My New Favourite Blanket

 

This is my new FAVOURITE blanket. It has been six years in the making. 

Originally it was supposed to be a Mason Dixon After-Dark Robe, but after knitting nearly the whole thing TWICE I realized that the dye-lot was too long. The yarn ranged from a soft orange to nearly black but not in a way that made a flattering sweater. The first time I knit it I had one sleeve that was light coloured and one that was dark. And the fronts were sort of half and half. I tried alternating balls of yarn each row but the darker yarn was overwhelming and the whole sweater came out too dark. So I ripped it out and tried a few other options. Nothing really worked (though I will definitely be revisiting the Beekeeper's Quilt again soon!), but I found I loved the lighter skeins more and more. So I decided to just use those and see how far it went. I kept it simple - 10 stitches moss stitch, about 200 stocking stitch and then 10 moss stitch (very much like the robe pattern) and ended up with a small afghan. It's not quite full size - either a lap blanket or a large shawl - but I love it. I blocked it ever so gently and ran it through the dryer with some vanilla scented sheets on cool. And now it is soft and smells lovely and I find myself petting it or hugging it whenever I walk by. And it is very good at protecting me when I watch The Walking Dead (best season premier!!)

I would love to tell you what yarn or colour it is but in knitting and frogging and knitting the poor thing, all ball bands are lost. I know it was 100% wool and was from New Zealand and the colour was after a type of wine (Cabernet comes to mind) but that's all I got. I did buy it at On the Lamb in Uxbridge when it first opened and Ellen there knows everything so maybe she can tell you :)