The Ultimate FO: Roundup of the Mitered Crosses Blanket
This project has been a long one, there's no denying it. The truth is there for all to see on my Ravelry page. The Mitered Crosses blanket started way back in 2013:
Date started: 29.03.2013
Date finished: 28.07.2015
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| In progress: much caffeine required |
During the course of the project and latterly, through my participation in Stash Dash 2015 I have received lots of very kind encouragement and also a lot of questions, some of which I'll do my best to answer here.
I found that it helped to knit the squares in batches, working a series of coloured centres (as many as I could get from one skein) and then going along and adding all the neutral borders. This helped to keep the project portable as I didn't have to drag all the yarn along with me. All the squares were joined at the end - I used this tutorial for joining using crochet - which also maintained its 'portability'.
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| Working outside for a change of scene |
- When picking up stitches for the neutral border I used this tutorial, picking up through 1 'leg' of the stitch only to create as flat a seam as possible.
- Be careful to pick up the exact number of stitches along each centre square - this makes joining the squares a lot easier and avoids wonky corners (ask me how I know).
- Weave in the ends after each square is completed. I tried to do this religiously but a surprising number found their way into my project box without this crucial step.
- When you pick up the project after a length of hibernation - and you will - check the pattern to make sure you are casting on the right amount of stitches for your mitered square. As well as this project I am also doing a mitered sock yarn blanket which calls for a different number of starting stitches. Why, yes. I am easily confused. How did you know?
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| Some assembly required |
Without Stash Dash 2015 I don't think I would never have had the impetus to finish this project, but sharing my progress and receiving all of your feedback and encouragement has been invaluable.
Thank you all so much
x
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| In place - and cat free (for the moment) |
Summary
Yarn used: Shilasdair Luxury dk. Each 100g skein has 340m (372 yds). This yarn has now been discontinued but a very similar one is still available just with a slightly different fibre content
7 = the number of semi-solid colours used
8 = the number of neutral skeins used
6 = the number of squares I got from each colour
2.25hrs = the time taken to knit one full square (42 x 2.25 = 94.5 hrs)
1.25hrs = the time taken to add a neutral border (42 x 1.25 = 52.5 hrs)
15hrs = approximate time for seaming and single crochet border
A grand total of 162 hrs