Super secret knitting project: commence.

Photo by my sister.*

After a horrible yarn disaster that left me with about 3 pounds of mottled blue yarn (more to come on that debacle), I've decided that I just have to try and get something knitted up in time for J and J's impending wedding.

Book available here.

I've decided on a pattern from my go-to book, "Leisure Arts Big Book of Quick Knit Afghans." Despite every effort to make the projects look terrible by photographing them on a rainy day in a cottage in 1975 (bonus points: several feature a cat and/or reading glasses and/or cups of tea), this book has so far served me well. It provided patterns for my sister's Christmas gift a few years ago (seen at the top) and C and S's wedding blanket two summers ago. And most importantly, as promised, they really are quick knits. All are knit on size 15 or 17 needles, so each stitch literally goes a long way.

I think I've chosen the pattern called, "Exquisite." I won't show it to you in the off-chance that J or J even knows I once updated a blog periodically... Anyway, it looks like I can easily dismantle the pattern into four packable strips. I know, I know, you're thinking, "why would you introduce seams and therefore SEAMING when you don't absolutely have to? You are crazy." But I can justify 3 seams if it makes me more able to knit on the plane to Europe. (did I mention I'm going to Europe?) The only other modification I'm anticipating is lenghthening it since J and J are stupid tall.

*underneath that delicately draped blanket is my sister's friend hiding in a bush to make the blanket drape delicately. Isn't my sister the best?

Best. Wedding gift. Ever.*

(*in my opinion.)

Summer means weddings. And to an amateur knitter this means the potential for panic. As it were, dear friends of the Fella got hitched about a month ago. C and S are fun and special people to the Fella, and the standard kitchenwares seemed to not be special enough to celebrate the occasion. With no fear, I undertook the challenge to finish an afghan in about five weeks.
I referred to one of my favorite (and ridiculously-titled) books, "The Big Book of Quick-Knit Afghans," and chose an equally-silly titled pattern, "Delightful." Fortunately, the result was not nearly as silly, and in fact, I'm quite pleased with it. The picture leaves a little to be desired and the fan-like or paisley-like pattern is faint. Also, it probably needs a napping cat and a pipe resting on it.

And if that wasn't good enough, the Fella brewed a special Nuptial Lager for the happy couple.
See? Best wedding gift ever.

Who doesn't love a rainy Sunday?

I was thinking about a project that I haven't touched in months and was suddenly inspired to revisit it. It's an afghan knit in small squares, to be pieced together randomly. The project has moved slowly from the beginning, sort of on purpose. I initially wanted to use all leftover yarn and reclaimed thrift store sweaters. It made guage difficult, but I'm hoping for the best when I go to sew it all up.



Anyway, I pulled the bag out of the closet, and laid out what I had finished. I'd forgotten how much I liked it, first of all. Secondly, I'd forgotten how many memories the little squares brought back. I can remember what was going on when I knit a lot of them. For instance, I know I knit squares on my birthday last year in New Hampshire with a favorite purple tweed leftover. I knit a red and gray square when I decided I was going to move to Columbus. Hot pink and orange in Chicago on Valentine's Day when I almost got snowed in. Turquoise and yellow while I was living with Katie. Lots of squares... and suddenly I'm waxing nostalgic. About yarn. Seriously.

But more importantly, rainy days are good knitting days.