Plain Vanilla

Have you ever had a sundae made with really good plain ice cream? Just your basic sundae, maybe hot fudge with whipped cream. Or a cup of coffee made with really good coffee? I'm not talking fancy roasts or exotic blends here. Not lattes or espressos or cappuccinos. Just a plain cup of good coffee. Gloria Jean's Special Blend, for example. When one has committed to spending large chunks of time head-down in a project for someone else, there's something to be said for that simplicity. Even so, I am somewhat amazed to confess I'm still enamoured of this afghan.

As promised, pictures taken while the sun was out. These, at least on my monitor, are accurate. This yarn is beautiful stuff.

Yarn. Main color: Six skeins of Dream In Color Classy in 370/Cloud Jungle. Contrast: Just a few yards over 2 balls of Filatura di Crosa Zara in 1706. One of the websites calls it deep plum. Clare told me when she chose it that it's crocuses.

Needles: US 13/9 mm Addi Turbos for the stockinette sections. US 9/5.5 mm Addi Turbos for the garter-stitch.

Pattern: Nicky Epstein's "Fluffy Afghan" from Melanie Falick's Weekend Knitting.

Blocked using the old squirt it with Soak solution and stretch it out on a beach towel on the floor with a fan running on "oscillate" over night. Final dimensions, 48 inches by 69 inches (yeah, surprised me, too).

Comments, generalization and observations.

- It's so stretchy, you could probably block it wider but shorter. Or longer but narrower. All in keeping with the chameleon heart of this project.

- The pattern was amazingly easy to adapt. (Consider all the variations I tried; I know whereof I speak.) Pick out your yarn, knit a garter stitch gauge swatch for the contrast color, because the width is determined by the contrast color stripes. Decide how wide you want the blanket. Multiply that by your gauge. Cast on twice that number in the main color. Go to town.

- It confirms my lurking suspicion that, in my heart of hearts, I'm simple. I want to knit plainly, with beautiful yarn, from a pattern with just enough detail to set the yarn off. I miss this project already. I can't believe I've let it go so far away. I am determined to figure out the right combination for "The Sea." Perhaps I'll make the sacrifice and drag myself out to String Theory today.

Some things you just don't get tired of. No cherry pecan caramel custard knitting here.