1/16/16 - This project is definitely flying along, but mostly because I’m putting all of my time and energy into it. It’s actually making me wish I could do something other than knit this afghan because I have a very long list of projects around the house and personally that I’d like to work on. However, the baby shower for Allan’s soon-to-be-baby is next weekend, and there is no way that I am going to not have this blanket done in time for that! I can’t believe it’s hitting a point where I want to be doing something that’s not knitting, since I very rarely hit that point in life…but trying to do what is actually a full-size afghan in just over a month can get to you…I’m so close. I mean so close. As of right now, I have just 14 squares left to knit, then all the finishing and border. Since this is a long holiday weekend, I’m pretty sure I can get the squares and a good chunk of the finishing done. At least, I hope.

I’ve come up with a few tips while working on this blanket that I really want to remember because I’d love to make this again for myself. I’m really loving how simple it is and how it works up.

Tip 1: When you’re picking up the stitches, knit them through the back of the loop on the way down. It makes them tighter.

Tip 2: When you’re picking up the stitches for the very point of the square (where there’s just 2 stitches of the final colour from the previous square, basically, the tip of it), don’t pick up just one stitch. You should have 2 or 3 stitches that make up that tip colour, so pick up 2 stitches and knit them individually. This will throw off the count by one stitch, but it makes that point stand out, rather than kind of being lost and not visible. On the way back on that row, just knit two random stitches together. Since it’s garter stitch, no one will ever notice.

Tip 3: I feel like on all the edges, I wind up picking up 2 stitches and knitting them together. Really, it’s just to get the square as square-shaped as possible. I feel like otherwise, the edge is tumbling off of itself. (I hope that makes some sort of sense…it’s kind of a visual thing.)

Tip 4: Stitch marker. I place one right before the stitch I’ll actually knit into for the Center Double Decrease. So my layout goes - the two stitches I slip together-stitch marker-stitch I knit into that the 2 stitches slip back over. That way, I always know when it’s time for me to slip and then create the decrease. I have only once made a mistake in my count and had the centered decrease suddenly be over a stitch or two.

Pretty soon, there will be a rainbow of love for the baby…joy!