Whenever I think of the number seven, I think of childhood and my older brother’s school book “Seven is Magic”. Although I could read the book at the time, I couldn’t wait to be old enough to call this book my own and to be at his advanced grade level. And I truly believed that the number seven was indeed magic. This saying has stayed with me my entire life, and seven has remained a special number for me. So when Brent came to me to surprise his wife on their seven year anniversary (wool), I was honored to create something that I am hoping they will cherish and have for many years to come. The seven panels of this blanket will represent each year that they have been married. This pattern reminds me of a cross between the work of artist Piet Mondrian, Mark Rothko and the Quilts of Gee’s Bend.

07.11.2020 - I’m off to a good start today (Saturday) after inspiration drove me to the yarn shop to buy supplies. I’m close to half way done with the first panel and hoping to at least start the second by the end of this weekend. I’m using chunky (mostly weight 5, but a couple weight 4 mainly for color variety…this seems to be working out fine and adjusting by using a slightly larger hook for the latter) weight yarn for this one with black border. I am also slightly changing the v stitch pattern to a different variation that I use in my Ziela cowl.

Ch. 29 (12 patterns per row); 110 rows.

07.12.2020 - End of the weekend and I got more done that I had anticipated. I finished panel 2 today. I didn’t join to the first panel yet, and I’m thinking of using the crochet join instead of sewing the pieces together. I definitely need to get more black yarn, one skein was just under what I needed to complete the second panel, but I’m very happy with the results so far. Ordering a few more skeins of yarn online now and making a trip to a couple yarn stores tomorrow for a few more skeins of chunky yarn.

07.13.2020 - Booked it over to Michael’s and Hobby Lobby today to get a few more skeins of 5 weight chunky yarn. I knew that Michaels would have a couple of brands that Hobby Lobby didn’t carry that would be good for color…but ultimately, I went to another Hobby Lobby to get more black yarn to border everything since it took so much to complete the two panels. I also got a couple skeins of a variegated wool blends that will incorporate some of the other shades and include actual wool element in the piece (Alpaca is also included), but with ease of care and nothing too rough on the skin.

I ended up working on this tonight when I wasn’t planning to. I joined the first panel to the second and started on the third panel (about half way done with it). I decided against the crochet join, the yarn is so dark that I would be moving at a snails pace trying to do this technique, so I ended up sewing them together and I’m very happy with the result. I am loving working with all of the chunky yarns…this may be the nicest stained glass window afghan I’ve made and I can’t help wanting this for myself already. Because I’m waiting on a few more skeins of yarn to come in by mail, I’m going to make myself NOT work on this until I have everything so I can effectively disperse the colors evenly in the project.

07.20.2020 - I can’t believe I have not touched this project since the 13th. Waiting on the rest of the yarn to get here is making me impatient! I could have been more than half way done by now. It looks like the kelly green yarn will be here today, so there is a strong possibility that I will complete the third panel tonight or tomorrow, I want to include this color for sure in the next 5 panels.

07.23.2020 - When I got home, I discovered some yarn had been delivered, so I started working on panel 4. Woo hoo! I got about half way done with this panel, so hoping to finish it up tonight. So far it’s looking pretty good and working up fairly quickly. It might be done by next weekend if I keep going at this pace and am able to get some stitching done this weekend. It’s not like I have a lot planned anyways with the Pandemic, at least this fun project will keep me relaxed while I binge watch something on NetFlix.

07.25.2020 - I worked on this project for the bulk of my free time today. I finished panel 5 and attached it. I started on panel 6 since I have plans tomorrow that will take me away from this project. Closing in on the finish line though.

07.27.2020 - After a LONG day at work, I worked on panel 6 a bit to relax, not finishing it, but it’s close to completion. I may try to finish it tonight or tomorrow and attach it, then only one panel left and the border. I’d like a wide border of black, done in the same stitch probably to avoid it not lying flat, but we’ll see what happens when I get there.

07.28.2020 - When I got home tonight, I passed on any cooking/cleaning so I could relax and work on completing panel 6. I got to my last row (row 110) and realized that somewhere my stitch patterns were off by one (instead of 12 patterns per row, I somehow had 11 patterns). I just stopped at that point because I worked almost half of this panel before discovering this error (that no one would notice except me). I’m frogging this and working it again tomorrow. So close to being finished, but I know my eye would have been immediately drawn to the error.

07.29.2020 - I ripped about 60 rows out of the sixth panel to correct my mistake. This took a minute, but wasn’t as hard as I thought it’d be . The Tender Touch yarn can sometimes be tough to unravel being a brushed yarn, but I got it done and started on the re-work of the panel.

07.30.2020 - Stayed up late and finished the sixth panel, doing the edge and connecting it to the rest of the blanket. I’m really happy with the way it’s working up in all of the chunky yarns…reeeeally wanting to keep it for myself.

07.31.2020 - Everyone was working remotely today, so I had a chance to also. It was a slow day as far as office work for me, but I worked on the final panel ALL DAY. I finished with the border and attaching after about 9-10 hours of Netflix binging and checking in with work. Started on the border and decided I liked just continuing the same pattern around the piece kept the edge straight and worked up quickly. Almost done.

08.01.2020 - Finished! I did four rows of the pattern row around the entire blanket and then one row of single crochet to finish it. I love the way this turned out. Hoping that Brent and Brooke feel the same way. I’ve got some leather tags so I can “sign” this piece before releasing it.