When I want to try a new technique or learn a new skill I will often opt for making items for small humans-- even though there are no specific small humans in my life right now--because they are fun, use less yarn and work up more quickly than big people items. That way I can practice on a small piece to see if I like the technique before investing time or materials in a larger project. As a result, I have A LOT of baby gear around the house with no corresponding baby. What doesn't get used for gifts sits around in boxes. I'm thinking of starting an Etsy store to sell it off for charity (PCD Foundation, of course).
Anyway, this brightly colored blankie was completed so I could learn entrelac (ahn-tra-loc) knitting. It came as a kit from Mary Maxim.
My photography skills need some work and the colors are more muted in real life, but you get the idea.The instructions were easy to follow and if I ran into trouble, I just checked out YouTube videos until I got the hang of it. Finishing with the applied i-Cord technique was simple, but the instructions provided in the kit were not at all 'instructive' for me and I had to find supplementary information. I found Kelley Petkun's YouTube video to be the most helpful for this technique.
I liked the finished result so much* that I am working on a big people version now. To increase the overall size, I'm using two strands of worsted weight yarn (vs. the single stand of variegated DK weight in the kit--which is a very nice acrylic yarn, btw) and US size 10 needles (vs. US size 6 which I needed to get the right gauge for the kit). Will post the finished product when I complete it--in roughly 2-3 years time, no doubt.
UPDATE 1:
Here is another photo of the blanket above. As you can see, our Quality Assurance Specialist (aka 'Tiny Milt') was on the job, so the colors may be a bit more accurate.
UPDATE 2:
Here are some photos of the new 'Entrelac for Big People' afghan I'm working on. It is being knit in the round, so it's hard to pull it out straight to show off the weave effect, but I'll repost once it is done and blocked. Also, still struggling with color accuracy with my camera. The primary color is actually very rich, deep purple, but my photos are not capturing that. I'll provide links to the yarn manufacturer sites for a truer idea of the colors.
Red Heart has not usually been my first choice, but they have a new 'Boutique' line with some really neat yarns. The main yarn for this project is Red Heart Boutique Midnight yarn in Aura. The coordinating yarn is Naturally Caron Country in Plum Pudding. I know a lot of knitting blogs feature very expensive yarns from exclusive yarn manufacturers and I love those yarns, too. However, this project requires roughly 3600 yards of yarn (1800 each) and even with less expensive yarns, that is quite an investment. Please note that the entire Naturally Caron line (which I loved) is being discontinued, so it may be possible to pick up some Country for a discounted price.
*Plus, the curmudgeon who lives in my house is always complaining about blankets knit with 'holes' in them (read: lace knitting), so this project will satisfy his no-hole requirement.
Anyway, this brightly colored blankie was completed so I could learn entrelac (ahn-tra-loc) knitting. It came as a kit from Mary Maxim.
My photography skills need some work and the colors are more muted in real life, but you get the idea.The instructions were easy to follow and if I ran into trouble, I just checked out YouTube videos until I got the hang of it. Finishing with the applied i-Cord technique was simple, but the instructions provided in the kit were not at all 'instructive' for me and I had to find supplementary information. I found Kelley Petkun's YouTube video to be the most helpful for this technique.
I liked the finished result so much* that I am working on a big people version now. To increase the overall size, I'm using two strands of worsted weight yarn (vs. the single stand of variegated DK weight in the kit--which is a very nice acrylic yarn, btw) and US size 10 needles (vs. US size 6 which I needed to get the right gauge for the kit). Will post the finished product when I complete it--in roughly 2-3 years time, no doubt.
UPDATE 1:
Here is another photo of the blanket above. As you can see, our Quality Assurance Specialist (aka 'Tiny Milt') was on the job, so the colors may be a bit more accurate.
UPDATE 2:
Here are some photos of the new 'Entrelac for Big People' afghan I'm working on. It is being knit in the round, so it's hard to pull it out straight to show off the weave effect, but I'll repost once it is done and blocked. Also, still struggling with color accuracy with my camera. The primary color is actually very rich, deep purple, but my photos are not capturing that. I'll provide links to the yarn manufacturer sites for a truer idea of the colors.
Red Heart has not usually been my first choice, but they have a new 'Boutique' line with some really neat yarns. The main yarn for this project is Red Heart Boutique Midnight yarn in Aura. The coordinating yarn is Naturally Caron Country in Plum Pudding. I know a lot of knitting blogs feature very expensive yarns from exclusive yarn manufacturers and I love those yarns, too. However, this project requires roughly 3600 yards of yarn (1800 each) and even with less expensive yarns, that is quite an investment. Please note that the entire Naturally Caron line (which I loved) is being discontinued, so it may be possible to pick up some Country for a discounted price.
*Plus, the curmudgeon who lives in my house is always complaining about blankets knit with 'holes' in them (read: lace knitting), so this project will satisfy his no-hole requirement.
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