I went off the deep end...

[MarvieN]

I've lost my flippin' mind ladies and gentlemen. Bitten off probably more than I can chew. Here's the deal.... and I am posting here rather than my blog bc I don't want hubby to see (he occasionally visists my blog but never here)

 

Hubby wanted me to crochet him a blanket. He wanted no holes, or at least small enough that toes and fingers wouldn't poke out. He wanted it 5 feet wide and 8 feet long. Big enough that he could quite literally cocoon himself in it. Wants it warm because his berthing onboard ship is generally kept at 65 degrees.

 

So I agreed. Me. The one who gets bored and moves on within a week of working on a project. I decided to make it out of Homespun. Soft, warm, just what he wants. Then I thought I could do it in Tunisian on a cabled hook in knit stich. That would make it nice and thick and from the swatch, no holes. So I ordered yarn, ordered the hook.

 

The hook finally arrived a couple of weeks ago and I got busy. Immediately I discovered I am *so* not going to be able to use that hook. I had to grip it like crazy because it kept twisting and doing all sorts of craziness and before I'd done one row my hand hurt like mad.

 

So I began to rethink the idea. I swatched with different stitches and hook sizes and nothing satisfied his no holes request satisfactorily.

 

I got the bright idea to knit the blanket. Yeah. I'd taught myself enough and felt confident enough that I could produce the stitches. I can do this, I thought to myself.

 

So I cast on 200 stitches on 6mm circs and proceeded to knit away. No pattern, just a simple knit blanket. Knit on the right side, purl on the back. Simple.

 

BORING.

 

I am only 2.5 skeins into this thing. I have 16 inches (out of 96) in length. I had to order more yarn because it became obvious after 2 skeins that the 8 I had originally ordered wouldn't be enough. So I did the math and ordered 6 more, figuring I'd need 5 but wanting to play it safe.

 

How on Eath am I ever going to get through this project? Granted I have a whole year before he'll actually need it. But subtract 4-5 months, at least, for summer. It's too darn hot to work on something of this nature in the summer without central a/c. Might as well do some more subtracting for boredom and working on other things to maintain sanity.... at least three months there, spread out of course. That leaves 4 months.

 

I can probably get two more months work on it before it gets too warm, figuring I've already been at it for 2 weeks... even if I don't touch anything else in the next two months and considering I can only work on it during the daytime because I am surprising hubby with the fact that it's knitted.... that might get me another 20-30 inches (I'm averaging an inch per day right now but there will be days where I get nothing done) before I have to put it down till Fall. I might be able to finish it in time, if I forget about making gifts for anyone this year, don't worry about housework or getting ready for our move next year or any of the other things that might take up my time come next fall. (that would include the internet rofl)

 

Sheesh I really did bite off a big chunk. I do love my hubby dearly, and I did promise him a blanket when he goes back to sea. One way or another I have to manage this somehow.

 

Oh, and did I mention that it's already heavy? I can't imagine what it's going to be like towards the end if it already feels this weighty lol.

 

*sigh* Well, I just needed to get this out. Thanks for listening. I have some knitting to do now. Gotta get my daily inch in before hubby gets home lol.

[kariholtz]

 

Set up a reward system for yourself (kinda like the one you did with B) Work so long on the blanket then allow yourself reward time on something you WANT to work on.

 

And you know, I know where you are coming from, I have my own beast to finish for my hubby.

 

I FEEL YOUR PAIN!

[Katie45694]

Even though you've already started- Have you though about crocheting or knitting it in blocks and then joining the blocks together. That may make the project ALOT more bearable. Also, you could make blocks even in warm weather (Just to get the thing DONE! LOL!) 12 inch blocks would work and it would be "easier" to see the work progressing- Just an idea!

 

Katie:cat

[Samio]

If all else fails and you do not mind the postage. I would happily do it for you, I have just finished a rather large afghan just using sc(dc) for those in the US and it turned out really warm. Also we are just coming into Fall/Autumn here, so it is not too hot.

 

Just a thought:think

[sjkmaurice]

Have you thought about squares? You can sc simple squares and then piece them together and it wouldn't be too hot in the meantime.

[threeolivemartini]

i suggest larger knitting needles with homespun.. you can go up to like a 13 and its still gonna be non holey .. cause 6mm is a 10.5 yes? i would shoot up a size or two ..

 

still gonna be a bear.. but maybe go slightly faster .. and also the block suggestion may work too as far as progress goes..

[MarvieN]

I hadn't considered squares... simply because I hate hate hate joining. But The thought of joining 12 inch squares seems a lot less daunting than knitting an 8 foot long blanket that's as wide as I am tall rofl. It might even be worth frogging all I've already done lol.

 

Plus, if I do squares, I could keep interest up simply be doing different patterns....

 

Hey, ya'll rock you know that?

 

Beth, I did actually start out with bigger needles but there was a bit of stretch going on that I was afraid hubby wouldn't be happy with. Wasn't so much holey, but you could see daylight and that was one thing he didn't want. Might work better with squares though, could the stretchiness have been just due to the sheer size of this thing maybe?

 

Samio, that is probably one of the nicest offers I have ever had *g* I'd take you up on it if it were for anyone other than my DH, but since it's for him I probably should be the one to do the work. It's incredibly sweet of you though and I really appreciate the offer! Heh, maybe if it gets to be too much I might take you up on it if you still felt up to it later on down the road!

 

I think I will go the square route. 12 inch squares wouldn't be too bad, wouldn't take forever to whip out and probably wouldn't be too much to join.

 

Now, I just have to remedy this situation :

 

 

This is Tuxedo and he likes daddy's blankie rofl.

[kariholtz]

OMG Marvie, I cannot get Hambut away from David's blanket! He totaly loves it and curls up inside when I am working on it.

[dhaunae]

Marvie, my college roommate knit a blanket -- a LARGE one -- in strips precisely to keep it from being so overwhelming, and then crocheted a decorative edging on it. That might be an alternative to blocks, and result in a little less joining for you She did 3 strips in one color and 2 in another as I recall (it's been *cough* a year or so *cough*) and it turned out really nicely.

[diamond]

I agree with Lani, do a MAM (Mile A Minute). For those that don't know what MAMs are, they are long strips you crochet, then attach later when you have enough strips done. You can carry a strip around with you and is so much easier than working with a big heavy afghan. And the joining isn't as tedious as joining squares. I, too, hate joining squares but find I don't mind joining MAM strips.

[MarvieN]

Ok, I have a plan!

 

The blanket it going to be made of 12" squares. 5 squares wide by 8 squares long. 40 squares total. Half of them will be knitted and half of them will be crocheted. This will give me the best of both worlds.

 

I can crochet half the squares, which will give me progress and make me feel like I am accomplishing something *g* And the knit squares will give me a chance to practice my knitting skills and learn some stuff.

 

I haven't found any patterns for 12" knitted squares, so the plan is to basically do swatches. I have a big (oldish) book titled The Bantam Step by Step Book of Needlecraft. The first section in it is knitting and it is chock full of stitches to try. So I'll use that and just pick whatever tickles my fancy =)

 

As for the crocheted squares, there are lots of 12" square patterns, but I will have to be choosy due to hubby's no holes stipulation. So my plan is to find squares without holes (if possible) and if need be, I can use a smaller than recommended hook for the yarn, which should give a pretty hole-less fabric.

 

I'm figuring that this plan should keep me interested enough to finish the darn thing lol. I started the first knit square yesterday. I'm using the Double Wedding Ring square, which I found through KPC. I've made a couple of mistakes already, but I fixed what I could without frogging and am trucking along. It won't be perfect, but it shouldn't be horrible either

 

I think hubby will appreciate the mixture of the two. I can't say I love knitting yet, but I am enjoying the process enough that I bought a set of intergchangeable needles off ebay yesterday lol. It's something I think I will continue doing, so the combination of the two in his blanket will be a nice touch I think.

 

Thanks for the help everyone! I think ya'll helped save my sanity

 

 

Note to Mods: I don't know if ya'll want to leave this here, but just to let you know, I will possibly be updating with my progress as I go along since I can't do that on my blog for fear of hubby seeing. I guess it won't exactly be OTC anymore lol so stick it wherever it fits if you are so inclined.

[kariholtz]

Hey that sounds like a great idea Marvie.

 

I will move this to the Other Crochet Topic area though.

[Stacey]

Yikes--I didn't realize you were knitting it Squares definitely sound like a good plan to me, even if joining them sucks you get to feel like you're accomplishing something. Hope the project starts getting easier now!

[seagull1993]

Oh, Marvie -- what a challenge , but i like the squares idea, too. It might be easier to deal with.

 

>> Now, I just have to remedy this situation :

 

 

This is Tuxedo and he likes daddy's blankie rofl. <<

 

OMG, that looks exactly like our black and white shorthair, whose name is also Tuxedo (Tuxey for short). He is a lap kittie, too, even though he weighs some 21 lbs! And, he loves to help with my crocheting!

[Harvestar]

I've been making afghans on the large round knitting looms - they work up really, really fast - basically doing three long strips and then attaching them. I have just finished a sc afghan that I've been working on for 4.5 years (off and on). It was great for sitting at work and listening to talks - totally boring, but I have to have something to do to not fall asleep.

 

It's all in Homespun too. I used a K hook.

 

I love the kitty picture, too. Normally the babies here love to "help" when I'm attaching the strips together - one to hold it down, another to chase the yarn I'm using to sew it up.

[Stacey]

My kitty helpers like to get involved, too, and also unfortunately not in a snuggly sort of way. Lena likes to lie right on top of the pattern. She'll stalk around until she finds paper and plop right down on top of it. (Clearly she thinks I have better things to do, like amuse and/or feed her ) And Kittycat of course likes to bite the yarn while it goes past him

[momofgmd]

Here's to your major undertaking, Marvie! Sounds like a good plan though. I'll definitely be checking back to see how you're getting along. Can't wait to see the finished project!

[MarvieN]

Thanks ya'll =) I'll need all the encouragement you can throw at me lol.

 

I have two squares done so far, one knit done in a double wedding ring cable. The size is a bit off but I can fix that with a crocheted broder. The other is crocheted, just sc dc across.

 

I started another knit square, well I cast on, but it's too long so I have to fix that before I start the pattern, which is an aran lattice pattern from my Needlecraft book.

 

I realize that a lot of these won't show off the texture or stitch pattern very well, due to the homespun and color, but it at least gives me a lot of practice with different things. The square I am starting now has twists in it, which seem intimidating when I read the directions but I hope to find it not so hard once I get into it. So may things about crochet intimidated me when I first started, but now, hardly anything does (except maybe that bullion stitch, just can't seem to get that one lol... or tunisian cables which is one of the reasons I started knitting rofl)

 

I'll try to post pics as I go along, though I doubt they'll show pattern well. We'll see I guess. Not before Monday though as hubby is home and I don't want him to see!

[Lollie2639]

marvie

 

knitting is so b-o-r-i-n-g and goes ever so slow. why dont you just to it in all sc???????? the put a pretty edge/.

[kariholtz]

Marvie, I think this will be great for practice! Such a great idea, even if the patterns and textures don't show up at least you doing it!