Blanket Statement

As a longtime quilt maker, I have been conditioned to cringe when the word "blanket" is used to describe a quilt. Quilts are not blankets; three layers--top, batting, and backing--held together by hand or machine quilting or even by tufts of floss knotted here and there across the face of the thing constitute something more than a...blanket. Or, if not something more, something other than. (Heaven help me that I should be labeled a quilt snob.)

Help me, that is, because I have now knit a blanket. Of course, if I am not supposed to call a knitted, body-sized rectangle of coziness a blanket (seeing as how I'm a knitting novice and not properly conditioned to this craft's mores yet), perhaps afghan will do. Or, more casually, throw since the one I've made is too small to cover a bed and too big for a baby's blanket.

Besides, the word "afghan" for me conjures up brown, orange, harvest gold, and avocado green monsters. Only a little did they soften the scratchy brown devan my parents had from the Sixties into the Seventies.

I digress. My blanket:



Fire on the Waves
Yarn: Bernat Satin, Denim Mist Heather, held double
Needles: 40" circulars, size US11/8.0 mm
Pattern: designed by me

I haven't been blogging this month because I've been working on this. It's my pattern submission for a book proposal--knits inspired by the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. My blanket fits in with New Moon, around the time Bella was dragged out of the water by Jacob after she'd dabbled in cliff diving. I have three test knitters graciously working on their versions of my pattern. If the blanket isn't accepted into the book, I'll publish the pattern here on the blog. Somehow I'll make it available to my fan-base. (A.K.A. mostly those who stumble across this site because they're looking for a tutorial on CD Coasters or how to weave in loose ends while knitting.)

And, I suppose I should've kept this project quiet until a big unveiling about the book or a weepfest about my rejection, but I have the patience of a five year old when it comes to "I made this!" situations. I can let two Christmases pass before I open a gift, but I've just gotta show you right now what I've been cramping up my hands to finish.

Oh, and remember how I'm no Jared Flood when it comes to photography? Yeah, so my close up of the blanket stinks. No cool shadow play or depth of field fuzziness, I'm afraid. Everything turned out fuzzy, in fact. Apparently, all that fancification is above my camera's pay grade.

Next up, then, is a scarf or stole made from the same pattern as the blanket, only in fingering weight yarn and much smaller needles. Stay tuned.