Week 1 working on the Baby Blanket

This picture doesn't give the blanket its justice. It is really turning out wonderful. It's cotton and soft and I only have three more rows of squares then the border and it will be finished in plenty of time for the baby's arrival. The Mother to be has no idea this blanket is for her baby. So I hope she likes it. I didn't even ask if she would like these colors.

I have a lady at work who is having a baby in a couple of months. I'm thinking of doing this pattern with different shades of pink, white and red. If I can find the colors in the same weight of yarn, I think she would really like it. Maybe I could do a gingham pattern. I would have to look and see how many colors would make that kind of pattern. (If I only knew how to die yarn I could just make my own colors, maybe that should be something to put on my "want to learn how to do" list.)

I love the fact that each block takes less than 25 minutes if I'm not interrupted. The blanket has 100 blocks so that means it only takes 2500 minutes for the blanket. That would be 41 1/2 hours. That is awesome for this size of blanket. But that isn't counting the border. I have no idea how long that will take! I'm going to do an i-cord bind off using three stitches at a time. It may take me 3 or 4 hours to do the border.

I've decided to make a list of different knitting patterns, projects and techniques I want to learn how to do. With this blanket I learned how to knit backwards so I didn't have to purl except on the last row of each square. I was amazed at how easy it was to knit back. I wish I would have taken the time to learn this little technique a long time ago. After this project I want to work more on color work projects. Changing colors without messing up my gauge would be a good thing. Then I can take a try at Fair Isle!

I had a plan for the aran afghan that I was working on and basically I got side tracked with the shawl, socks and baby blanked and I have neglected the afghan so long that I'm going to have to give myself another due date. I think I will change it from 3 years to 4. I've already been working on it for over a year and a half. But the afghan is for me and no one is waiting on it. I guess I can take as long as I want to finish it.

I started the knitting group at work and the ladies learn to cast on and they learned the knit stitch all in the first lesson. I'm so proud of them! They are excited and already talking about next weeks class.