Finished, Almost

Finished the first of the baby blankets I am knitting from "Blankets, Hats and Booties to Knit and Crochet" by Kristen Spurkland. The Rose Leaf Blanket. Well, it's finished, except for the blocking. Here 'tis:



As you can see it is hanging out on my blocking board. I've never blocked a cotton piece before, so I'm hoping that wet blocking wasn't a totally bad idea. It's January, it might take a month to dry now - as I happen to be kind of stingy with the heat in my house.

Here is a close up of the lace border:



I really liked knitting this, even though I've never really been a fan of cotton. The blankets in this book are changing my mind. I also feel a bit righteous, because this is the result of stash-diving. Now to just find someone to give it to....

Now, I did make ONE change to this pattern. When knitting the body of the blanket, the original pattern called for Kf&b to create the increases. The look didn't thrill me to the core, so I opted for M1R and M1L one stitch away from the corner for a more symmetrical look. Just a personal preference, but I like the way the corners turn out doing it my way. Besides, I hadn't done "make ones" for a while, and it is nice to get back into practice on that.

I also finished a hat that doesn't really deserve a picture. Hat was meant for Hubby, but ended up fitting #3 son. Either I have an issue with hat sizing, or the men in my family have HUGE heads!

So now that I am over my "startup-itis." I am on to the second of the blankets I want to make from that book. This one actually has a recipient in mind. #3's teacher's wife is having a baby in May. Gotta do a blanket for a new baby girl. I might try to find something cute to make for big sister, too. Maybe a new stuffed toy.