Here’s the pattern for the blanket. I debated whether I should hang onto it and try to sell it, but considering the size, I’d hate to have to re-knit it in commercial yarns not of my choosing on a tight deadline, and since I’m not even giving actual yarn names used, I figured, well, this one’s not quite fit to be commercial so it’s free. I dare anyone to knit this sucker! If you do, please send me pix!

vals_big_afghan_knitting_pattern.pdf, 5 pages (including 2 photos), 295K.

Also, a photo of a FO from early this year, a poncho for Melissa, my 4-year-old niece. It was her birthday in February. She lives in NYC. I heard she liked it, but I don’t know if she’s ever worn it.

Sorry, I don’t know where the yarn labels are so I can’t tell you what it is, but I remember it’s a superwash merino and I got it at The Knitter’s Studio here in LA. Some eyelash thing in there too, I remember that was called “Fizz” but it’s not Sirdar Fizz. I double-checked when the flammable warning came about Sirdar Fizz. I think it’s Crystal Palace “Fizz.” I never wrote up the pattern for this poncho, but I have notes somewhere. If I find them I’ll write it up. Now that I have this blog, I gotta be more careful about that stuff, huh.

Next up, besides the Stonington shawl, I need a cardigan and I have this stuff for it:

It’s Henry’s Attic Peruvian Tweed No. 113, a natural-colored alpaca, which I bought from Catnip Yarns awhile back (a lot of the yarns in the big blanket came from there too). Knowing how alpaca has no springiness and tend to grow, I was thinking of using these:

The Dura-Europos patterns from Barbara Walker’s Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns, p. 139. I’ve had this book at least 20 years and I’ve been wanting to use these in something. Now’s my chance! They’re done in twisted stitches (i.e. knit through the back), which constrains the yarn a little from stretching. (See, those of you whom I’ve been teaching about stitch mount, there is a purpose to twisted stitches, as long as you’re doing them intentionally.) I’d like to try to get this cast on while I’m in New York and have it done for the winter.

That’s it for today, got a lot to do still. Flying out on Monday, less than 48 hours…