Botanicals

Terrible photo, I know; it's been very dark and dismal around here lately.  And cold.  Not proper February cold, but because we're just not used to it this winter, a little bit of cold feels very cold.

So I have been working on designing some intarsia patterns.  Kind of thinking along the lines of a botanical inspired sampler blanket.  I made a sampler kind of blanket years ago with mostly my own designs - some taken from Norwegian patterns and modified.  I used wool from a jumper I'd knitted Matt when we were first married that never fit well, and all my early attempts at spinning my own wool (on a drop spindle).  It sits on the couch up in Vermont, and I love it, although it's getting a bit holey.  I know so much more about weaving in ends these days- and joining wool.

I thought it would be fun to do one which is just botanical kind of designs, so I've started both designing and knitting.  Not sure if I will write it up as a pattern - have to see how it turns out.  I've actually pulled apart the 3 squares I started with (in the top photo), as I wasn't happy with the shape of them when I crocheted around the edges; they went all wonky.  I was trying to be clever and put a garter stitch edge all the way around, but it actually made them more curly.  Anyway, I've stopped trying to be smarty pants clever and just done straight stocking stitch (but slipping the stitch at the end of each row) and doing 31stitches by 31 row "squares" (they are more rectangular, but I don't mind that).  It seems to be making a more regularly shaped "square", but I haven't crocheted around the edges yet.  I was thinking along the lines of more spring like colours - like a little get through the early days of spring lap blanket.  I really like how these look draped over the back of a chair or couch.

Once I started designing them (I also have all my previous patterns from the other blanket in a book), I realised that I was repeating the shapes that I was playing around with back in August when I was doing a lot of water colour "doodling" in my sketch book. I like it when I'm able to pull together ideas like that.

Anyway, I'll see how it goes.  I may decide just to make a cushion with them if I run out of steam.  It will be interesting to see how many ideas on a similar theme I can come up with.  I may have to do some leaves, or mushrooms?  Or Acorns perhaps?