Thank you all so much for your generous comments about my log cabin blanket. It’s OFFICIALLY an FO. I’ve woven in all the ends and finished the border. After consulting with the expert on all things log cabin, I decided to use the patent-pending Cro-Kay method for the border.

Basically, you cast on a stitch then another stitch then bind off the first stitch and continue around the entire blanket. Nice and neat and doesn’t distract from the beauty of the squares. 😉

Take a look at the seam here – can you find the seam?

That’s whipstitch baby. All the way. But somehow I managed to get it nice and deep and have it look like a bind off – just like the squares themselves.

I’m particularly pleased with the wrong side:

Log Cabin Blanket
Pattern: My own design – inspired greatly by Mason Dixon Knitting. Basically I knit twelve squares using three colors – there are four different square patterns. I alternated light, medium and dark greens within each square pattern.

Yarn: Socks That Rock Heavyweight Yarn from Blue Moon Fiber Arts. Two skeins each color: Beryl (dark green), Jade (medium green) and Limestone (light green.)
Needles: Addi Turbo US Size #5s

I absolutely LOVE this project – conception, process, finish. I’m delivering the blanket to the Blue Moon booth at Stitches East later on today. If you happen to be there this weekend – check it out. If you happen to be there today, well, then, see if you can find me and tell me how much you love it in person. 😉

(And don’t laugh at me because I’m wearing the same outfit I wore at Rhinebeck. Gotta get as much mileage out of the knee socks as I can!)

I’m leaving you with some artsy outside pictures of the blanket. I miss it already.

I finished my squares, but first, a story.

So I’ve been knitting these squares, right, and one of the nice things about them is that they are super duper portable. More portable than socks and the best part: I can knit them without paying any attention. I know there are people out there can knit while juggling three eggs, and while I’m fast – I usually need to have my eyes watching what my hands are doing. Not so with the squares. It’s the combination of the yarn (no splitting), the needle size (Addi #5s fit perfectly in my hands) and garter stitch. I can walk, chew gum AND knit all at the same time. AMAZING! Anyway, because of this new found skill and my total obsession with squares I’ve been knitting EVERYWHERE. ALL THE TIME.

G asked me to meet him in the city Friday night and I took the train into New York. I was in the elevator going up to the station with another person. A guy – kind of cute. Baseball cap. I was knitting away.

“Isn’t that dangerous? Like running with scissors?” he said.
“Not when you know what you’re doing.” I said.

He then proceeded to tell me that his grandmother taught him to knit. Or maybe crochet. I asked him if it was two sticks or one. Turns out his grandma was a hooker. Fun times. Was he trying to pick me up? I don’t know but I thought it was a good line if he was.

I knit all through a graduation party Saturday night but no one commented on my knitting at all.

Fast forward to Sunday afternoon at the mall. My sister escaped from the black tops of Do The Right Thing Crooklyn to the glory that is the air-conditioned New Jersey mall. Remember how I felt the last time I went shopping with my sister? Yeah. Not the best self-confidence builder. Well, this time I remembered my knitting and I didn’t stop the ENTIRE time we were out. (Except, of course, when I was driving my hot new car.) I knit through an hour of trying on clothes at Bloomingdale’s and not buying anything. I knit through a half hour of trying on clothes at French Connection and (thank GOD!) the exchange on one pair of pants for two new pairs. While we were in French Connection one of the sales guys asked me what I was doing. I told him I was knitting and he seemed amazed that I could knit and watch my sister shop at the same time. When I was sitting in one of the open dressing rooms across from my sister’s dressing room he totally laughed everytime he walked by and gave a hand wave as if to say I was completely ridiculous but fabulous for knitting without end. I know he wasn’t flirting with me because I wasn’t his type at all, if you know what I mean.

Then we went to Nordstrom’s. Shoe department. (Do they actually sell anything else at Nordstrom’s?) I was walking around display shopping and knitting. A cute sales guy asks me what I’m knitting. I tell him. He tells me he would love to learn to knit – if it was socially acceptable and all. I said IT TOTALLY IS! And then he told me that maybe he’d get a book out of the library. Then we go back to looking around and when he comes by us again he tells me I should knit him a hat. I laugh and say – how big’s your head? (See – this is why I don’t think he was flirting with me even though my sister thinks he was because if that’s not an opening I don’t know what is!) This seemed to confuse him a bit but then he disappeared into the back to get my sister’s shoes. At this point my sister was completely flabergasted that my knitting was getting all the attention here. (HAHAHAHA!) When he came back he dropped the shoes off by my sister and totally came over to talk to me. He started telling me his life story. How he gave up his engineering career and how he just got a house and this is his second job. His real job is in finance. He was very sweet and I have no idea what he wanted from me – maybe just to know about knitting? Maybe I reminded him of his dear sweet grandmother that used to knit and he’s lonely and the knitting made me seem kind and open? I thought it was interesting that not one woman said anything to me about my knitting. Only men – and young men at that. I don’t know what this all means but single girls out there – know this: Knitting. It’s the new puppy. Use it wisely.

Without further ado, my green squares. All finished but for the sewing.

Remember how you all thought I went a little overboard with the sock thing? That I might not ever knit anything again? You ain’t seen nothing. The socks? Kid’s play. This log cabin thing may ruin me forever. There are other things I want to knit – remember that whole Japanese sweater? Yeah. I’d still love to knit that. But these log cabins have taken over my brain like some kind of mad knit disease and I can’t stop thinking about them.

Now that I’ve finished the green squares (Kay? Whenever you’re ready I’m ready babe!) I’m already planning my next blanket. I’m seeing them more like canvases rather than functional pieces. Have you ever had this feeling – it’s like your brain is so full of the idea that it feels like it might burst if you don’t get it out? That’s how I’ve been feeling all weekend. I’ve been doodling, playing with Photoshop – dreaming about the damn squares. It’s a sickness. But if loving squares is wrong – I don’t ever want to be right again. Stay tuned.

Back to the green squares – I anticipated the photo shoot of all 12 squares the whole weekend and I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. I wanted something different. I finished the 12th square this morning and then I went out for a run. I’m so fat but at least I’m trying. Anyway – I kept running past all these nice lush patches of lawn and I thought that’s perfect! So you have the pictures above. And then, when I was heading home to my nice air-conditioned apartment, I saw this patch of greens.

It’s my log cabin in nature. Cool huh?

I never talked about my day with those goofy pug lovers. It was more fun that I thought I should share. I didn’t want to incite any ugly envy or anything. I will say this: when Jen, Xavi and I were on the train home we saw this amazing rainbow. And as Ann suggested, cherry pies started falling from the sky. It was that good. And thanks for all the kind words you left for me! It’s nice to know you think such nice things about me. I thought for sure I’d get a least one bitch. Or maybe even a mothafucka. Nothing. I really am losing my touch.

Spin Out UPDATE!

Get your prizes here! Right here! I’ve got quite a few prizes to announce: Emily of Sophie’s Toes Sock Yarn has graciously donated two skeins of her hand-dyed sock yarn in the colors “Handsome Park Ranger” and “Summer in the City” – you know – in honor of our little event! (And be sure to check out her quilts. They are breathtaking!) Stacey at Made By Ewe offered up one of her hand painted spindles and some of her yarn. Beautiful stuff! Potter Craft, publishers of the ever famous Mason Dixon Knitting and Big Girl Knits, is sending over a collection of goodies. Kelly at The Gabby Knitter is donating some of her fabulous hand dyed sock yarn. Jennifer over at Spirit Trail Fiberworks is sending us some of her hand-dyed gorgeousness! Sivia Harding has donated two BRAND NEW beaded sock patterns. You know how I feel about my Sivia (of the Diamond Fantasy Shawl fame!) And last but not least, Kathy Elkins of WEBS has generously donated a fantastic knitty prize! More details to come! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU ALL! I’m overwhelmed by all of your generosity!

We’re T Minus 5 Days until the big event, but the Registry will be open until June 30th. So there’s plenty of time to give. Now who’s going to push me over the edge? So far today we’ve got a total of $9996! THANK YOU!