fo: a hap blanket

Pattern: Hap Blanket, by Ysolda Teague

Yarn: many: Artist's Palette Big Softy in ice blue, Devon Fine Fibres Bowmont in wombat and natural, alpaca from Emmms the Alpaca in natural caramel

Needles: 7 mm 

Comments: Matthew calls this my greatest achievement as far as my knitting goes. I'm not sure I agree with him per se, but other than Mr Bear or base of the kittens' bed, this is by far my most used finished product. It covers our bed when we go to sleep at night. I wear it in the mornings before I get dressed (and sometimes after). Matthew swaddles himself in it before he goes up into his studio in our loft. In the week and a half since the radiator broke we have spent almost every night huddled under it. I love it.

It will for ever be the blanket that stopped me losing my mind, for that alone I love it. I began knitting it after my granddad died back in July and finished it before the end of September, just in time for snuggling weather. Knitting it was a rather perfect way of keeping myself occupied when the grief was overwhelming; it allowed me to meditate on him and nothing all at the same time.

Choosing the yarns for the feather-and-fan edging was far more difficult than I ever anticipated. I had already chosen a yarn that was much thinner (a heavy worsted, 'light' chunky) than Ysolda recommended, so as I already had to increase the stitch count to 120 to make it satisfactorily wide enough, I decided to lengthen it as well and make it a proper-size blankety blanket by doubling every colour block. However, in doing so it meant the 6 skeins I had originally bought of the Big Softy were never going to be enough. So I bought another skein of the Big Softy and a skein of the Bowmont in natural, but I still felt there was something missing. That something was a gorgeous skein of pure alpaca sent to me by the lovely 'Lista.

'Lista and I met over at CPaAG on Ravelry. There are some people who you meet, whether in person or not, and feel an immediate connection. 'Lista is one of them. She is an amazing story-teller and can make me laugh, with stories of her sea of cats, her crazy neighbours and batty kidlets, like no one else. She has that uncommon gift of being poignant, hilarious, delicate and pithy, all at the same time. I cannot count the number of times I have wished I could step through my computer screen into her Tulsa world, though whenever I see I've got an email from her I can practically feel the sun on my face and one of her bunnies in my arms. Over the last year and a half, as well as emails, we've sent each other care packages and in one of them was a skein of alpaca. It just so happens she met the alpaca from whom the fleece that turned into this skein is from, and it further so happens that alpaca shares my name. If that isn't fate I don't know what is.

Sadly, 'Lista also had a difficult summer and so this blanket is in memory of those she has lost as well. One day, when all this recession nonsense is over and Matthew has signed with a major record company and I have started my lecture circuit around the States on Lacanian blots, phallocentrism and anxious little spies, I shall take the blanket with me to meet her in person. We will sit on her veranda wearing our tiaras and drinking cocktails, sharing stories about grandparents and the things they teach us, and as each of her neighbours passes I will be able to halloo them by name. It will be lovely.

Comments

[Teresa Marler]

I happen to be the mother of that lovely girl. And she is as sweet as you think. She's a great kid!

['Lista]

::sobs:: Aw, Emmms, did you have to go and make me cry??? What a lovely, wonderful thing to have an Emmms write about you! I did actually become the proud owner of a fabulous tiara this week. It's a sign. I know it. Loves to you!

[Lix]

Looking forward to seeing Matthew in his tiara! Blanket looks lovely. Sanity knitting rocks.

[Roobeedoo]

Sounds like the perfect project! A big snuggley blankie is exactly what is needed at this time of year. And your looks beautiful - more pictures of the whole thing please!

[Robyn]

I want to see the blanket in its full glory -- full shot, please!

[Emilee]

It's lovely!

[Tikabelle]

You make me want to make a hap blanket. I have my eye on Knitpicks City Tweed heavy worsted... perhaps I'll just ask for gift certificates to KP this year for Christmas and get started (finally!).

'Lista and her mom are both now on my list of blogs. Her mom reminds me of my mom - consummate quilter and all-'round great lady. I love them both already.

[Camille]

More proof that knitting really is a healing art.

Curious as to your hap blanket's dimensions—I am working on an afghan right now and wondering how big is big enough to stop... :}