from Prue Mapstone using alpaca. the colours are just amazing but its really hard to get it to look at all even and I am dreading the sewing together bit. I can't wait to see how your blanket comes together

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  14. I prefer knitting pattern that use diagrams, versus plain writing.
    When I see a knitting patterns that have no diagrams, I almost always give up beforehand. It just looks so difficult.

    I just finished a pair of mittens.
    http://www.oklyous.dk/2013/09/mittens-try-3.html

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  15. I am working on a short sleeve sweater. You can see it at:
    http://squaregrannie.blogspot.com/2013/09/weekending_9.html

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  16. I enjoy following your posts and seeing progresses.
    At the moment I am tatting and attaching this edge to the second Sweet Pea napkin (the first one is here - http://liana-homecrafts.blogspot.com/2013/08/weekly-update.html).

    By the way, tomatoes are baked using your recipe :-)

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  17. Hola! Que colores mas calidos y bonitos que tendra tu manta es muy bueno conocer diferentes tecnicas, cada cuadrado si lo vives como una oportunidad para aprender algo nuevo. debe de ser emocionante, la torre se ve espectacular con esos colores tan vivos ... Yo ahora mismo estoy tejiendo a ganchillo un cojín de suelo para la habitación de mi hija. Me relaja tejer. Hasta la próxima , felices dias!!!

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  18. Your pictures always scream for me to come inside and visit. his particular picture made me smell coffee and homemade bread. Still warm from the oven. With salted butter slightly melting on it... And mud. From outside. Maybe because here it is fall soon. At yours it will be spring. The light. That amazing light. I have to say your photography is getting better and better for each day. Be proud. YOU are a natural. And what am I making? Well, my arm and hand is acting up some. I am trying my best to rest. I am working on a pattern for a shawl I have made. And I just released a classy granny pattern for my Gypsy blanket. And my head wants to make stripy leg warmers and learn how to knit... As an alternative to the crochet hook. Maybe that is what I should do this week. It can't be that difficult to knit ridged legwarmers, right?
    All the best
    Annette
    http://myrosevalley.blogspot.ch/

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  19. I've recently gotten my creative urge back on... y'day I made an insta-memories album with my instagram prints http://mytinytracks.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/creative-catch-up-instamemories-diy.html

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  20. Good for you that you keep trying even though you may be nervous about new patterns. I am a simple scarf and hat knitter with a fear and aversion of patterns. One day I will work up the nerve to sit down and actually try it.

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  21. I got the same book out from my local library and was saying to a friend how much I liked it. Subsequently she gave me a copy as a present - what a lovely friend. I'm currently making a scalf using the block on page 36 but I'm contemplating making a blanket like you, using all the block patterns, the next decision will be choosing colours for each block - a bit daunting! Liz

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  22. I bought the book on your recommendation! LOve it. One day i will get around to knitting the squares - I have made the sweet mug rug though.
    currently knitting with possum wool.

    http://www.creativechaosnz.blogspot.co.nz/2013/09/possum-wool_10.html

    and adore your book!

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  23. Hi Kate. I'm knitting something similar. Thanks for the inspiration. I'm just picking up my patterns off the internet; gosh, it's so easy to do that stuff these days. There's a great website called Knits and Purls (I think) and each pattern has a short Youtube demo. So easy. Anyway, feel free to hop on over to my blog and have a look. My daughter's pom pom chicken is pretty cute, too!

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  24. Am knitting a poncho but it's driving me mad because the pattern is incorrect. Have undone it so many times I could probably have made two by now!!!

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  25. Love those squares and I also like the depth of field on your chicken photos. Knock off 2 more zeros and that is how many chickens we have - 2. That is plenty.But beetroot... I have tonnes of that! I am making clothes at the moment and enjoying playing with my sewing machine. Take a peek at my new pinafore. Jo x

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  26. I've only knitted one blanket and was forever laying out the squares to see what it would look like but didn't sew it up until the end. It ended up a bit bigger than anticipated because I kept trying out new combinations of patterns and colours. My latest knitting project is a cardigan that was knitted on circular needles and then cut open - a bit scary to take the scissors to it but no sewing together (bliss). The picture is on Life in Mud Spattered Boots at http://annewheaton.co.uk/2013/09/12/autumn/

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  27. I love your tower so far, those colours are just great. What a great idea for a blanket. I love crocheting blankets and knitting them for that matter. It's just about all I do at the moment, but I'm waning in motivation at the moment after deciding I was going to need to transform my current cot blanket to a single bed blanket. Thinking I was nearly finished, I now find myself only just at the beginning again. I think I'll take a break and crochet a gorgeous bunting I have a pattern for.

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  28. This is such a lovely idea! Last winter I knitted squares for an organisation called 'wrapped with love', which provides blankets to Sydney's homeless during winter - I wasn't using any complicated patterns like you though!

    much love, hope the blanket goes well!

    www.flourish-blog.blogspot.com

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  29. HS Soft Coral Bed Blanket from Bizarkdeal

    This is soooooo soft. I got it as a throw for my guest room but it's so nice that it's usually in the front room being used by my boyfriend while watching TV. It's plenty long so if you are sitting in a recliner you can tuck it under your feet and still pull it all the way up to your neck even if you're 6 feet tall. It's not the warmest blanket in the world so if you run hot this will be great for you.

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Thanks so much for stopping by...

I do read every single comment you leave and appreciate it very much, but I should let you know that I can be a wee bit on the useless side when replying to comments, that's just me, everyday life sometimes gets in the way....so I'll apologise now, just in case.

Kate XX

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