Yes, There Is Knitting

While I haven't written much about knitting lately, I have been knitting almost constantly. I knit nearly every day. Right now I am on the last stitches of a baby blanket, a very special one.

Presenting the Fuzzy Organic Cotton M.C. Escher Blanket:

Fuzzy--my soon to be born grandson's nickname

Organic Cotton--Blue Sky Alpacas, 100% organic cotton yarn in Periwinkle and Sky

M.C. Escher--the mitered diamonds are knitted in a changing pattern reminiscent of that amazing artist M.C. Escher

The pattern, originally shared with me by Roxie at Sanna's Bag, is deceptively easy. It is worked in garter stitch and all you really need to know to make this is 1. how to make a knit stitch, 2. how to k2tog, or knit two stitches together, and 3. how to pick up stitches along the edge of already knitted material.

I cast on 16 stitches, placed a marker, cast on 16 more stitches. I knitted every row, knitting two stitches together (k2tog) just before the marker, until there were 2 stitches left and I then passed the first stitch over the second stitch, cut the yarn and pulled it taut. OK, so, there is a fourth thing you need to know--4. how to pass that first stitch over the second one.

I made 6 diamonds, placed them in a row, picked up 16 stitches along the top diagonal edge of one, placed a marker, picked up 16 stitches along the facing diagonal edge of a second diamond and worked the same pattern as above. I attached all six diamond together the same way and then kept adding diamonds until I had 14 rows of diamonds. I switched out the two colors to make an interesting pattern. Every other row, along the edges I had to make 'half diamonds' and for those I simply picked up 16 stitches and decreased every other row along the outer edge of the blanket.

The yarn is so so soft and cuddly. A perfect gift of love for my first grandchild.