28 skeins of Knit Picks Swish worsted (that's 3,080 yards, but who's counting ... ) and way too many ends to count later ... the many hearts blanket is DONE! I am sooo happy to have this beast of a blanket finished! It's actually weather appropriate too, considering that next week we'll finally dip into the 60s during the day and 40s at night (that's cold after the 80s we're experiencing now! ahh... fall in the south!).
all my pretty floats
I learned so much on this project! This was my first serious attempt at intarsia and fair isle. The original pattern called for intarsia to create the hearts, but I quickly discovered my distaste for it. Too many balls to manage with this pattern, and too many ends. So I switched to fair isle and never regretted that choice. In fact, I think stranded knitting is ideal for a blanket since it creates a double-layer of fiber that adds additional warmth. I also learned
how to properly tack down the floats in order to ensure the hearts lay flat on this project.
Needles: size 8 Addi Clicks
Yarn: Knit Picks Swish Worsted (8.5 skeins of Carrot, 8.5 skeins of Lotus, 6 skeins of Gulfstream, 5 skeins of Parrot--3080 yards total)
Dimensions: 44 inches wide and 72 inches long
Modifications: Tons ... if you take a look of the pattern picture in
my first post about this project you'll notice that my finished project is a much simpler, more contemporary version of Kristin Nicholas's pattern. I omitted all the embellishment needlepoint, for starters (I love how it looks, but the thought of that much handwork on a twin-size blanket was just too daunting. I also was skeptical of how well it would hold up to the wear and tear an active toddler would inflict). I upsized the pattern to twin size by making more hearts than originally called for. At first I planned to match the stripe pattern of the original pattern, but then changed course to create four-heart "blocks" instead. I am so glad I ended up adding a second stripe around the perimeter of each block--it ended up adding another inch in width around each side, and just made each block feel more "complete." If I would change anything about this project, it would be to find a way to add more width to the final dimensions. As is, it covers the top of a twin bed well but there isn't much overhang on the sides. I'm happy with it, but it would be nice if there was an additional four to six inches or so in width.
