Insanity may be contagious

I'm still plugging away on finishing the details of my cabled baby blanket pattern, so unfortunately I have no knitting progress that I can actually show you yet. So in a desperate attempt to keep you interested, :) I'm going to talk about something else.

The cabled blanket I'm working on now was designed around the same time as my double knitted baby blanket pattern. Indeed, they were designed so that they could be gifts for the same person: my niece, who was gestating during the design process. Sadly, only one of the blankets (the cabled one) was actually knitted and ready by the time my niece was born. A look at the other blanket (the double knitted one) will probably give you an idea of why:

That represents 241 rows of 482 stitches, nine charts, a very long row of Kitchener stitch at the end...and all in 1x1 rib with two strands being passed back and forth every. single. time. It was a BEAST. I vowed never, EVER to knit it again.

However, over a year and a half ago, I figured it would be nice if I could actually write up the pattern properly and make it available for anyone who wanted to know more about double knitting, or who took a look at my project photos and was curious as to the theory behind how it was created. So I did - I wrote it up, and made it available for free. It got favourited, which was very flattering and gratifying.

But then...someone queued it. For those not familiar with Ravelry, "queueing" a pattern means that you're adding it to a list of things you plan to make some day. (And you can go back and view that list later at any time if you're at loose ends as to what to work on next.) This means that someone actually intended to make this blanket. Now, I'm not trying to be insulting or anything, but that's just plain crazy! I was plain crazy for doing it myself, I didn't want anybody else to be driven that close to the edge of sanity, I just put that pattern up there for educational purposes...

And then more people queued it.

Then someone started to knit it. And I thought, there's no way. They're going to start it, realise what they've let themselves in for, curse my name to the depths of hell, and frog that sucker back like there's no tomorrow.

So imagine my surprise when people started to finish their projects. Seriously. Now, don't get me wrong, we're not talking about hordes of people. It's a very select club of only four (not including myself). But what a club it is. These four knitters have taken a crazy, crazy involved pattern and stuck it out. Their endurance and skill need to be held up for all to see, so that they can be honoured and commended.

So that's what I'm doing now. :)

The first to finish was Jenny. She made hers from 30 skeins (!!!) of Wendy Mode DK, in navy and pale blue.

I don't know the name of the second person to finish one, but they hail from Oslo, Norway. Unfortunately, there's no information about their Flickr account or whatever it is they use for their project photos, but if you have access to Ravelry, here is their project page for the blanket.

Extremely impressive is Tina, who cast the blanket on when she was pregnant, and finished in time before the baby was born.





She used Super Glanz Cottonin blue and light blue. If you speak German, you can read more information in her blog entry about the blanket.

And finally, today, pictures were posted to Ravelry of the fourth completed blanket. I don't know the person's name or where they live, and again, no Flickr account, but it is truly, truly stunning, because the contrast between the two colours used is so pronounced. The yarn seems to be Plymouth Encore DK, but the colours listed are light blue and dark blue variegated, whereas the photos make it look like it's black and white, so I don't know how much of that yarn listing is accurate. Ravelry project page here.

Lastly, I must also give a nod to some of the other knitters who have started the blanket. We have...

Lucy's


Lisa's

Let's hear it for crazy, amazing knitters. :) I just hope you all don't hate me too much.