I’m making my in-laws a blanket for their anniversary that will go in any room in their house. After considering many options, I knew it had to be out of Twisted. It had to be superwash (although I hope it never sees the inside of a washing machine, at least I know it can weather the storm). I was originally looking at the Netherfield colorway; however, that color is very difficult to dye even in small quantities, as it mutates, and in a quantity like this it would be a nightmare. Meg at Twisted, who is not only insanely talented but also very accommodating, worked with me to come up with an “un-mutated” version of Netherfield, and this is the result. In a word, it is stunning.

• Note: for this quantity of yarn, main color required 4 full skeins of yarn at approximately 275 grams each. In addition, center color required an additional skein of 250 grams. I ended up with extra yarn because Meg is awesome and erred on the side of caution; as a result, I’m culling some yarn as necessary so that I don’t run out of pattern before making it through the main color progression. Now that project is completed, I’ve adjusted all of my yarn quantities so that the amounts used are as accurate as possible.

PROJECT NOTES:

• Gauge swatch, in the round done Continental: 4 sts/inch on size 9s, 3.5 sts/inch on size 10s. Fabric looks better, especially after blocking, on 9s. I KNOW. I actually not only knitted a swatch, but I BLOCKED IT. INCONCEIVABLE!!

SECTION 1:

• Used custom-dyed maroon that’s less pink than the color at the end of the evolution.
• Worked 5 knit rows after Round 4.
• Worked 2 knit rows after Round 20.
• Completed 6/29/14.

SECTION 2:

• No mods.
• Completed 7/6/14.

SECTION 3:

• Project was on timeout for several months due to deadline knits; began this section in December.

• Due to extra amount of yarn, pulled some yardage from skein before beginning lace. This was in the light yellowish/green color at the end of ball 1/beginning of ball 2, and I honestly can’t even tell at this point where it was removed. That’s a good thing, imo. ;) (Quantity removed: 119g, or 220 yards.)

• Worked all yarn overs in mirrored fashion, so that those following a purl and going in to a knit are symmetrical to the ones going from a knit to a purl. My simplified version:

Knit to Purl: Work counterclockwise
Purl to Knit: Work clockwise

Website with far more information can be found at:
http://anotherlongyarn.zinalee.net/?p=694

• Completed 1/4/15.

• Removed some excess yellowy/olive yarn after increase round, in the middle of garter ridge leading in to section four. (Quantity removed: 93g, or 172 yards.)

SECTION 4:

• Worked one knit row (after garter ridge) before beginning chart pattern, both to allow yarn to progress into next colorway and to distinguish pattern a bit more.

• After completing one repeat of the chart, before beginning second repeat I weighed remaining yarn at 146 grams. One row used appropriately 10 grams. At that rate, was only going to get two repeats of chart out of color I had left. This was my fault for pulling too much yarn out mid-stream; however, I wanted the color changes to mesh with the chart changes, so I'm cool with it. *

• Rough calculation (using size 9 needles and worsted weight yarn, which obtained gauge) is that one repeat of chart four requires approximately 150 yards of yarn, or 360 yards for the entire chart with all three repeats and three final rounds after chart.

• On hold (5/14/15) until yarn arrives for completion of last repeat.

• Yarn arrived this afternoon (5/22/15) because the ladies at Twisted are AMAZING. Project back in progress! :)

• Because new yarn came in slightly darker (TOTALLY fine) but going in to existing repeat, worked first two rows of third repeat alternating old and new colors. Row 1: alternated every stitch. Row 2: used primarily new color, inserting old color every 3-4 stitches. Worked fair-isle, trapping every strand on the back, so it would be less visible on the underside.

• Completed 6/4/15.

* I'm far too OCD to be cool with it. I worried that the darn blanket (at 600 stitches per row, in worsted weight), wouldn't be large enough. You know, length-wise. I never claimed to be rational, but damn it, I've put a year in to this thing; I wasn't going to take a short cut at this point and feel regret for the rest of all time. SO…I custom-ordered (again…the ladies at Twisted truly are saints) and I WILL BE COMPLETING THE THIRD REPEAT OF SECTION FOUR.

BORDER:

- Worked 10 stitches across instead of 11 as originally intended; worried I wouldn't have enough yarn for the extra stitch. Used multiple colors out of necessity and for effect; wouldn't have enough in one colorway, but really like the way the multicolored borders look on other blankets. After much consideration, decided on golden orange-yellow (accent color, not in blanket) and olive green. Worked at a ratio of 2:1; ie, 2 rows of yellow then one green. Worked in same direction as though I'd continued knitting in the round. When carrying green color along outside edge, made sure to trap it in between first and second row of yellow, so no unsightly run of yarn would be present along the border. I did this by twisting it with the yellow, as though working color work. Used interchangeable needles and put a stopper on the right cable. Took that needle tip and worked the live stitches off the left needle. This both kept my risk of losing stitches at a minimum, and also minimized the amount of turning I had to do on the blanket. (I only had to rotate a portion of the blanket as I was working it, as opposed to flipping the entire project, for every other row.)

• Ripped out border 6/8/15; though I liked it, I was afraid that it wouldn’t be to my in-laws’ tastes. Left photos and notes, so that if I ever make again, I can do it this way, but it’s a bit more contemporary and colorful than I think they’d like.

REVISED BORDER:

• Worked nine rows, using maroon, in the round, in garter stitch. I didn’t have enough maroon to do the original border (which I still love), but is still pretty. It has much less contrast but I think it is more to my in-laws’ taste.

• Worked Latvian Braid (left, from http://www.yarn.com/videos/video/how-to-knit-a-latvian-br... though I’ve found it elsewhere) after row 9 of maroon garter stitch. Note to self: left braid starts with yarns twisting over each other.

• Bound off using harvest gold color. Used favorite bind off method (knit 2 stitches, knit together tbl, k1, k2tog tbl across).

• Worked in harvest gold. Began with a row of single crochet (on 5.5 mm hook), worked one row hdc (on 6.0 mm hook), then one row dc (on 7.0 mm hook), then another row hdc (on 6.0 mm hook).

• Worked final round in reverse single crochet (on 7.0 mm hook). Used larger hooks to keep edging from pulling in, as crochet tends to be more dense and has less drape than knitting. Chose larger hooks for larger stitches based on trial and error.

• Completed 7/13/15.

PHOTOS

Colors are mostly accurate, although the lightest colors appear more faded in photos than in reality. Also, final “cranberry” color reads more fuchsia in photo than in reality. For truest color, bottom photo with all colors represented is most accurate.

Listed from bottom to top:

1. Single Evo showing complete colorway.

2. Skeins 1 & 2 of main color with mini-skein of extra yardage from end of skein 4. Skein 4 ends with a bit more pink than center color; not certain I will use that section, especially as I should have extra yarn.

3. Skeins 2 & 3 of main color. Clicking on this photo will show all four skeins.

4. In-process photo of section one to show color contrast.

5. Attempted shot of center sunburst, taken when blanket is midway through section 3. Trying to photograph a 400-stitch blanket in the round on needles is like trying to take a picture of a toddler that is in focus, eye contact is being made, and there is even a smile present. I give up.

6. Allllllmmmoosstt there…work in progress shot nearing the end of the last repeat of the fourth chart. I’m certainly not going to take 600 stitches off the needles for a glamour shot, but I figured a photo update, no matter how shoddy, was long overdue.

7. Quick in-progress border shot, close-up, just for color and perspective of 2:1 color ratio and contrast. Note: this was the original border that was frogged; I’ve left the photos as a reference. I still like it, but as I noted above, don’t think it’s to the recipients’ tastes.

8. It’s pouring here, so please excuse the poor coloration, but I wanted desperately (after almost a year!) to see the whole shebang as one. It’s much prettier in person, and when complete this bad boy’s earned a real photo shoot, but my own curiosity (and dread at having to rip out some 12,000 border stitches) compelled me to grab the camera. Note: this was the original border that was frogged; I’ve left the photos as a reference. I still like it, but as I noted above, don’t think it’s to the recipients’ tastes.

9 - 17. FINISHED BLANKET PHOTOS!!! The second one down is a shot of the blanket in its permanent new home, where it was very happily received. :)