When I started knitted the 9 x 9 inch squares for the Pine Street Inn Knit-a-thon blanket project I was very excited to be using my 365 Knitting Stitches a Year Calendar Book, trying out the various stitches. It was fun...but I started running into difficulties. I couldn't depend on the fact that if I cast on a given number of stitches I would end up with a 9 x 9 inch square. Finally I caved in and started knitting boring garter stitch stripes. Actually I didn't find them boring at all. They were rather fun and I was actually using up quite a bit of my little odd balls of yarn. You know what I mean. We all have those "too little to do much of anything with balls" of yarn or" too afraid to start anything balls". 
These garter stitch stripe squares really turned out to be my favorite. I just knew if I cast on 38 stitches (size 6 needle) the way I knit with worsted weight yarn I would end up with a 9 inch square in the end. How could that be simpler and in my case therapeutic as well. Lately that's the kind of knitting that suits me best :)Here are the a few of the ones I fiddled with before coming to my senses:
A tri-color (until I ran out of blue and switched to white) Double Woven (a.k.a DW cloth) from Oct. 20 and
Garter Stitch Ridges ( Sept. 22 ) and Checkerboard (June 19).Our church's fundraising website has been doing pretty well in addition to the knitting of the squares. It will be very interesting to find out the actual number of squares knitted by everyone. I knitted 15. I wish it could have been more, but I just have to move on to other things.
Now, to change the subject....drum roll please....I won my very first blog contest ( and I didn't do anything out of the ordinary either)! Thanks to Jeanne of Jeanne Knits, I being her 2001st commenter, she so generously gifted me with a wonderful gift certificate to Yarn Chef. There are so many beautiful yarns at Yarn Chef that I am really looking forward to picking out some pretty yarn for a new project...now I just have to figure out what I want to make and then I'll be all set. I was really having a rough week and you really helped me through it. Thank you so much Jeanne :)
Well, here we go again...another week and can you believe it October is just about gone. Where is the time going? Don't know what I would do without my knitting, because I do think that's what keeps me sane. While I may not always have time to be blogging, I do make sure I can get some knitting in some way or another :)
happy knitting :)
those squares look soooo yummy! It is amazing how simplicity sometimes is the most pretty. Your color selections are striking and I'm sure your neatness makes the entire 9x9 idea a work of geometric art!
ReplyDeleteYou are brilliant! I never would have thought something so simple could be so pretty. And what an awesome way to use up small leftovers. Thanks for sharing this great idea.
ReplyDeleteHugs!
Yes, we know what you mean! :)
ReplyDeleteAll the squares are beautiful, but I love the feel of garter stitch squares so I'm partial to them.
You did a wonderful job on all of them.
Congratulations on winning the contest! What fun to choose free yarn.
Look at them all! great job!
ReplyDeleteAnd what a great way to use up the odds and ends.
Congrats on winning -how fun!
oooh, those squares look really nice! i'm with you on the simplicity and reliability of the garter square... maybe i'll have to try striping them next time around!
ReplyDeletecongratulations on your contest win! : )
Those squares are wonderful, and what a great way to use up those yarn ends. congratulations on winning the contest. What a great prize!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the contest win! Do you have a project in mind for your new yarn yet?
ReplyDeleteI completely understand about the need for therapeutic knitting sometimes.
I love your blocks and what a great way to get rid of some scrap yarn.
ReplyDeleteMost excellent, particularly your tidy edges! Slip stitches at beginning and ends of each row, Daaaaaarling? I must know!
ReplyDeleteOh look at you, square knitting queen! Those look fabulous. Great use of leftovers too.
ReplyDeleteAnd congrats on the contest winnings!!
Congratulations on winning that contest! I can't wait to see what you pick out.
ReplyDeleteI love your squares, too. I'm not a huge fan of garter stitch, but striped like yours, that's a really cool design!
I love your garter stitch striped squares! I think they'd make a beautiful blanket on their own. And, congratulations on winning the gift certificate! It will be so fun to choose some yarn--I think you should use it to make yourself something extra yummy. :)
ReplyDeleteThose turned out great. The squares are going to look wonderful together! Congrats on winning the contest!
ReplyDeleteThe squares look so nice - great patterns and colors! Have fun with picking out your yarn - can't wait to see what you choose! And thanks again for being the 2001st!
ReplyDeleteOh, I like the garter stitch squares too! ;o) I'm sorry to hear that you had a rough week. Hope it will get better. Wish you all the best! ;o)
ReplyDeleteHoly moly, that's A LOT of cloths!!! Great use of odd bits. I haven't even gotten to my box of kitchen cotton since the move (I know where it is buried, just don't feel like moving all the other boxes to get to it).
ReplyDeletecongrats on the win, and the squares look great!
ReplyDeleteI love how those garter squares look! It's definitely art! I like how the DW cloth looks too with that color combo. Congrats on your contest win!
ReplyDeleteOh, that is just brilliant! I work with recycled yarn, and I have way too many "too afraid to start anything" balls of yarn laying around.
ReplyDeleteI think the garter squares are fantastic. I love the color combinations. And I love the squishy fabric garter stitch makes.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the yarn win. I just discovered Yarn Chef today. If I had not just ordered yarn elsewhere I would have ordered some, the colors are beautiful.
The squares are great! Very inspirational. They should make a very much appreciated blanket for someone.
ReplyDeleteWHOA NELLY! That's a whole lot of knitting going on... Nice colorful project! You'll never be bored...
ReplyDeleteIf I were the size of Barbie (skip the proportions and think shrunk down to her height) I'd be falling backward on that stack of squares kinda like that stuffed bear in those dryer sheet commercials a few years back. Coosh-eee. Your squares are great and they are perfect for when you just don't feel like doing much with your brain. Like I feel a lot of the time.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah...I'd so be sleeping on those, were I barbie sized. Those look really great! They'd make great dishcloths. Sorry you had a bad week. My knitting always saves me, too. And, well, all of you...
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Ang