Tag Archives: mystery blanket

2020 The Year of Blankets & Shawls

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This is the year I am aiming to complete some of my mystery blanket kits from Debbie Abrahams. I purchased them every year since she started her mystery blankets until 2018, when I thought that I had too many untouched to justify another.. I have knitted some but have too many languishing in airtight containers. In February I finally finished MB 2016 A French Romance. there was real sense of satisfaction when it was finished.

I am currently on the final stretch of the first Mystery Baby Blanket Club from Debbie. I decided to go for this one as it’s nice to have a baby blanket in store for any babies arriving and I can knit another using stash yarn. I am still working on destashing and am avoiding temptation as much as possible. I am also working through my shawl patterns and using stash to knit them up. Shawls have become my go to as they can double up as a scarf and a shawl. Currently on the needles is Learning to Cry from @curioushandmade in the gorgeous Jelly KSH and Wool Cotton

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Catching UP

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Not done as much as I had planned on the crafting front, but, I have made good headway on my Debbie Abrahams Mystery Blanket from 2016. Out of the seven strips and 4 borders , I have managed to complete, 4 strips, 1 border and a few squares. To save my arms from the weight of the completed blanket when doing the borders I am knitting the side borders on the strip before I sew them together.

So far I have sewn two sets of strips together and am feeling a sense of completion. What I like about Debbies Blankets are the range of techniques , colours and yarn choices. The 2016 one has beading, bobbles, cables, lace, intarsia, swiss darning and stranded knitting. Each square feels like one has actually completed an item, which I guess one has. I am on track to complete this by the end of June.

Strips so far

Ravellenics

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I thought I would take part in this years Ravellenics. For those of you not in the know, Ravellenics is a knitting competition on the fabulous Ravelry. timed to tie in with the Olympic games. We cast on during the opening ceremony and finish before the end of the closing one. There are numerous events for us to take part in and laurels to be won. These include WIP Wrestling, Scarf Hockey and Bag Backstroke, full list below with how many competing in each category. For each event we wish to enter we set up a project page with tags for the relevant event. I am in Team Tea Yarn 2016

Ravellenic Summer Games 2016 Events

Afghan Marathon 174 entries 1%
Bag Backstroke 118 entries 7%
Cowl Jump 352 entries 1%
Frogging Trampoline 764 entries 43%
Garment Polo 148 entries 7%
Hat Dash 721 entries 5%
Household Heptathalon 331 entries 9%
Mitten Medley 255 entries 2%
Scarf Hockey 261 entries 2%
Shawl Sailing 842 entries 0%
Sock-Put 541 entries 1%
Sweater Triathalon 617 entries 0%
Synchronized Spinning 135 entries 8%
Toy Toss 310 entries 7%
WIPs Wrestling 2953 entries 3%
The other projects I plan on knitting are Zauberlehring a nice easy scarf to do whenever I have time but can’t concentrate on something more difficult, Daughter of Eve fingerless mitts and  Back hand Hitch fingerless mittens for Harry or Evalyn as I can’t decide on which yarn to use. The final project I entered was this years Mystery Blanket from Debbie Abrahams. I am behind with my squares so I have set myself the target to finish the ones up to August as well. I made my self a chart so I can track how much I have do and how much I have done.
 I am really looking forward to all this knitting , once it’s all done I can get back to some sewing.

Over commit much?

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Late last year I bought Ysoldas Follow the Arrow MKAL (mystery knit a long). I was determined to knit from stash and found some Precious 4ply silk.itisso lovely and soft and a dream to knit with. I cannot post a picture of the shawl until the knit a long is finished but here’s the yarn.
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When I signed up to this I thought that I’d never done a mystery knit a long before, then brain kicked in and I remembered Debbie Abrahams Mystery Blanket . I guess I don’t think of it as a mystery knit a long and yet that is definitely what it is. So as well as doing the follow the arrow shawl, I am doing Debbie Abrahams Mystery Blanket and a smaller version of her playmat blanket. In my brain fog I also signed up for a couple of swaps which involve knitting a small item. There are also the birthday presents I will be knitting and I have a long list of sewing I need to do. I knitted option B in the shawl but after seeing option A I was very tempted to cast on another shawl, luckily common sense took  ovetr and if I haven’t got too much on once its finished I may knit another and use more of my stash.
I am only putting totals in and out once a project is finished

Day 19 it can be revealed

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Some of you may have already worked it out. The present I was working on for my friend was Debbie Abrahams Mystery Blanket A Nordic Adventure. I am pleased to report she loved it and I will be making her a cushion to match. Here’s a picture

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Mystery blanket 2013

I also made her a repair kit so that if disaster stikes and it gets a hole she can fix it.
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I am so pleased she liked it, although to be  honest she didn’t like it she loved it. I like making things for Zoe as she always appreciates a hand crafted gift. As this was her Christmas and birthday present , we exchanged Christmas presents.  She opened hers first and then said I can’t give you yours now which  was a silly thing to say as she has made me the most beautiful hand patchwork quilted pouch. She is an amazing talented crafter and her embroidery and sewing skills are outstanding. Zoe is extremely good at the little details and always adds a little something that I wouldn’t think of.  The hexagons are all hand stitched as is the binding and the fabrics are Liberty prints. She added a gorgeous button and sewed tiny beads on top of it.  I can’t stop picking it up and  stroking it. Now I have to decide whether to use it as a handbag organiser or a notions pouch. At the moment it has my favourite pens and a pair of scissors in it.
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Thanks Zoe I really do appreciate it and love it.

Mystery Cushion 2011

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I recieved my mystery cushion parcel at the beginning of June and it has an interesting mix of colours. All the yarn is from Rowan, most of it is Belle by Amy Butler Organic Wool Cotton DK. All the previous mystery blankets I have knitted, I have given away as gifts but this cushion is a keepeer. As soon as I finished the  first square I knew I had to keep it. The swiss darning has yet to be sewn on the first square but it still looks good. Debbie Abrahams is such a great designer. I would never have thought to put those colours together. I am also knitting this years Mystery Blanket but have only knitted the first square. My plan is to stay on top of the cushion squares and then knit as many of the blanket squares as possible before the new Rowan magazine is realeased. Hopefully I’ll be up to date by then. Unlikely but as ever optomistic

Yarn Package for mystery cushion 2011

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