Preemie Blanket #1

I have received the word that The Preemie Project is most in need of bereavement blankets and sleep sacks. Here is the start of my first blanket. I am using the first baby blanket pattern I ever knitted years ago with some adaptations. First, I have totally changed the number of stitches to hopefully get the same size blanket with baby weight yarn and smaller needles.

The other change is interesting to me. I figured out that I was always going to have one extra "column" if you will of knit on one side of the pattern stitches. I puzzled about the logic of this and decided it had to be done that way to match up the seed stitch border on the sides with the border on the bottom. The first time I used this pattern I would have read it rote and not thought about how it worked. So, I solved it by moving the extra stitch to the other side every other repeat, making a staggered pattern. I'm liking it. It has kind of a smocked effect. I am using white and antique white which comes off as a very pale gold.

We are supposed to keep track of our hours. I figure 6 hours for the hat and booties. The blanket looks like it's going to be about an inch an hour. I think it will be my 10:00 news project. I'd like to think I could finish about one blanket a month. I also realized tonight that I can now write off the yarn! And Barbie can use the leftovers!

Two Barbie projects in the works as birthday presents to be done by the end of the week.