I Did It (My Hand-Knitted Blanket)

 Earlier this month, I was wondering if I could actually make one of those big, fat hand-knitted blankets. Turns out I can!

I started working on this back on May 9th when I got the Terra Cotta yarn from Michaels. I had coupons, thank goodness. I still was only able to get 4 skeins of yarn. That's fine because I only wanted something cozy for when I am not feeling well or at the clinic. This is a perfect size. A rough size estimate (because it's not completely even and square!) is 40x45 inches. 

Unlike the lady who did the video I followed, I didn't use Merino wool. I used a chenille-type Polyester.

 It's ropier - not as chunky as it is fluffy - but really soft and will be easier to clean. I wanted comfort and ease over looks this time. The Merino wool might be easier to work with (?) but I wanted something I could drag from bed to couch on sick days and I sure won't be able to toss the Merino in with the washing. (Never mind that I don't think I can afford enough Merino wool!) And this yarn is so incredibly fluffy and soft! While I worked on the blanket, the finished part made a nice cushion as I sat on the floor. As my family tends to sit and lay on the floor when they are over and watching TV with me, I should make some smalls squares just for sitting on!

Anyway.

As you can clearly see, my finished product is not perfect. The spacing is sometimes uneven and the edges are a little loose in spots. I call it "homemade beautiful" and I love it. Its'ssuch an accomplishment for me. 

When I started the blanket, I realized that the hard part is not, for me, the weaving/knitting together the loops. The hard part was remembering what I was doing from moment to moment. I would start a row and forget that I was doing a regular loop (pulling the yarn under and into a loop) and find myself doing a reverse (?) loop - pulling the yarn over and in an existing loop. Sometimes, I'd get frustrated because I would complete a whole row of the correct looping but realize I had dropped some and had huge holes. 

I cannot begin to remember how many times I got 10 or even 20 inches in only to realize I had made several mistakes. I unraveled so many times that a pro could have finished 10 King-sized blankets by the time I finished this one. But I did it. 

I am so incredibly proud of myself.

Next time (you know, when I save up for more yarn and collect more coupons from my craft-queen SIL), I will work harder to keep the stitching even and have more of a square-shaped finished project! 

One thing I loved about working on this blanket was that it helped with my moods. I didn't struggle as much with depression and, surprisingly, my anxiety didn't kick in when I made mistakes. I got incredibly frustrated at times, but I think anyone could feel like that.

So, I was wondering if I could do this and I'm really glad I could. It took me approximately, I'm guessing, 32 or 35 hours (a couple of hours at a time) to finish but... There you go.

I hope that some of you are inspired to make one of these blankets. It would be a great friend and friend, mother-daughter, auntie-niece, or big sister-little sister project. After all, the yarn is the main expense and you can find coupons and sales all over the place. Good luck and enjoy your own project.

To Summarize:

Handknitting is a fun and say project. The polyester chenille blankets make nice gifts. 

Peace

--Free