handspun pinwheel blanket
it's finished! my pinwheel blanket is done! i cast on in mid-january, and cast off somewhere in the blur of christmas morning. it feels really, really gratifying to wrap up the year with this blanket. the pinwheel has traveled around with me, spending a lot of time on the passenger's seat of my car (i have to cross a draw bridge that goes up a lot, and a train track to get to work- i need emergency car knitting!). it got picked up and put down probably thousands of times, and was often on the back burner while other projects had their turn, or while waiting patiently for more yarn to be spun. it spent two hot days with me at renegade in brooklyn and has been to children's museums, the library, playgrounds, and it has raised the question "what are you making??" enough times that i almost wish that i had kept count. almost.
and yes, now it has seen snow. lots and lots of snow! i couldn't help myself.
some specifics:
pattern: this free one from genia planck, via the good folks at knitlist.
yarn: i did (attempt to) count here: ~24 kinds of my own fingering to sport weight handspun singles. there is also one stripe that was made with yarn sent to me from melissa of moustache rides yarn. melissa is a talented artist and sweet friend and i am really glad to have her be a part of my blanket! a pinwheel is a nice way to remember a year of spinning, especially for someone who does not keep a lot of her own handspun. the blanket started as a way to use up leftover singles from my two ply yarns. when making two ply yarns, i began to deliberately spin more on one bobbin than one the other to create intentional leftovers.
i wish i could give you an estimate of yardage here, but this all came together in a very haphazard way. that's how i roll.
needles + measurements: i started with 4 US size three dpns, and moved on to 32 inch circular size 3 addi turbos, and eventually ended up with two sets of circs and a whole lot of crowded stitches. my final blanket measures in at about 50 inches across and 162 inches around.
thoughts: phew. i can't say i wasn't very, very ready to finish this project. i was really ready. with the blanket behind me, i feel like i can think about the direction i want my knitting to take in the new year. as much as i loved knitting with the bright colors of my handspun, i feel like i need to knit nothing but solid, neutral colors for a few months!
and also: happy new beginnings to each of you as this year comes to an end. thank you so much for visiting here over the past year! it means so much to me. wishing and hoping for lots of good things for you in '08!
you are my new personal hero. it's so absolutely amazing and beautiful. bravo, aprill!
see you tonight!
xoxo
Posted by: meg | December 31, 2007 at 01:36 PM
awesome! i saw you making this at renegade- congrats on completing it. it's lovely!
Posted by: linda | December 31, 2007 at 04:01 PM
that is amazing, aprill! wow!
happy new year!
Posted by: erin | December 31, 2007 at 10:32 PM
Such a beautiful blanket! so much work - it must be realy nice to have the final product to love for many years. Happy New Year!
Posted by: Clare | January 01, 2008 at 11:36 AM
Wow!!! Congrats, Aprill... indeed it did come out so beautifully, and it was fun to see it finished after watching you pull it out at all those CNS meetings last year. Those dimensions are mind-boggling!
Posted by: Gretchen | January 02, 2008 at 11:06 PM
fantastic blanket any for sale ?
Posted by: carole davis (minnie) | January 03, 2008 at 10:55 AM
So great! Happy 2008!
Posted by: Christabel | January 04, 2008 at 11:49 PM
Gorgeous blanket!
Posted by: brooke | January 05, 2008 at 02:06 PM
What a gorgeous work of art. I am inspired to finish my current kind of boring project just so I can start this one!
Am also going to link you today/tonight - not sure why I haven't before...
xo
Posted by: Lisa B-K | January 06, 2008 at 03:51 PM
my god, Aprill, that is beautiful!
happy new year to you!
Posted by: lala | January 07, 2008 at 09:45 PM
It is stunning, outrageously so. Makes me want to spin again. Oh for more hours in the day.
Posted by: Sonya | January 19, 2008 at 10:08 PM
When I saw that blanket I was blown away. I admire your patience and dedication. Good on you! I would like to try this out myself, wish me endurance!!
Posted by: Molly Amanda | February 10, 2008 at 06:25 PM
absolutly amazing: what a great piece of art. Really love it.
Posted by: astrid | May 06, 2008 at 04:15 PM
Love your Pinwheel, What edge did you put on ? Thanks, Judy
Posted by: Judy | June 22, 2008 at 07:33 PM