The Winner and Another Preview from Color By Kristin

Thanks to all of you who entered the contest here and on the Webs Blog last week. The winner of the Webs/Color by Kristin prize is Carol O. Congratulations Carol! You are a very lucky winner. Please contact me or Kathy Elkins and we will get your prizes to you.

Now it is back to the previews from Color By Kristin...... Today, I want to show you the Many Hearts Baby Blanket - complete with Annika the kitten asleep on top of the project. She certainly has good taste, doesn't she?


I just love how this project came out! My concept was to design a baby blanket that could be made by a bunch of friends for an expectant mother. The project starts off by knitting 9 separate squares. The motif is a heart and it is worked in Fair Isle. Each square is a different combination of colors. My thought was that 9 knitting friends would each make one of the hearts. After the hearts are knit, they are sewn together using mattress stitch. They form a patchwork quilt-ish looking center. Using a long circular needle, someone will pick up around the pieced section. The stripes are made in garter stitch - worked in the round. At each corner, the increases are made to form the miter.

Here is a detail of the hearts after they are sewn together. You can see the added cross stitch and chain stitch which I did after the blanket was finished.


My idea was that each knitter would take the project home and add a stripe or two. As everyone added, the project would grow larger. The other option is that you could have multiple circular needles working your way around the square (as it got larger) so that people could knit as a group.


A handknit object for a baby is one of the most lovely gifts a new mom can receive. I know! When I was pregnant and at a TNNA show, Linda Pratt and Pat Chew organized a surprise Breakfast Shower for me. I received the most amazing handknit sweaters for my not yet born Julia. When she was an infant, she was covered in handknits from head to toe. As she grew, I was always sad when she stopped wearing a handknit that one of my friends had made. I still have them all in a bag in the attic - I just can't bear to part with them!

Which leads me to this fun and creative project that is traveling the world - The Big-Sock Project that I added a bunch of my knitted stitches to while I was at The Market at Stitches in Hartford. What fun! I'm not sure where the sock is now but listen up and add your knitting when it comes to a store or event near you!