I also realised that I would have to sew in the 1400+ ends that will come from knitting this blanket. Whatever possessed me to think this was a good use of small scraps of yarn?
You see, every one of those 700 rows is knitted in a different coloured yarn. Every row has a beginning and an end = 1400 ends! But some rows are knitted from shorter pieces of yarn so they have ends in the middle of the rows too! Am I insane?
I have knitted 130 rows, meaning that the piece I have produced so far is 40 inches wide and about 13 inches high and has more than 260 ends to be sewn in (a daunting task when one sees it in reality)!
Not having enough scrap yarn at the moment to complete it, gave me a good reason to abandon the project and think on it some more. I know I've said in the past that sewing in ends is therapeutic for me, but is this really how I want to spend the minutes of my life? I could almost knit another blanket in the time it will take me to sew in all those ends!
Because it started life as a blanket, this project is knitted in 8ply (DK) on 4.5mm (US 7 ) needles to give a drape-y fabric. I still want to use up that scrap acrylic yarn so I am considering frogging it, tying the ends together to make a huge scrap ball, knitting it on much smaller needles to make a denser fabric and turning it into a bag! I may even leave the ends hanging out as a design feature or I might embroider them on the outside as colonial knots! I can't put knots on the blanket (even if they are pretty) because they would pull through the looser fabric and Wrap With Love states "no knots please".
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**TAFE = College of Technical and Further Education; a tertiary instiution which once existed for the purpose training in trades. TAFE is my employer; I teach English to recently arrived adult migrants and refugees.
*This is not meant to be a boast; it is just a statement of fact that this is what I do with my knitting.
Oh my that is a HUGE amount of ends. It is a great idea for a blanket, but (huge shudder here) I think I will stick with small squares joined - lazy I know
ReplyDeleteSo, this year it will be 3 blankets and a shawl! Leave it at that.
ReplyDeleteWell YOU are going to be busy! I love the picture though - the blanket looks beautiful. It will all be worth it in the end!
ReplyDeleteLynne I think the second option of a bag is a good idea and will also be a useful item for someone. Joining the ends before knitting is certainly the way to go for a project like this!
ReplyDeleteCould you knot the ends together to make a fringe? I'm sure that would be acceptable? Then you'd only have to sew in the ends in the middle of rows.
ReplyDelete