Good grief. This project took way too long. I got frustrated with the fair isle tension and the double stranded cotton. I’m glad I didn’t give up, though, because I love it so much I want to make a set.
I’ve rescued a pair of socks from the UFO pile and have started swatching for another project, however. All that yarn might distract me from a second potholder.
project notes: can be found on my first toto post, yarn from my thrifted stash
I’ll admit it. My first real fair isle project after my retreat last year probably shouldn’t have been using kitchen cotton doubled stranded. The first attempt was incredibly puckered. The second attempt was off gauge and a tight fit, even for my small hand.
The third time is looking like a charm, though. A friend advised me to knit my work inside out. The strands have a longer distance to travel and it forces you to loosen up. Brilliant!
I hope to have a finished photo to share soon.
pattern: Toto the Extremely Useful and Cute Potholder (ravelry link) from Mason-Dixon Knitting Outside the Lines (amazon link).
There are lots of reasons why this blanket took so long to complete. When I was pregnant, most of the time I was too tired to knit. Plus, my wrists hurt from wearing sea bands to help with the nausea. Then, when M was born, well, you know how it can be with a newborn.
The blanket got tucked away in the closet for awhile. I had terrible bouts of startitis. My projects were scattered all over the place. I knit a lot of socks. I knit a hat and mittens for M. I knit squares for charity blankets. I knit an afghan for my parents. I discovered sewing.
Then I found the coolest fabric. It was the perfect colors for the back of the blanket and M loves monkeys—especially Curious George. I ordered it instantly and made a commitment to finishing the blanket. No other knitting would come first.
It’s much bigger than I had originally planned, but M is a lot bigger now. What was once a baby blanket is now a toddler blanket. Maybe I thought that by not finishing this blanket I could keep M from growing up so fast. I’m glad I got it finished before she went to college. That would have required a lot more yarn.
