Knit Your Way Through August: The Blanket Project

Busy Times

It’s August already – the last full month of Summer. Before long September will arrive, bringing with it a whole new rhythm of busy days. Sometimes I wonder… can life really get any busier?

I don’t know about you, but I already feel busy enough.

It has been a wonderful month. I spent some quality time with Beth and we went walking at Neck Point Park. It is my favourite park in Nanaimo. We have been going there for over 30 years, even before it became an official park. We would walk, picnic on the cliffs and explore the beaches. It was a haven from life’s chaos, no matter what time of day we visited.

I have also spent a fair amount of time knitting the samples for my fall classes. They are finally coming together, and I’m looking forward to sharing them with you next week.

Threads of Colour – August Square is Live

This month’s Fancy is pretty Fancy. I went a little off the beaten path for this one. So much so that it actually got its own blog post. See the story here. I was pretty excited when I got this one completed.

As you can see it got the star treatment. Buttons and Beads and a little bit of shimmer from the yarn itself.

If you have never worked with beads before check out this blog post for more information and tutorials. I also think this collar would be beautiful without the beads. It only takes less than 100 m of fingering weight yarn. Got some spare light fingering weight that you want to play with?

Whats Next for our Blanket

Well I have decided what I want to do with my squares. I hope that you like this idea, if not, I will be sharing other options, but I think I have pretty much figured out what I want. Even with that I have two options. I do love options.

With either option I will be working on the diagonal.

With this option I will have to knit a lot of plain squares. I am using Navy as my edging/finishing colour. If I went this way every patterned square would stand out for the beauty it is with the navy as the backdrop. Knitting a lot of plain squares is a bit of a deterrent for me. I get bored easily. On the other hand, they would make excellent tv knitting.

This is the option I am leaning towards. I would have to knit quite a few doubles of the patterned squares or design more of the squares themselves to make the blanket as big as I like. With the diagonal as well I particularly like the cut off corners. It makes for a more interesting shape. If I go for the diagonal layout I think that I might make my blanket a square.

I really like the diagonal layouts. They are unexpected, almost more quilt like. They seem to offer more interest than the straight up and down layouts.

How to Knit the Triangular Filler

• Working with a worsted yarn and 4.5mm US#6 needle, cast-on 2 sts.
• Turn work, K1, M1, K1. Turn work – knit back
• Turn work, K1, M1, K1, M1, K1. Turn work – knit back
• Turn work, K1, M1, K3, M1, K1. Turn work – knit back
• Turn work, K1, M1, K5, M1, K1. Turn work – knit back
• You can see the progression developing. Each time you start a new RS row there will be 2 stitches more between the M1’s. Continue in this way until there are 56 sts in your triangle. Bind-off.
• Triangles will need to be blocked.

How to Knit the Diagonal Filler – solid block garter stitch

• If you are interested in creating the solid block fillers. Work the filler triangle, but after increasing to 56 sts – Knit 2 rows – start decreasing.
• K1, SSK, knit to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1 – 2 stitches decreased. Turn work – knit back
• Continue in decreasing pattern until you have 2 sts left.
• Bind-off and block to size.

I’ll continue experimenting with finishing ideas for the blanket over the next month, and I’ll be back in September with another square – and another possibility for bringing the blanket together. Until then enjoy these last weeks of Summer.

Happy Knitting

Lynette