This blanket is a HUGE pain. It is gorgeous, however, and the next time (hahahah) I would do it in doubleknit - once I learn how to doubleknit, that is.

There are so many tails of yarn to weave in, and so many strands hanging. The Berroco Comfort feels soft and lovely, although the hanging tails split like crazy, so I’m trying to weave in as I go. The back of the blanket is a horror - I will have to learn how to line blankets with this one.

I tried carrying yarn over some of the smaller pieces - such as a 2-stitch tail. Doesn’t work as well as complete intarsia for every little bit. I like the end result - I am up to the lion, but the process is so time-consuming and slow that I’ve knit a named Christmas Stocking, a Moderne Baby Blanket, a scarf, started a Fifi and knit together my Kureyon Log Cabin instead of finishing this up.

1/2/11 I’m 70 rows away from completion. I posted a picture of the back, showing some of the billions of ends that have to be woven in. I already did the elephant and turtle - the giraffe will be the worst with all those spots. I found it was MUCH better to start a new strand on the other side of the spot rather than carry the yarn across, even catching it every 2nd or 3rd stitch.

2/4/11 Finished, washed and woven in. I did a garter stitch border on 3 sides then ripped it out. I am going to line and bind with satin blanket binding. The lining is up in the air now - either flannel, or knit fabric. Still have to embroider the lion’s mane and give the elephant his ear.

2/18/11 Embroidery done. I recommend this extra step - adds a lot, especially to the otherwise “naked” elephant. Working on the lining. 3rd attempt. The knit fabric didn’t hold up to the heavy blanket; so on to woven. The flannel became pilly and awful in the initial wash - to the scrap heap; now for the final attempt - a zebra-print flat 275 threadcount sheet.

Bound the edges with a washable satin blanket binding, that I folded over again on each side to make it narrow enough so that it didn’t cut off the tops/bottoms of the animals. No pic of the binding - I was anxious to get it to the baby who is now 4 1/2 months old.