Yopping Update #49 - 1000 stitches and counting!

I worked on putting my squares together and I am very happy with the result.  I used mattress stitch to put the sides of the squares together in strips and then used slip stitch crochet to put the strips together picking up the cast on and cast off edges.

Next the border decisions.  The pattern called for knitting each side of the border separately but I opted to pick up all the stitches and work the border as one!   I picked up 39 stitches on each side of each square - that was easy for the cast on/cast off edges, but I had to do the math to equally space 39 stitches over 58-60 rows.  I luckily have a 100cm circular needle which can hold all my stitches.  At the beginning and end of each row I do an increase so the corners end up mitered.

I did the math to figure out if I had enough stash to do the border.  I knit a 20 x 20 garter stitch swatch and then weighed it.  4 gms.  I frogged the swatch and measured the yardage. 8 yds.  Then I calculated how many stitches in each colour of the border.  It came out I had enough of one colour, but I really wanted some orange to pop the border.  I went to Michaels and as I walked towards the bins of Loops and Thread DK there was the colour I wanted.  Easy peasy.  And with my 40% off coupon it only cost my 4.99!  I wanted to finish the border with dark blue, but didn't have enough in my stash.  I took the blanket to my quilting friend, and lo and behold she had the perfect colour blue in her stash.  That is where I am today - I will do the last 3 rows in the dark blue and then it is done.
I currently have 1000 stitches on the needle.  Good mindless knitting as I binge watch the new season of Killing Eve.

I have been weaving ends in as I go, so once I cast off and sew up the one mitered edge it will all be finito!

So that was my week. No work on Fisherwoman's sweater, but she will be on deck as soon as this blanket is off the needles.

I have physio tomorrow and the dentist so I imagine tomorrow evening I will be grumpy and sore.

I am working on my list of projects for next year.  I think that it will be pretty free form except for my advent knits.  I also am committing myself to getting my novel published one way or another in the coming year - so that will be at the top of my list too.  I know it isn't crafty related, but it is creative, and it definitely is a project!

Exercise wise I got to the pool only once this week (feeling sorry for myself), but I got in two walks, and I tried a Zumba class yesterday.  It wasn't a real Zumba class as I thought it would be, but it was a class called Strong by Zumba which was like a pilates/aerobics/boxing class.  I did what I could while protecting my arm.  There were a lot of squats so I expect my legs will be uber sore tomorrow.

So that's it for me - except of course the ubiquitous picture of my grand-daughter - sleeping like a baby!  I wish I could sleep like that, but with my sore arm a full night's sleep is still impossible.

To follow other yoppers as we count down the end of Year of Projects 8 check out their blogs here. 

Yopping Update #48 - Putting it all together

June already?  What?

Yes, and four more weeks to wrap up the 8th Year of Projects (but for me the end of my 2nd year).

I have been making a little progress on the fisherwoman's sweater - 4 rows a day is my max, but on Thursday and Saturday my arm was too sore for even that.

I am pleased with the pattern so far

I did finalize the order of my squares in the knit along blanket and I found the advice to turn the pictures into gray scale helped in my final decision.  

bottom three rows are sewn together

I tried a couple of methods to sew them together but didn't like the look.  So I am sewing the six squares in each individual row together using the mattress stitch, and then I will decide how to join all the rows together after that.  

I will need to buy some yarn, I think, for the border.  The pattern calls for a knit border, but I might do a crochet border.  More decisions coming my way.  (And we all know how I LOVE making decisions.)  I imagine there is some way to calculate how much yarn I will need for the border so I will have to get out my math skills and dust them off.  Then, maybe, I will have enough in my leftover stash rather than having to purchase more (and that is another decision!)

On the home front I finally fixed the running toilet. Thankfully it only took a nine dollar seal (and an evening or two spent on the internet).  The peace and quiet is fantastic!

I got out for a couple of long walks this week, and three visits to the pool.  My physio on Thursday was good, but, man, did my arm ever hurt for the rest of that day and through the night.  

I am now off to the pool, and then I will spend some time in the sun on the back porch.  I bought some potting soil this past week, and all my porch flowers are looking lush and happy, and I planted two tomato plants for our late summer harvest.  

To follow other yoppers check out their posts here.   We are getting down to the wire, and I am already planning what to work on next year.

If you are a crafter, and on Ravelry, then consider joining us.  It is a great group - supportive and inspiring - and it helps keep one on track.  (Well, it helps keep me on track anyway.)