So, how does one keep from getting bored with a project that takes several weeks, a project without shaping, or variations in stitch, even?
First, this blanket is made in several colors, with stripes of varying width. While doing the first half, I was constantly working at keeping the color balance harmonious. While doing the second, the challenge is to make it perfectly match the first.
In addition, the yarns, while all mohair, are not all the same. Some are 100% mohair, while others are blends-- mohair and wool, mohair and nylon, mohair and acrylic, even mohair and metallic. Some are thin, making for a lacy fabric, while others are fluffy, making a pillowy mass. Some are mostly halo, while others have hardly any halo.
There's also the factor that adventures *happen.* I was five rows beyond the point at which I had accidentally added a pattern row in the wrong place, by the time I noticed the error. Fixing it then would have meant undoing a couple of hours work. I didn't fix it, but I still think about it, wondering just how visible the error would be to the eye of a non-knitter. I don't think a non-knitter would notice the error at all, but it's something to keep the mind busy, anyway.
The sheer bulk and expanse of the blanket create drama, as well. At 10 feet wide and 8 feet long, it is becoming unwieldy. An hour ago, I accidentally looped the 60-inch circular needle around my mug o' water, dumping it onto the blanket and into the bag of yarn waiting to be used. While I was lucky enough that the mug landed upright, it did spill about half its contents. (I guess I should thank my lucky stars that I've mostly given up sodas in favor of water.) After mopping up most of the spillage, I emptied the contents of the bag onto a table and set up a fan to dry it all. Since I had already taken out the yarn for the next stripe, what did get wet should be dry by the time I need it.
Far from being bored, I can hardly stand the excitement this blanket is giving me.
First, this blanket is made in several colors, with stripes of varying width. While doing the first half, I was constantly working at keeping the color balance harmonious. While doing the second, the challenge is to make it perfectly match the first.
In addition, the yarns, while all mohair, are not all the same. Some are 100% mohair, while others are blends-- mohair and wool, mohair and nylon, mohair and acrylic, even mohair and metallic. Some are thin, making for a lacy fabric, while others are fluffy, making a pillowy mass. Some are mostly halo, while others have hardly any halo.
There's also the factor that adventures *happen.* I was five rows beyond the point at which I had accidentally added a pattern row in the wrong place, by the time I noticed the error. Fixing it then would have meant undoing a couple of hours work. I didn't fix it, but I still think about it, wondering just how visible the error would be to the eye of a non-knitter. I don't think a non-knitter would notice the error at all, but it's something to keep the mind busy, anyway.
The sheer bulk and expanse of the blanket create drama, as well. At 10 feet wide and 8 feet long, it is becoming unwieldy. An hour ago, I accidentally looped the 60-inch circular needle around my mug o' water, dumping it onto the blanket and into the bag of yarn waiting to be used. While I was lucky enough that the mug landed upright, it did spill about half its contents. (I guess I should thank my lucky stars that I've mostly given up sodas in favor of water.) After mopping up most of the spillage, I emptied the contents of the bag onto a table and set up a fan to dry it all. Since I had already taken out the yarn for the next stripe, what did get wet should be dry by the time I need it.
Far from being bored, I can hardly stand the excitement this blanket is giving me.
posted by Marina at 12:15 PM
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