Sidetracked

You know how it goes, when you have every intention of doing one thing—and then end up getting totally caught up in doing something totally different? Yeah, that’s me.

In the midst of all of the baby knitting I was doing, I decided that I really needed to work on something else. I needed to pick up that sweater that I’d been designing. And I really, really needed to do some more lace. But, instead, one night, I decided to play around with the log cabin blanket pattern from the Mason-Dixon Knitting book. I pulled out some leftover yarn and just started playing. I didn’t really intend for it to become such a big, all-consuming project. In fact, I was actually buying some other yarn, so I could make the blanket out of colors that I’d actually planned. I didn’t have anyone in mind to give the finished blanket to, either. I just wanted to play for a while. And play I did—for weeks.

Since the log cabin blanket is pretty much just a bunch of garter stitch, I didn’t really feel like I could post pictures. Though I loved working on it, I didn’t figure it was something everyone wanted to see pictures of, every step of the way. And thus, I became The Lazy Blogger.

Let me just tell you how much I loved this project. Though it took an eternity (A 3-foot-square blanket in garter stitch on 8s? I must have been crazy!), it was just what I needed—nice, brainless knitting. Lately, I haven’t had a ton of knitting time—and when I did have a few minutes to sit, I was usually watching a DVD that I had to review. Either that, or I was tired and didn’t want to think (which was precisely why I wasn’t working on that sweater—because I was making up the pattern, and it required thought). So I’d pick up the blanket and knit, knit, knit, knit, knit. When I got sick of a color, I’d start a new color. Then I’d run out to the store and pick up another color.

Finally, last weekend, I finished my blanket while hanging out at the cottage. And here she is:


Mom—who was a little frustrated that she couldn’t sit and knit with me, due to her broken arm—told me that I really should keep it for myself, since I spent so much time on it. But here’s the thing: it was so much fun to make! Actually, I can’t wait to start another one. I’ve got the yarn and everything—though I’ll admit that the next one might not be as huge.

Apart from the blanket, I guess I’ve been in a bit of a knitting funk. I’ve done lots of baby stuff—lots of burp cloths and bibs, and I’ve started another baby sweater. I did a little swatching over the weekend for a triangle shawl (I even have the yarn wound in balls and ready to go), but it’s going to take a little bit of charting and a little more swatching before I can get started.

And then, after lots of thought over the weekend, I frogged my sweater. It’s never a good feeling, ripping out ball after ball of yarn that had once been a cardigan body, plus most of one sleeve. But it wasn’t doing me a heck of a lot of good just sitting there, on the arm of my couch. So I decided it was time to move on and try something else. Something that I’ll eventually finish—and that I’ll actually end up wearing. Wouldn’t that be nice? Yeah, I thought so, too.