Alphabet Soup

24 1/2" of love and dedication

Eureka....I finally finished the seed stitch panel! I never thought I would finish it.  When it came time to bind if off, I was anticipating it being as difficult as when I bound off the scarf. However, it went pretty smoothly.  I only had one hiccup....my cat, Chloe, decided to jump on my lap as I was leap frogging over one of the stitches on the right needle..causing both stitches to fall off the needle. I thought I fixed it, but I have one funky stitch...but once I sew on the edge I will probably be OK.

With the main blanket portion being complete, I am now able to move on to the 4 side edges. Which as you may recall are a lace border.  I started it last night in class and it took me two hours (the amount of my class) to make my way through 2/3s of the first row.  Thankfully, I had the foresight to cast on the 127 stitches  before class.  Now in the edge, the cast on row is the brown yarn....and that's it.  So, for the first row after that cast on row, you switch to the other color which in my case is white.  Remember, this is called the Mint Chocolate Chip Baby Blanket. 

I suck at adding new yarn by the way....I still don't quite know what I'm doing with it.  

The first row after the cast on row....is evil.  Pure and simple evil.  It is the Wicked Queen of rows.  Or, so says my newbie self.  Two repeats in and I was ready to cry and beg to be allowed to do seed stitch for the rest of my life.  I kid you not.  

Why, you may ask, is it so evil?

One word. K3Tog.  

Do you remember how much I hated doing k2tog back in my hat? Well. K3Tog is even worse.  I *thought* I had cast on loosely....but...HA. I did not.  I finally had to break out my trusty Chibi and use the Chibi as a knitting needle and then insert my size 5 needle in next to the Chibi and then pull out the Chibi - think using a penny to separate the coils on a key ring.  I finally almost finished the row at home and discovered I was short one stitch.  One stitch.  I might have growled. I might have said a few choice curse words. But I most certainly wound up ripping it all out and re-casting on.

And trust me...when I'm tired, cranky and frustrated counting sucks. My poor Nathan. I apparently snapped at him when I was casting on because he interrupted my counting.  I plead insanity...I honestly do not remember this.

Anyways, I cast on and started again this morning. Aside from adding the second color funkily...I got through the evil k3tog row! I cast on super, super loose...and it worked.  

I'm so stinking proud of the first 3 rows of this edge. 

The lace pattern is interesting.  It was apparently written by a government official with all the abbreviations (Debbie Bliss, are you part of Interpol?) In just 3 rows I have learned:

SKP [Slip 1, Knit 1, Pass Slipped]

Sl 2 Tog [Slip 2 stitches together]

P2SSO [pass 2 slipped stitches over]

YO [Yarn Over]

Row 2 taught me a few things. One, a yarn over is different depending on whether or not the stitch following it is a knit or a purl.  This was a purl row.  Two, a yarn over is only the simple act of pulling the yarn over  the needle. You would think it would be self explanatory....however, in my mind I changed a yarn over to mean, pull the yarn over and purl, then follow the next step. So, imagine my surprise when I almost finished the row and realized wait...I don't have enough stitches.  And third, I learned how to unknit.   

I'm almost half way done with my first edge...I'm planning on working on it during the hockey game (Come On, Bruins!!!!) but I'm thinking...I might be done with the blanket in a week or two :) Then it's on to other things....like finishing my wristees or starting a shawl.