Homestretch Stuff

Border elements for the blanket are coming together quickly. Another dozen and all that will be left to do will be the crocheted seams.

The Nantucket-hooked cat is moving forward, too. Today I timed the work at about 5 minutes per square inch.

Nantucket rug hooking of cat being pestered by crows

Border elements will complete the blanket shown in the previous post

Detail of border pieces

The Really Exciting Part

In an earlier post, "Image Knitting" (April 24), one can see the beginnings of the 4 x 6 blanket depicted below. It only lacks edge-sashing and seaming to be complete. Estimated finished weight = 5 pounds.

The exciting part of making something up as you go (as opposed to following an "outside" design) is in seeing the completed process. As in painting or songwriting, there is the delicious feeling of having gone as far as possible with that particular experiment.

4 x 6 blanket begun in April is nearing completion

Detail of blanket, with probable yarn choices for the edge-sashing

Blanket detail

Detail showing mosaic knitting and stranded blocks

All it needs is a border

Plyed and Sashed

For a word-aficionada, textile arts have quite a lush vocabulary. Plying (a verb) means combining singles to make a stronger strand. Sashing (a noun) is the narrow strip that connects larger elements of a quilt, knitted or sewn.

Yesterday, some plying and some sashing reached completion. So satisfying to see a piece of knitting pinned to a blocking board  or to admire a basket of finished yarn.

Scottish Blackface carder waste will become a rug at some point

Sashing for knitted blanket-quilt being blocked

Balls of unravelled sweater yarn will be made into additional sashing

Carder waste and Ryland's flowers