Flying Geese

Flying Geese Blanket: Mason Dixson

Yarn: Rowan Harris Scottish Tweed DK (from stash)

Needle: 6 US (2 dpns, + 1 circular 24")

Progress: 1 of 6 blanket squares

Colours: Lavendar, Bright Pink (borders), Apple (corner squares), Thistle (3 of 6 squares), Sunset (3 of 6 squares), Thatch (outer border).

I need a special gift for my oldest step-daughter Sandy, who will graduate in May from the University of Minnesota Veterinary School. I had been looking online and searching through books for a special afghan blanket pattern. While flipping through Mason Dixon, trying to decide if I had enough time to complete the Log Cabin or the Mitered Squares, my eyes fell upon the Flying Geese. I have love the Harris Scottish Tweed yarn and patterns, for the last couple of years and each time I visit my LYS I pick up one or two balls and pop it into stash, ($10.00 a ball - not the most economical buy), knowing one day I would be using it for a large project. I only needed two more balls to complete the Flying Geese, one ball of Sunset (rust/terra cotta) and one of Apple. The pattern says it takes one ball of Thatch (chocolate brown) to complete the outer border but I'm not sure of that so I will probably pick up another ball of Thatch before all is said and done. Since taking this picture I have a Sunset square completed and attached, that means I am one third completed and have two thirds to go before the begining of May.

I used Publisher to complete a colour template for the blanket design, using my colours and switching them around until I had a colour templete that pleased. It's a very easy blanket to complete (save for the picking up of stitches pain on the fingers), very little finishing, as I am sewing in all the yarn colour changes on each section before I move on to the next, less overwhelming at the end I feel. I have a pact with myself that I cannot start another section until all the ends are darned in.

I am also knitting a small baby jacket and a toy lamb to give respite to the picking up of stitches which can as I said be a little difficult on the finger tips.