Tuesday, December 30, 2008

appreciating stitch markers


40 stitch markers. That's how many I'm using to mark the divisions between lace patterns and seed stitch panels on my baby blanket. Before this I never really appreciated stitch markers. Always seemed more trouble than they were worth. But, boy oh boy, they're my new best friends on this project. It makes it so much easier to see exactly where you are within the round. And mistakes become obvious right away - usually just a couple of stitches to tink back when I mess up.

My fears about the difficulty of the lace pattern were completely unfounded. It's much easier than I thought. After one pattern repeat, I'm able to put the pattern aside and knit from memory. And so far, I'm happy with my yarn choice. The knitted fabric is lovely soft and light. Definitely a cotton blanket will be best for a baby due at the beginning of summer. Can you imagine how sweaty and uncomfortable a wool or acrylic blanket would be on a hot day?

It's been an enjoyable knit so far, although I can already feel the work getting heavy on the needles. And I'm thrilled with how it's turning out. I've tried asking Gavin his opinion but his responses have been monosyllabic so far. Hmmm. UhHuh. Fine. Except when he asked "why are there red and yellow bits in the knitting?" and "is the blanket meant to be round?" Best to carry on and see what he says when it's done.

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