December 11, 2022

New Pattern test starting tomorrow!

December 11, 2022

Info on designer’s pattern/project:
Finished Size: 57in/144cm
Hook: H/5mm
Yarn: RHSS
Color 1- Super Saver Hombre (color – Anthracite) 482 yds x 2 skeins
Color 2- Super Saver (color – Light Grey) 364 yds each x 3 skeins
Color 3- Super Saver (color - Charcoal) 364 yds each x 2 skeins
Yardage: 2,784yds/ 2,545m
Number of rounds: 73
Stitches & terminology used: sl st, BLO, ch, sc, hdc, dc, tr, dtr, sc2tog, sc3tog, dc2tog, dc3tog, dc4tog, tr2tog, fphdc, bphdc, fpdc, bpdc, fptr, cl

--> I might go with some cake yarn. But am eyeballing my stash for other options. Getting excited, this is always the fun part. But who doesn’t love to look through bins of yarn? :)

YARN DISCLAIMER: Some of these yarns I’ve chosen for this project have been in my stash for eons, bought before any controversy with this yarn outlet. No, I don’t support their ideals. No, I don’t shop there now. Yes, I will use the lovely yarn purchased previously.

December 12, 2022

Rec’d pattern today. This one will be an easy 4 week test; so I can take a day or so to play and mull over colors… starting with trying out: Fog (a silvery gray); Moody Mosaic (an interesting tweedy yarn); and either a Teal or a Purple (both found in the mosaic yarn).

Pattern Notes:

Rnd 4 begins TURN. ch 1, fp sl st on same st, ch 3, counts as 1st fpdc. (This absolutely works as written, I checked it twice for good measure) But I can be OCD about some things, or sometimes my tension makes things be not as neat as they could be, so I did a needle join at the end of Rnd 3; Turned; Started Rnd 4 with a standing FPDC.
However, the round was fully tested as written and works fine.
~Took a look at our pattern thread, and there are already some corrections noted by other testers; I’ve noted them on my printed copy. (Just trying to get back into the swing of testing w/ this designer; it’s been a long time! Happy for Frank’s return to Ravelry and crazy pattern making talent!)

~Through Rnd 17

December 13, 2022

~Through Rnd 20 with my coffee this morn.

~Through Rnd 28 everything going smoothly so
far. It’s pretty, and this mosaic yarn is really
interesting - But, doesn’t really show off the
stitching, or texture in the pattern well enough!
(I’ll keep that in mind for a re-do)

~I see crossed-triples in my future, and I believe I’ll
wait to tackle those in the morning!

December 14, 2022

Well, I’m not off to a good start with Rnd 29. I had a minor hiccup initially, that was fine and fixed. But then, I keep having to rip back and redo the TR sections because I cannot seem to keep the way it’s written straight in my head. When going up the ‘tall mound’ TR’s are crossed from the front, on the way down TR’s are crossed from the back; and it’s totally contrary to the way I want to naturally do it. ::head to the desk:: But anyway, I keep seeing where I messed up and having to frog back. Last time it happened I was near the end of the round, had to frog all the way back to near the beginning. So I give up for now. It’s not the pattern, it’s my habits/methods that are interfering. And you know the first rule in Testing… Do what it says, not what you or your hook ‘think’ it says. :) I’m off to run errands, hopefully later I can retry this entire round with a clear, non-frustrated head.

December 15, 2022

I did conquer the round eventually, and got one more done before I took a small tumble down a few stairs. I’m fine, ankle isn’t - off for an X-ray.
Just a quick note… I really wanted to use up some older stash, and saw a good opportunity to use this Mosaic yarn as a replacement for the ‘hombre’ that Frank used in his. Totally not the same effect. Missed by a mile on that score. Yarn is pretty, and interesting - but man, I so wish you could see the beautiful pattern stitching and texture. It’s totally lost in the mosaic yarn. But at least you can see some of it with the silvery grey center… Yarn choice for this pattern will matter! Choose accordingly. :)

December 16, 2022

~Short setback on time due to my clumsiness. No serious injury to ankle luckily, just gave it bad twist. Hobbling around a bit. :) But - back to the test!
I’m sooooo behind! Still have no worries about completing on time though; I’m just not used to being behind, lol. Upside is that a lot of corrections have already been made, and I can ‘test’ the corrections, so to speak.

~Through Rnd 36, smooth sailing. Color change up
next, so new pic soon after that.

December 17, 2022

~On Rnd 38 this morning, using the Fog colorway. Was looking ahead a bit, noticed this is a large section in this color. I knew I needed the other skein of this. I CAN’T FIND IT!!! I’m laughing now, but it really isn’t funny. I know I had one more… I’ve searched through the bins it should have been in; I’ll check the others next. The quandary being that this is old stash, I don’t shop at Hobby Lobby anymore; and not even sure they still carry this colorway if I did. PLUS, its Christmas time, so if I even went ahead and looked/found it on their site, I’d never get it in a timely fashion! I usually pull all my yarn out that I will use for a project; but this time I was trying out a few combos and when decided, neglected to do so.
So, if I can’t find the errant missing skein, I’m going to have to find something to sub in that will work. I did find a partial skein of a slightly lighter silvery grey (I think also soft secret). In my head I’m also thinking that I have some Caron simply soft skeins in a bin somewhere, and I may have a grey/sliver… (the caron yarn has that sheen to it as well).
I’m just annoyed this happened on the first pattern test I’ve done in quite awhile. Setback #2 already. ::grumble, grumble, grumble::

**** Errant Yarn Skein Finally Found! So all that worry was
over nothing!

NOTE: Rnd 39 - you are slip stitching into a ch 3, then chaining 3 and slip stitching again into the same ch 3 (as the round before) BUT its really fiddly, and I had a hard time getting into those 2 slip stitches from the previous round. So make them LOOSER than you would typically!

*** Just finished Rnd 41 - end of skein; attaching 2nd Fog skein for Rnd 42. Will put up new pic before changing to the next color.

December 18, 2022

~Starting out with Rnd 43 this morning.

** Note: on these early 40’s rounds, on the smaller peaks, take care. Just before, and after the sc, ch 2, sc’s the bphdc you put there the round before is difficult to see at first. So if your bphdc, ch 2 count is off on a rep when doing those, look closer and you’ll see that little pecker nestled there! Threw me a time a two because it sort of looks like it’s part of the previous stitch, until you look closer.

Reason #8659 I couldn’t write patterns - No patience to spell everything out. I’d be all like:
V-st, ch 3, V-st in the next ch 3. V-st in the next V-st # of times. V-st in next V-st, skip 1st bphdc, bphdc on next bphdc # of times, and so on.

*** a bit of kerfluffle over these rounds, but with all the corrections so far, I had no issues, other than the errant hiding bphdc on occasion. :) Am on Rnd 45, the last round in this color finally; so a new pic and if I remember, measurements. (off for lunch and a couple errands.)

Rnd 45 Complete. Looks good! Measures 46” square, small peak to small peak at this point.

I’ve used up quite a lot of the 2nd skein of Fog, but have a slightly lighter silvery grey I can sub in if its needed later. Also considering a color change for Color 3 for its next 3 appearances. But, I’m off for now; dinner plans. May pick back up later (if I don’t have too much wine!)

December 19, 2022

Am on Rnd 47, and I’ve played around trying to introduce another color to alternate colors with the teal (malachite). I wasn’t thrilled with any of them :(

I checked Lovecrafts and they actually still have some of the deramores studio anti-pilling yarn and had malachite in stock. Ordered more. I won’t let it hold me up though; I have enough to get through for awhile. If it isn’t delivered by the time I need it, I’ll sub in another yarn to test with, and just redo it afterwards. Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve done that. :)

December 20, 2022

OOF… up at 1:13 still. Currently on Rnd 52, but I have messed up somewhere, I think?! Problem is I’m using the darker yarn now and having trouble seeing the stitches~~~ geez. And, I’m not sure, having counted myself crazy. I give for tonight. Here’s to hoping I don’t have to any rounds tomorrow morning.

December 20, 2022

Okay, so I retried starting the round, was easier to frog than count it at this point… I finally found the error, a few rounds back. I just frogged back to it and am finally back at Rnd 50 again.

*** Now on Rnd 55…
~leaving off on Rnd 58.

December 21, 2022

Malachite (teal) - 8g left (approx 22 yards) (Color 3)
Fog (silver) - 46g left (approx 81 yards) (Color 1)
Mosaic (tweed multi) - 2 full skeins + the partial currently in use… (getting ready to start Rnd 59 and will have to attach a new skein to complete the round) (Color 2)

Will need to sub in some other colors. I’m using more yardage than the pattern. Just a tension difference probably. I do have some of the Malachite on order, but it’s coming back up soon- so I won’t hold up the test for it. I can use Mist in place of the Fog, its just a lighter silver. If I run out of the Mosaic, however… no clue what I’ll do.

*** Choice time. Subbing in 85g of what I believe to be Caron yarn, in a teal. Old stash, so no band. Its a really close color match though, but it has a sheen to it. I’ll figure out the yardage of it later (based on caron #’s)

*** Wow, just checked my email and my order should be here tomorrow! I do always get pretty quick delivery from Lovecrafts (and their prices are good too), but I figured with Christmas upon us, that wasn’t possible! I already did that one round in the other yarn, which looks fine. But it’s coming back up again soon.

December 22, 2022

I’m midway through Rnd 63, and change back to color 3 after this section. Yarn is actually coming today, so yay! I’ll wait on it and spend some time doing christmas-y things. Frigid cold due in tonight also… the stampede at the store likely already in progress.

December 23, 2022

~Rnds 66 & 67 will make the piece ‘seem’ ruffly. But the hdc rounds following those will take care of that.

Also, there are a couple good stopping points before these, in the event you want a smaller blanket or throw. Being customizable for size is a good thing. :)

Yardage/color update: Attached 5th and final skein of the Mosaic just before Rnd 67. I finished up the Fog skein for Rnd 69. Attaching new skein of Mist for Rnds 70-72. Nearly through the 3rd Malachite skein, I will likely have to use part of another one. (so glad I ordered more when I did!)

~The end is in sight, I’m on the last few rounds now. Will have this done tonight or tomorrow. Measurements and pic then. Will have to put it out on the living room floor for final pics, as the edges of it fall over the edges of my FULL sized bed. I am laughing about how this blanket is supposedly on the small size - and it is… (for Frank’s patterns). But, it is by no means ‘small’.

December 24, 2022

Meh. Off to late start. A few blackouts over the evening due to the extreme temps around here or I’d have finished up last night. I’m on the last two rounds now, then pics and measurements - and off to the wash it goes. :)

~only 11g of Mist skein remains
~ 60g of Mosaic skein remains

Final Rnd - finished up the current Malachite skein and had to steal a yard or so from another skein to finish.

Finished size: 63.5 inches square.