May marks the start of a new Project Spectrum, a create-a-long near and dear to my heart. It also happens to be the absolutely perfect time to talk about my new blanket project which I finally started after planning it forever!
I’ve renamed my Mitered Crosses Blanket project SPECTRUM CROSSES, in honor of Project Spectrum. I have been busy gathering yarns and mixing and matching colors for weeks and it’s all together. I started my first square the other day and I’m off to a wonderful start.
My plan uses almost all of the Tahki Cotton Classic leftovers from Miter Madness, plus a few new colors that I had in the stash and didn’t use the first time and some new colors I bought to round out my color choices. Each square will have a different color for each miter/arm of the cross and all the colors in a square will be similar to each other.
There will be 25 squares in all and 23 of those squares will be the colors of the rainbow starting with all pinks and ending with some vibrant red violets. The two remaining squares will each be ROY G BIV. The blanket will “start” at the lower left corner with a square featuring a bright red, orange, yellow and green. The blanket will then move in the colors of the rainbow row to row until the final square, located at the top right corner, which will be made up of a bright blue, indigo, violet and red violet.
In order to mix things up a bit, I’ve put each grouping of four in a baggie and I’ve thrown all of the baggies in a green trash bag. I’m having Meli reach in and pick out a new one for each square. She loves helping with the knitting, and this way I’m surprised by each new color choice.
So far I’ve finished one square and am almost finished the second. And Meli has already chosen the colors for the third square. I’m absolutely loving how they’re coming out.
This is the beginning of the first square, along with a book that Lolly recommended on the Project Spectrum Facebook page. The book is called Color: A Natural History of the Palette and I thought it would be a fantastic companion to the blanket.
In the put on the back burner but in no way forgotten category, I finished all of the knitting and seaming on the Miter Madness project!
There are still a bunch of ends that need to be woven in and it needs a good steam block, not to mention a fantastic photoshoot worthy of such a project. I’m not sure when that’s happening. I needed a rest after all that hard work. It will happen and it won’t take another three years. Trust me when I say it’s fabulous. The black border came out better than I ever could have hoped and is the perfect frame for the squares.
Of course, I had hoped to be blogging more regularly, but life around here has been kind of crazy – literally – thanks to a nice round of postpartum anxiety/ocd. Things are finally getting back on track and I have high hopes for blogging lots of squares and lots of color in the near future.
Thank you, as always, for reading. I’m so happy this community is still so strong.
Happy Project Spectrum!!!
L, C
Looks lovely! Your processes are the best part of your blog for me 🙂 we have similar approaches (but you’re much better at the follow-through)
Thanks!
OMG, I love love love! I’ve had some random thoughts about Mitered Crosses, but nothing solid yet… this is going to be spectacular! And just that little tiny taste of Miter Madness is amazing — you’re right about the black border (I felt the same way with Parcheesi — perfect finish!).
XO
Love the process! That first cross is beautiful, looking forward to seeing things play out!
Beautiful. Lovely, substantial blankets for your girls cuddling. Someday, when they are about 14 and 16 you will walk in on the girls, and they will each be wrapped in one. You will be so happy you made them. They will cuddle with them before that, but when they are teenagers, it will mean more. My kids are 19, 15 and 14, you will have to trust me on this one. Fifteen and 14 fight like crazy, but when 15 was on the end of some ‘Mean Girls’ crud, 14 was hugging her and telling her he loved her.
If you have a grade school age child, I’m sure they will delight in telling you that it is no longer Roy G Biv. I was brokenhearted to learn that the powers that be have removed indigo from the rainbow.
Yay! So glad to hear you’re feeling better! Can’t wait to see the Mitered Madness blanket and see what you and Meli can create with the new!! xoxoxo
I was going to leave a comment about how fantastic it all is and then I red Guinfer’s comment about indigo. Is this true???? First they take away Pluto and now this! is there nothing they won’t touch?
I love how you’re letting Meli pick the colors, that’s so great. Always happy to see another colorful update from you!
Oh, yes! This will be fabulous. I, too, have heaps of leftover Takhi classic waiting for the right project but right now I’m so into beading & jewelry making that knitting is not on the horizon. I’ll happily follow your progress until you force me to take up the needles again! Onward Ho! (I don’t mean that in the modern meaning of ho. Just thought I should clarify. haha)
I’m really looking forward to seeing your new project… and the massive other project once it is photographed. I just read that color history book and thought it was very interesting, I think you’ll like it!
LOVE the new project! What a cool way to plot out and plan the colors. I haven’t participated in Project Spectrum since my son was born. I really miss it. I might have to investigate it again.
The miter madness blanket is beautiful!
Glad you’re feeling better. I didn’t realize how bad my post partum anxiety was until it had finally passed. It sucked! Hope you have a happy spring with the kiddos!
Looking forward to watching the next project and seeing pictures of the miters!
Hope you and the family are all well.
I’ll be watching your blanket with interest …. I’ve been pondering a version for myself using my own TCC leftovers.
Re: Roy G Biv … here’s a song for Meli (and an earworm for you. You’re welcome.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gf33ueRXMzQ
yea!! love the colors for the blanket!! glad you’re coming out of the funk. I can’t imagine… sending you such love from Cali… miss you!
It’s going to be great! And whenever you post, I’ll read!
gosh, what a great idea! i love the level of organization you bring to the project too.
i hope you’re feeling better…
The blanket (both of them!) look great! And thanks for pointing out that book, I think I may need it in my library too . . .
Oh Cara – what a great post. I am just thrilled that you are part of Project Spectrum this year, and that you are inspiring others with your amazing quilt! This design is amazing, and I love the idea of using cotton for it… my best wishes to you and your family. Much love~
Beautiful, simply beautiful. A word of caution: please consider using a different bag (i.e., other than a trash bag) for your bundled up bags of colours. Stuff that is not trash that is stored in trash bags sometimes get thrown out by accident, and it’s an awful, awful thing. (Do not ask me how I know; it’s too awful.)