One Scheme of Happiness

FO: Mitered Crosses Baby Blanket

I've been working on little miter cross squares forever.  They travel well and they are addictive.  I haven't even kept up with how many I've made. 

But when I suddenly learned that I had about five days to come up with a handknit baby blanket, rather than panic I dove into my basket of squares.  We weren't sure of baby gender, so neutrals ruled.

I spent most of those five days fiddling with end-weaving.  What a mess!  But finally, finally I joined square after square and wove some more.

 And then I decided I needed a border.

So I woke at 4am on the day of the baby shower to scurry and create attached I-cord around the edges.

And finally it was done.

With no time to spare.

(Here, with hand for scale)

I haven't had a chance to wash or block yet, though, so I'm worried.  What if the colors run?  Oh, the problems with using light/white yarns!

Lorenzo's Granny Smith Apple Moss Blanket

I can't believe I didn't tell you about Lorenzo's blanket!  But I looked back over the summer and fall and there's just nothing there about a certain baby blanket I've been hauling around with me.

I guess that in a sea of cotton, yet another cotton blanket blends right into to woodwork.

First of all, meet Lorenzo.

Isn't he just the wee-ist scrunched up little man you've ever seen?  He lives right here in the suburbs of Chicago where I'm traveling these days.  The dude-ling weighs less than 6 pounds and he's three weeks old.  It's been a while since I saw a baby in such dire need of a handknit blanket.

Luckily, his mom told me about him early on during her pregnancy, so I had plenty of knitting time.  Since she didn't find out in advance whether she was having a Lorenzo or a Lorraine, a green scheme rules her nursery. 

There's just one problem.

Yes, all of the skeins were the same color, same dye lot, bought on the same day in the same store.  I'm sure I'm not the only one fixating on that streak.  I washed it twice hoping to blend it in some, but all I succeeded in during to turning the white edging yellow.

It's pretty edging, though.  Perhaps it will distract from the color inconsistency.

Once you stick that precious little wriggling bundle of a baby into it, who's going to notice a little streaking anyway?

Lorenzo's blanket is on Ravely, if you want to peek.  It's made from 100% cotton in a basic moss stitch, with an I-cord edging.

Weekends Should Last All Week

Iz gotz some crazy hairdo! I needz bathes!

You sure do, puppy-dumpling!  In you go.  What a little squish you are.

I miss home.  I want my life to be a weekend.

Meanwhile, cotton is taking over my life.

Miter, miter, miter.

 

Alone, with Cotton

Cotton and me.  Together.  Alone...it's a recipe for trouble. 

Anything could happen.

You turn your head for a moment and POOF....

...half of a baby blanket appears right there in the hotel room.

Meet #12 (yes, my 12th version of the Mason-Dixon Modern Log Cabin Baby Blanket - I'm not crazy...I'm...dedicated).

Did I mention how exciting these neverending business trips are?  But you can tell that, I'm sure.

FO: Basic Blue Basketweave

 

While on vacation in Utah, we finished another baby blanket!  Good thing too, as the baby boy was born just three days before we knit the last stitch.  Now to get this little treat out in the mail.

(The blanket, I mean - the puppy stays with me.)

This one is all natural slubby cotton, soft and machine wash and dry. 

Knit Break ~ Starbucks

So even though my mom was in town, I had to work here and there.  While zooming through the streets of the city, Starbucks was our salvation when work emails attacked, offering an oasis of 2pm discounted coffee drinks, free WiFi and an air conditioned space for mom to sit and relax while I typed away at client stuff.

I did take a break here and there to knit a row while waiting for responses.

 

This thick cotton is tougher to wrangle than my usual wee strands.  And somehow it doesn't seem to be knitting up that much quicker...must knit faster...this baby was born two days ago!  And the blanket is growing far to large for travel knitting.

Settling into North Chicago for Another Week

So. After a quick weekend at home...

 

… …during which I saw the Harry Potter finale not once but twice… …(and cried my little heart out)….

 

...and enjoyed brunch with Ben and Doolin at Route 66 restaurant over in Hell's Kitchen (I had an Egg White Frittata with Grilled Chicken, Feta and Spinach, with Fries and coffee...and a side of bacon for the DooDog under foot)...

 

…now I'm back in the North Chicago area again.

 

It’s nice here, I guess...

 

...(except for the taint in my mind, knowing of the existence of that used-pizza thief...and the nasty locker room conference room where I work).

 

It’s hot here….but I like hot. And it’s humid, but I’m okay with that too. Bring on the summer swelter!

I got a new pizza to make up for that sad disappearing pizza experience last week.

 

This one has garlic and tomatoes and I will guard it with my very life. I have pointy knitting needles and I know how to use them, you thieving Chicago rascals.

 

On my pizza quest, I ran across a Michael’s store and raided the shelves for some pretty, cheap wool.

 

I see a baby jacket materializing there in the future.

Speaking of babies, I’m working away on that blue blanket I mentioned yesterday.

 

This one stays with my cotton trend, but worked up in a worsted weight. The pattern is really just improvised basketweave. I love the classic look and the fact that it is completely reversible. “Wrong sides” bother me on baby blankets and scarves, so I try to work these out to minimize the “wrongness.” I’m planning to add a darker blue border in garter stitch at the end.

 

Easy, easy airplane knitting, all of it. Assuming I can ever stay awake for those two hour flights. With wheels up at 6am, I tend to drift back off into sleepy land as soon as the pilot turns on those noisy pressure fans.

Honestly, this commuting thing is getting old quickly. Sure, I’m racking up the miles and the Marriott points (next week I turn "Gold Elite" at the hotel, woo).

But when you travel alone, it can be very, very lonely.

 
here I sit, alone in my hotel...blogging at you...

There’s no one there to share the adventure. No one can reminisce with me about that time my flight canceled in Minnesota and I had to drive all night from Baltimore. No one even knows about that time I got lost looking for the hotel and wound up one the expressway to nowhere.

I find that I use twitter more when I travel, but really to share the most mundane things. I think I jump on just so I can feel like someone is out there.

Speaking of my hotel, though, my room is fine at least.  Not too different from those in Atlanta and Wisconsin, really.

 

I get a little check-in treat...

 

...but not much view.

 

FO: Modern Baby Blanket #11

This one - baby Modern Log Cabin #11 -  has been allllmost finished for a long time now.

Those ends...they bogged me down and hid the loveliness of this blanket under a tangle of string.  But the call of a friend's upcoming girl baby (due in early October) compelled the colorful puddle of almost-a-blanket back into my arms.

 

One more done and none too soon, since I need to cast on for yet another baby blanket project (with lots of blue this time around) due any old day now. 

 

My overstock of Elann.com cotton is down to the very dregs and those dregs are unforgivingly pink.  I'm switching over to a different cotton for a while, and at a larger gauge!  Oh my!

 

I tried to knit some in the park with Doolin, but he's far too compelling to watch as he wiggles into his sunbeam.

Wearing Ourselves Out

I look back at last week and so much of it is a happy blur.

 

We all wore ourselves out, even little Doo (do you like his new sling?  My poor arms and back got way too tired from carrying him home from the park in my arms!)

I'm typing from Chicago now (for work) and will share more adventures soon! 

 

My miter squares kept me company on the flight (which is actually a longer flight than the trip to Atlanta was - just so you know).

Down Week

It sounds depressing, but it's actually a very, very good thing.

I'm between work projects, but already booked for my next assignment.  This week is an unofficial "down week" to decompress between clients.  I'm wrapping up details from the Atlanta/Wisconsin deal and prepping on info for the upcoming Chicago fun and games..

But in the meantime, I'm playing while I can. Playing...and knitting

 

Sorry for the blur, but you know what these are.

The more portable version of my Miter Crosses blanket is really coming along now.  I'd guess I'm about 25% of the way to a baby blanket already (and when you consider all of the other stuff I'm working on, that's not shabby).

Now, if you don't mind, I will excuse myself to take my puppy for a long walk in the park where we can soak up some lovely heat and dodge the sunshine. 

I do have a few posts for you yet to come about the last of the food adventures from my recent travels...and I plan to pack in all kinds of excitement this week as well!