New Campaign

The problem with neglecting the blog is that I forget things. A couple weeks ago now, I got the email from the a4A group. It's time for another baby blanket campaign for CURE Hospital in Kabul. Details are here. New KAL blog is here.

Okay, that's the important part. Here's the fun part. I've mentioned off and on that I joined the Malabrigo Club at Eat.Sleep.Knit (have I mentioned how much I like E.S.K.?). I think it absolutely serendipitous that this month's package was, once again, yarn I would never buy for myself in a million years. In fact, I think I would back away, slowly so as not to encourage an attack, forming a cross with my two index fingers. Why then, you may wonder, is it all wound up and ready to go? Why would I call its arrival serendipitous? (And - what about Naomi?*)

Well. Look at the pattern Erin designed (have I mentioned how much I like Erin's designs?). It decreases steadily, so the colors of the variegated yarn won't pool too much. It's garter stitch, so the squares will actually come out, you know, square. And, because it's all ridges all the time, each color will be broken up further by the subsequent rows. It's assemble as you go, so we won't be seeing that Other Issue I have with mitered squares. All right, so it means I have to use the backward loop cast-on. I despise, not so much the cast-on itself, which is easy and fun, but the first row knitting into it where I have to knit so slowly and carefully and not yank my yarn too hard (tight knitter!) or else end up with all this extra yarn that came from I don't where.

Is this perfect for a4A or what? Bright colors. Green border. Okay, so the finished size is 32 by 36, which is too small. I feel sure even I can adjust that without screwing up. All I have to do is make a wider border. If there isn't enough green I can either use my (anticipated) left-overs from the squares or mine the Stash.

Not only that, it's fast.

I realize I'm giving you more garter stitch, instead of the promised saga of stockinette, but at least it's bent garter stitch.

* I just threw that in for all us old Electric Company fans. The one with Morgan Freeman, Bill Cosby and Rita Moreno.