A sewing blog about building a functional, cohesive handmade wardrobe, one garment at a time.

Monday, March 31, 2014

The most epic of WIPs

Warning: This is not a sewing post.  If you are not interested in knitting, come back in a few days and I'll have some sewing to show you.

This project has been six years in the making.  In my pre-sewing days I was quite a prolific knitter, and one of my proudest achievements was a multicolored wool blanket that I knit for one of my very best friends as a wedding gift.  The knitting of the blanket (pre-kids) took about three months.  When I was done, I sent this photo to my husband, who was in Afghanistan at the time.  


He wrote back, "Can we keep it?"

Negatory, dear husband (this was one of my very best friends, after all), but I'll knit you one of your own. It won't be immediate, but I promise I'll have it done by our fifth wedding anniversary.

Famous last words.

I finished knitting our blanket before our sixth anniversary, but with our seventh coming up this fall, the eight pieces that need to be seamed still sit in their plastic bag, neatly rolled up.  


It's not the seaming that I'm putting off - I actually find that a relaxing task in front of a good TV show.


It's the blocking that I am avoiding.  I know I've blocked at least three of these strips, possibly up to five, but that leaves at least three, possibly up to five, that still need blocking.  And I don't have enough blocking space to do them all at once.


I'm posting this in hopes that seeing the pretty pictures on my blog will motivate me to get blocking - really it will only take a couple days even if I have to do five strips - and seaming before we move.


I'm afraid that if I don't do it now, our ninth anniversary will be upon us before hubby gets his precious blanket.

The pattern, btw, is the knitting world's famous Lizard Ridge, and the yarn is about 46 skeins' worth of Noro Kureyon.  There is some more information about the actual knitting on my Ravelry page.

12 comments:

  1. Masha, this is just stunning - I am in total awe.

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  2. wow! It is so pretty! and it's such a tremendous job!

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  3. Epic is an understatement! Amazing! !!!

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  4. Wow, Masha! The blanket for your friend and the unfinished for your hubby are both beautiful! You are very talented and the colors are just stunning. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Thanks. The "dirty" secret is that this is actually very easy to knit. It just takes awhile :)

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  5. Oh, wow, that is stunning!!!! Just do it, lady! We'll hold you accountable. Just think how thrilled you'll be to be DONE! (Full disclosure, it took me 15 years to hand-quilt my first quilt.)

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  6. Thanks for the encouragement, all. Two of the five (it was five, of course) unblocked pieces are now pinned out and drying. It's my goal to have the rest blocked by the weekend!

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  7. Gorgeous! I saw the first blanket on your Ravelry page and loved it then. You are so close! I really love blocking (the few times I have done it) but I don't like seaming. I've mostly knit clothes but I would love to make an blanket sometime. Can't wait to see it finished!

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  8. It looks amazing already. Keep going.

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  9. Thank you so much for linking up at Inspire Us Thursdays. I LOVE this piece. You must finish it! I also featured it on this week's link party to cheer you on.

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Hi! I am so happy you came by. Thanks for your comment!