Comfort Blanket - Finished!

After I finished the edging on the shawl I was able to return to work the edging on the blanket to use up as much of the remainder of the full size skein as possible.  I did a modified log cabin edging, working the two opposite sides first - picking up 200 stitches - and then the other two opposite sides where I also picked up stitches in the edging of the first two sides so that things were symmetric.  I kept track of my yarn usage, and after working a couple of rows I did the math to figure out how many rows I could work and not run out of yarn (I ended up with about 5 grams left).  I could have done one more row on each side, but I wanted to bind off on a wrong side row because I like the look when I’m working garter stitch, and if I had worked that one more row I would have been binding off on the right side.  This didn’t take very long to finish, I finished up on July 27, but had to wait until the following Monday to block it as we had to go out of town over the weekend.  Jezebel has claimed the blanket.

Pattern:  Comfort Blanket KAL 2023 by Louise Tilbrook

Yarn:  Mad Scientist Yarns Hybrid 2021 Jekyll Advent

Needle:  US 3 (3.25 mm)

 

Science Experiment - Up to Skein 6

I have been making some progress on this shawl as well.  It was one of the projects that I took with me to Florida, although I did not work on it while I was there.  I have now done three repeats of the Option B pattern and have almost used up Skein 6.  I guess I better get this finished before my 2021 Mad Scientist Advent Calendar arrives.  I received a shipping notice yesterday.  I just need to decide if I want to do another repeat of the B pattern or if I want to switch to the C pattern.

Day 1: Xi Persei

Day 2: 10 Lacertae

Day 3: Spica

Day 4: Achernar

Day 5: Regulus

Day 6: Deneb

Pattern:  The Science Experiment by Melinda Measor

Yarn: Mad Scientist Yarns Hybrid, 2020 Jekyll Advent Calendar 

Needles:  US 6 (4 mm)

The Science Experiment - Cast On

 

The knitting pattern that comes with the Mad Scientist Yarns 2020 Jekyll Advent Calendar is called The Science Experiment.  It has three different charts that you can mix up anyway you would like.  I started with skein 1, Xi Persei and chart A.

The yarn in my set is Hybrid - 70% Bluefaced Leicester, 20% Silk, 10% Cashmere goat, with 437 yards / 100 grams.  You can make this shawl as big or as small as you like, and the pattern gives measurements for four different sizes,  using roughly 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, or the full set.  Looking at the measurements I quickly decided that I did not want to make the shawl using the full set as it would be ginormous.  So I decided to use about half the set for this shawl.  But then I was faced with the dilemma of what to make with the other half.

Pattern:  The Science Experiment by Melinda Measor

Yarn:  Mad Scientist Yarns Hybrid

Needle:  US 6 (4 mm)

Mad Scientist Yarns - 2020 Jekyll Advent Calendar

 

Last year I bought a Mad Scientist Jekyll Advent Calendar, thanks to the able enabling of Ambah O’Brien.  I had to get one because it was a fade based upon the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram for stellar classification.  How could I resist?  At the end of April they announced their 2021 Advent sets and this year the fade set is using bioluminescent marine life as the inspiration.  Of course I had to get one.  They also had a picture of the Jekyll set, which was available for re-order.  Now, I went a bit nuts on advent sets last year, and haven’t even opened all of them, including this one.  But, having ordered one for this year, I decided maybe it was time to open this one.  I did open the box when I received it, and was enchanted by the packaging.

I did order a full-sized skein, and also the bag.

Which came neatly packaged in this lovely mesh bag.

Now, I don’t really need more project bags, but how could I resist this one?  Constellation fabric!  So cool.  And the inside is lined with sparkly purple fabric.  Purple!

The extra goodies were in their own little mesh bag.

I was pleasantly surprised to find knitting needles in there!

Not that I really need more knitting needles, but I always like it when a yarn set (especially if that set comes with a pattern) comes with needles so I don’t have to go get one out of my needle stash.  But wait!  There is more!  Cards!

Every skein has a card that goes with it that has information on the inspiration for that skein, beautifully printed on glossy card stock.

The care and thought that went into this Advent Calendar really just blew me away.  All that was left was to pull the first skein, cake it up and cast on.