September 12, 2010: Finally decided that I’d better start this if I want it to be a Christmas gift. I think I’m going to do this assembly line style (since it’s 6 of each block), so I did the middle squares for the first 6 blocks (pink) and now am doing the second color on those 6 blocks.
October 7: The weaving in of all the ends is going to be killer, so I’m trying to do as much as possible while I am knitting. Have added the third color to two of the six squares.
October 24: Finished all the yellow bits on the six squares. Started on the orange-y bits between the yellow triangles. Not enjoying picking up the stitches here because it’s harder to see where to pick them up.
November 18: I’ve been putting off the orange-y bits because I have not liked doing them, but I figured that if I keep putting them off, this will never get done, so I did three of the remaining four squares tonight. Just one more to go for this section. Hope the next isn’t as fussy (the stitches to pick up are difficult to get to and I don’t think it’s making a very neat edge, but we’ll see how it looks in the end).
November 20: I decided to just finish one whole square to see how it turns out--although the assembly line format does seem to work, parts of it feel a bit wonky so I want to make sure it all works out before I do six squares that look terrible. I finished almost all of one square (just one more border color to add to it) and I’m rather amazed at how it does come together and it is actually square. Although this is definitely never going to be high on my list of most fun projects to knit, it does look really neat and doing one whole square has given me the motivation to keep moving forward with it because I think the end product will be really neat and my MIL will love it.
December 5: I spent most of the weekend working on this project. I’ve finished the middles of the first 6 squares, all squares have the first border around them. So I’m getting really close to the halfway point!
December 30: This is now my priority project. I have finished the first two borders on all six of the first set of squares, so just one more color border on them and I’ll finally be at the halfway point. I do really like how the squares look, but the project itself is rather tedious and I don’t really enjoy working on it.
January 1, 2011: Finished the borders on the first six squares (still some ends to weave in). Halfway there!
January 18: Of the last six squares, one is complete (ends still to weave in). The other five are about halfway, or nearly halfway, complete.
January 23: Progress is being made! Of the five remaining squares, all have the first border round complete. Only two more border rounds for each of them. Then the massive job of weaving in the ends. Then seaming together and probably blocking. Is the end actually possibly in sight?
January 26: Second round of border complete on all five remaining squares. Just one more border round to go on them all!
January 27: Borders finished on all but one square!
January 28: The knitting is finished! Now I have all the finishing left.
January 29: I added a picture of the back of one of the squares to show how many ends I have to weave in. I have all 6 of Block B and one of Block A to go. But at least the knitting part is done! Yes, I know I’ve already said that, but I feel really excited about that!
March 3:
Almost finished with weaving in all the ends. Just half of one square left to go. My goal is to finish that tonight and spend the weekend seaming the squares together. Then blocking and drying all next week so that I can give it to my MIL when we visit the following week. A very late Christmas gift, but I’ll be so glad when it’s finished and in her hands!
March 4: Oh my gods, I can’t believe it. All the ends have been woven in!! That in itself feels like a major accomplishment. I’ve seamed four squares together into one long strip. I plan to do two more of those and then seam the three strips together. I’m finding the seaming itself not too difficult except for the color. The dark brown makes it difficult to see the stitches so I have to have a bright light right overhead while seaming.
March 5: Done done done done done!! I can’t believe that it’s actually done! I’m going to block it tomorrow and then I’ll get some pictures added and will give it to my MIL the week after next. I’m so amazed. I can’t believe that I persevered and finished this. It is definitely a project that I know my MIL will love, but I will never ever do it again.
Pattern: New Traditions Afghan by Nina Isaacson (kit from KnitPicks)
Yarn: KnitPicks Wool of the Andes in Tulip, Orange, Pumpkin, Caution, Avocado, Calypso Heather, Bittersweet Heather, Snickerdoodle and Oyster Heather
