Arizona Dream Kit in AZ18 Whistle Wind

Cast on to straight needles, which just about accommodated the 137 stitches… but immediately got stuck on Row 2, with the triple wraps and an insufficiency of needle inches.

Will have to use circs (damn!)

07/02/15 20 rows done - and have already made a mistake and got my rows out of synch.

the pattern is neither well written nor particularly well presented and there is at least one error: am currently interpreting “Row 21 & 24 With I, knit” as Row 21 to 24.

Looking good though - pretty colours

There are going to be a zillion ends to sew in.

09/02/14 34 rows completed. Going well, though the Hoopla looks to be a little short on quantity - it knits up very quickly… gobbled up right before my eyes.

25/02/15 - First 66 row repeat done. Approx 45 cm long. Pattern aims for 130/135 cm so clearly three repeats are intended.

There will not be sufficient Hoopla.

15/11/15

Now finished, or at least stopped.

The Hoopla, Yarn C ran out on the third iteration of Rows 15 to 18. I completed 15 and 16 and considered finishing. The work measured 125 cms and there was much yarn left over. I decided to make up rows 17 and 18 with the next yarn in the sequence and to continue until Yarn C was required again - so worked up to Row 28 on this third repeat. I then added in Yarn A again and knitted a row before casting off, so that my two edges were worked in the same yarn.

It’s a nice blanket but would be so much better if larger and frankly, I am annoyed that one third of the yarn remains. This kit is a long way from being cheap and I would wish that the designs were constructed to maximise use of the yarns contained in it. I did consider ordering some extra Hoopla but felt that not only had I already spent enough but noting that Yarn A was about to run out, closely followed by Yarn B, this did not seem a sensible way forward… I could go on spending just to use up the yarns that were barely used.

And I mean barely used. Weighing in at the end showed that two of the mohairs had 46 grams (of 50 ) remianing and one of the Zanibas had 78 grams left of the original 100g. In all, I have 360 grams left and the blanket weights 635 grams.

It’s a wasteful design. Very.

FO shots after the ends are sewn in and the washing and blocking done. That may not be until next Spring…